0-6-0 steam engine gets stuck in turn-outs

[peteeman]

My 0-6-0 steam engine gets stuck in turn-outs at slow speed.  At high speed it makes it trough but not smoothly.  At the hobby store they tried it on different turn-outs with no better result!  Is this normal? 

[Doneldon]

pete-

Locos which barely make it through turnouts at low speeds usually have one of two problems: First, the wheelbase might be too short to maintain constant electrical contact. At higher speeds or with heavy flywheels they have enough momentum to carry themselves through the turnout until they make good contact again. I haven't heard of this being a big issue with Bachmann 0-6-0s but it may be the explanation if your track is not real clean and your loco is the tank engine rather than the tender engine. The second problem, about which I hinted, is dirty track. Again, turnouts are a little tricky to begin with and marginally dirty track, which is fine on regular sections, may "trip" your loco at a turnout.

There is a third possible problem but I think it's less likely to cause a hesitation than a full stop, plus, your LHS should have caught it. I'll only mention it because it is a slight possibility: Something hanging under your loco (usually the wire which hangs below magnetic knuckle couplers) may cause a hesitation at turnouts taken slowly. A loco will generally manage its way through if it is going at some speed. I'm assuming there is nothing sticking up from your turnouts because it is so unlikely that every one would have a similar obstruction.
                                                                                           -- D

[jonathan]

Petee,

Doneldon gives great advice.  Here's another possibility:

The bottom plate has a hump for the gear on the drive axle.  It hangs just a bit low; perhaps a 64th of an inch.  I took a needle file and filed just a pinch off this area:



Like you I was having a hesitation issue.  That hump was hitting the divergent rail whenever I went through a turnout.  Problem solved. I have done this to all three of my 0-6-0s.

To cure the short wheelbase issue, I added metal wheels and current pickup to the tenders.  That helps, too.

I also have the 0-6-0T.  It seems to do okay through turnouts, despite its diminutive size.

Regards,

Jonathan

[peteeman]

Thank you very much for your advice.  I returned the turn-out to the store (I decided to stick with just an oval track because of this issue).  I will go back to buy one and will try your advice.
Thanks again.
Peter

[peteeman]

I filed the hump under the train and now there is no hesitation...my little engine goes through very smoothly.  Thanks again to both of you.
Peter