crossover blues

[eds railroad]

I'm usinig BACHMANN easy track.....I just added two crossovers to my railroad,but everytime my train goes across the crossover @ whatever speed the engine goes by but the rolling stock tries to turn and then derails is there a fix to this problem? It seems to me that the frog or what switchs direction is to weak.....sure could use some help   my young engineer is getting impatient

[SteamGene]

See my suggestion in the other thread. 
Gene

[morrisf]

If you have arranged the track such that the diverging lines from each turnout are connected together, you may have formed an "S" curve; that is, a reverse curve that is too tight for the amount of sideways coupler swing of the cars.

Test it by slowly pushing two coupled cars through the curve by hand. Watch the couplers. If the couplers swing all the way to opposite sides and lock up, this is your trouble. You can also push them through this area of track when they are separated by a half-inch or so. You may see that there is no way for the couplers to remain connected in a tight S curve.

This typical of models that are designed with scale appearance in mind, and not a fault of the product; however, toy trains are usually designed for very wide coupler swing to avoid this problem, but, of course, scale appearance is sacrificed.

You need either less-curved turnouts or a straight section of track between them. The rule of thumb is that the straight track needs to be about the length of 1-1/2 cars. Of course, the two main tracks will then be rather far away from each other.

[Rangerover]

I found out that Bachmann switch's are not perfect, many aren't believe me, including Atlas, or Peco. If you watch while the car is moving through the switch, it's either derailing as it hits the section of track that moves or the wheels are not gauged.  Make sure the very tip of the rail that moves  is tapered, not blunt or square. I found this on 2 of Bachmann switch's and had to very, very carefully file with a jewelers file to a point on the side, file the inside where it rests against the hard rail.  Another thing wiith the same piece of track that moves is the very tip of the point on that rail may not be against the main rail, that it's switched to. If that's the case carefully , very carefully, using long or neddle nose pliars, bend the tip so it just rests against the rail, DO NOT OVERBEND.   Another thing I found is that when you're watching does the wheels of the car seem to ride up? If so get yourself a wheel gauge, most cars are way off from the factory in the spacing between the wheels and absolutely will cause derailment. Just one more thing. It could be that the car is too light in weight. Adding weight to the car is very important. Hope this helps, Jim