quick derailing coal car

[matrotto]

I am new to model railroading and am having trouble keeping my train on the track. It seems that my coal car is  the culprit. It seems to leave the track first. Is there any way to adjust the track pressure on the car? I am puzzled because this train is for ages 12 and up and I am much older than that. The track is layed out on a 4 x 8 table on a solid 1 inch styrofoam base.

[richg]

Is this a hopper car or tender for a loco?
If a loco, are there wires between the loco and tender. Check the wires.
Some Bachmann tenders are known to be light on the front truck. Add weight in the tender at the front.
Look very carefully at the car when it is running.

Rich

[sd24b]

I am new to model railroading and am having trouble keeping my train on the track. It seems that my coal car is  the culprit. It seems to leave the track first. Is there any way to adjust the track pressure on the car? I am puzzled because this train is for ages 12 and up and I am much older than that. The track is layed out on a 4 x 8 table on a solid 1 inch styrofoam base.

check your track gauge and wheel gauge.  Also, what type of coupler are you using.  if it is a horn hook that could be the culprit.  Is this a body mount or truck mount coupler?  And it's relationship in the train.  Is the weighted?  Phil

[rbryce1]

Remember all those Christmas toys that stated on the box that they were easily assembled by a 6 year old?  Trouble was, I wasn't 6!   

One more thing to check, are you running it on a large enough radius?  I have some steam locos that the tender is the first to derail if I try and pass it through too tight a curve.  My Riverossi B & O  2-10-2 tender actually tries to tip over on an 18" curve.

[matrotto]

Radii  were provided with the Bachmann Cavalier Spectrum.  So I don't think it is that. My coal car appears to attached to the steam engine. I have placed weight on the coal car and have achieved some measure of success but don,t breath or expect more than one lap without a derailment.  I just don't see how this could possibly be set up on a carpet. Unless there is something wrong with my train.
I have inspected every inch of the track and soldered the joints thinking that that would help and it did  help but still not good. HELP!! I am loosing patience and interest and I am bare getting started on my railroad town.

[jward]

are the trucks on the tender swivelling loosely? can they rock a little from front to back? if the trucks are too tight they will bind and cause derailments. loosening them may help. if they're held on with screws try backing the screws off 1/4 to 1/2 turn.

[richg]

Model railroading requires patience and perseverance. How bad do you want this hobby? We have all been through this, many times. Part of any hobby. Any hobby has a learning curve.
To think of it, life has a learning curve.
Rich

[Doneldon]

mat-

I understand the frustration which comes when you just can't get around some little problem. Any of us on this board
have had the same experience. But our common experience doesn't help you much with your own fristration, does it?
What might help is giving yourself some credit for what you've already learned: the interaction of weight distribution,
curvature, speed (maybe) and the hopelessness of carpet running. Give yourself some credit for hanging in there so far
and recognize that irksome problems like this will pretty much go away as you gain experience. That's not to say you'll
never have another problem, just that they'll be rarer and easier to master

Check the gauge of your tender's wheels, the tightness of your rail joints (use a fingernail to find small gaps or places
where only one rail is inside the rail joiner with the other on top of it), whether your trucks are free to swivel and (one at
least) rock, and whether the wires between your locomotive and tender are contributing to the derailments. In the latter
case, you can usually correct the problem by repositioning the wires. It's a trial-and-error process so give it a few
adjustments until you find what works.

                                                              -- D

[sd24b]

if this is a steam engine, you might also check your drawbar.  sometimes it lifts the front truck just enough that the wheels are not on the rails.  does this car derail going the opposite direction?      Phil

[wildpaws]

if this is a steam engine, you might also check your drawbar.  sometimes it lifts the front truck just enough that the wheels are not on the rails.  does this car derail going the opposite direction?      Phil

OP mentioned Spectrum Cavalier (I'm assuming the train set) which would be a N&W J611 4-8-4. Many great tips offered in this thread, there can be so many little things that could cause issues and ech one needs to be checked. I have the same engine/tender and no issues at this point in time and I appreciate all of the suggestions and think I'll make a check list for future problems.
Clyde 

[rbryce1]

Do you have a Model Railroad Club in your area or a friend with a layout.  I have isolated many problems I had by taking the engine to our Model Railroad Club and running it there.  If it performs fine on their tracks, you know it is probable an issue with the way it is running just on your tracks, not a mechanical problem with the engine and tender combination.  If it derails on their tracks, there is most likely not a major contributing factor from your rails.  While it will not tell you everything, it is another way to try and find the problem.  Also, 3-4 other experienced Model Railroading eyes looking right at it in motion is far better than 20-30 eyes on a forum, as we cannot see every little thing happening.

[wjstix]

Some Spectrum steam engines have an "apron" that on the real engine allows the fireman to go from the engine cab to the tender (the car with coal and water right behind the engine.) When you put the engine on the track, be sure the apron is all the way up. Then when all the rails are on the track, reach in (I usually use a small screwdriver or pencil) and lower the apron. If you don't do it that way, the apron can get stuck under the "lip" at the front of the coal tender, and lift up the front wheels of the tender, making it derail.