Turnout adjustment picture?


P

PIN DR

Member
I've got #8 Peco snap turnouts on my layout. They all work fine for the most part, but I've got one that likes to derail really light tank cars if they are backed over it. What I am looking for is a picture of a properly aligned rail when the turnout is set to allow the cars to take the alternative route (as opposed to going straight). I want to make sure this turnout is properly adjusted. If I need to bend the rail or file the end or something, I can certainly do that, but I want to make sure I am doing the right thing.

When it is thrown, it seems to me that the end of the movable rail sticks out just a little bit rather than laying perfectly flush INSIDE the outside rail when it is thrown. Maybe that is catching the wheels on the car?

Jeff
 
Use a track gauge and see where the problem is. If you can see a problem, it more than likely needs to be taken car of.
 
The gauge seems to show the track is fine as far as width. I was just trying to determine how tight the movable track is supposed to lay up against the rail when it is thrown to allow the turnout.

Jeff
 
The "lip" of the movable rail may be catching on the cars. Check that the turnout/throw rod isn't binding on anything before you file it.
 
That's what I'm thinking. Should it be completely flush up against the other rail when it is in the thrown position? By flush, I mean should it be imbedded inside the rail so the wheels flow over it without touching the end?

Jeff
 
Thank you for this discussion. Maybe I'm starting to get the hint here. So, the end of that movable rail does not need to be up against the outer rail when thrown, just adjusted so the wheels don't hit the end of it as they transition to the other route? It is more important to have that other route be the correct width than have the end of that rail lay up against the other one when thrown?
 
it should lay against the rail. sometimes the point tip is thick, and the wheel will ride up and over instead of following it. also make sure that it is pretty flush at the top of the rail.
 
you might also check the trucks on the oil tankers. If they don't rotate freely, they will cause derailments. If the weight of the car is so light that there isn't enough downward force to cause the trucks to pivot, there is your problem.
 
Bingo! I carefully examined the cars going over the turnout last night and it is not the fault of the turnout. The cars are so light that they want to bounce when they go over the frog. I weighed them and unlike the rest of my rolling stock, they are less than half the weight they should be. I am going to put metal wheels on them to add weight and try to figure our how to add some additional weight to them somewhere. Hard to do with a round tank car. I really like the cars, so I would like to keep them, just need to figure out how to make them track better.

Anybody recommend a specific type/manufacturer of metal wheel sets?

Jeff
 
For weight, follow the recommended NMRA practices, something like 1oz plus 0.5oz for each inch of car length, I forget!

I do know that 11 pennies weighs 1oz!
 
Yup, that is the standard. Almost all my cars are right on the money now, but these tank cars are really light. I am going to put metal wheels on them, but they will still need extra weight. But, since they are tank cars, I don't know how I am going to get the weight attached to them.

Jeff
 
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