Newbie help

[ccolbert]

This is the first time I've ever set up a train. I have a Bachmann B&O steamer with a tender. I'm running it on EZ track. I have 2 straight runs, one 18" turn and one 15" turn. There are some minor grade changes. As long as I only run the engine everything is fine. But when I manage to add the tender (which is a WHOLLLLLE 'nother issue), it inevitably derails. The cars are so small and the track so narrow that I'm not even sure I have the cars on the rails correctly. I'm so frustrated because I've been at it for hours and all I have to show for it is a dismantled Christmas village and a broken curtain rod. Help!

[jward]

you don't mention what the steamer is or what cars you have.

given the info you have provided, i suspect your problem is with the 15r curves. they are too small for much of the locomotives and cars available. is the 15r turn where the problems occur? or are they everywhere? keep track of what derails and where, and let us know. also let us know exactly what locomotive and cars you are running.

your solution may be as simple as replacing the 15r curves with 18r 0r 22r.

[Doneldon]

cc-

I'm sorry to hear that your foray into model railroading is so frustrating. I know what a bummer that can be, but I assure you that if you stay with it through some of the beginner issues, you'll find a lot of interesting, rewarding activities in the hobby.

I'm assuming you have HO trains since you posted on the HO section of Bachmann's board. But just to check, the inside edges of your rails should be about 5/8" apart and the flanges on your rolling stock (cars and loco) should be inside of the railheads with the wide part of the wheels (actually called tires) on the rails. We're talking rough measurement here to make certain that your train and track are both HO. There is still the possibility that the measurements are off by a little which could explain your tracking problem but we won't get into careful measuring just yet.

One problem with many steam engines is that their tenders want to derail unless everything is adjusted just right. A frequent culprit is the wiring between the loco and tender. The wire can be stiff enough that it tends to pull the tender off of the rails. The fix is making sure that you don't have a straight, horizontal wire run from the loco to the tender. If you do, just bend the wire into a vertical loop so it can flex on curves. Another thing which often helps is to add a half to one ounce of weight to the front of the tender. Just remove screws from the bottom of the tender and separate the bottom from the shell. You can use fishing weights, heavy nuts or bolts, or pennies to add the weight. Be sure to glue the added weight down with plastic safe glue. Many adhesive caulks work very well but be sure they won't melt plastic. Warning: Be very careful plugging and unplugging your loco and tender wires. Pull only on the plugs, never the wires. They are too fragile to yank on.

If adjusting the wires and adding weight don't fix your problem there is the possibility of your track or wheels being out of gauge. That means that the spacing between the wheels or between the rails is off by enough that it affects tracking. Testing that requires either a micrometer or, better by far, an NMRA (National Model Railroading Association) track gauge. I doubt very seriously if you have one at this early date in the hobby but I think your problem is more likely related to the connection between the loco and tender and/or the tender weight.

As Jeff Ward mentioned, the 15" radius curve may also pose a challenge. That is a very tight curve and only the smallest equipment will be able to navigate it. Most current plastic models, other than truly big engines, can handle 18" radius but there can still be issues with long rolling stock, especially long passenger cars. I agree completely with Jeff's suggestion that you get rid of the tight curve and see if that helps. However, something in your post causes me to ask a question: How can you have an 18" curve at one end of your layout and a 15" curve on the other" That should prevent the rails from aligning properly which can certainly cause derailments. So ... chuck the 15" curves and check out every rail joint. You should feel no bump as you slide your finger over the joints. If you do feel a bump or a ledge, you probably have one of the rails on top of its rail joiner rather than inside of it. Also, there should be no space between the two ends of the rails at a rail joint and the rail line should be smooth, without a visible angle. This is true for both straights and curves. If you get your face down close to your rails and sight along them you should see straight sections which flow smoothly together and curves which follow the same line, without places where the track abruptly changes direction.

I hope these suggestions help you straighten out (NPI) your train and get you running. Please let us know if things are improved or if we need to trouble shoot some more. When you do post here, it's best if you clearly identify the gauge of your models, the manufacturer (yes, lots of people have stuff other than what's made by the Bman), whether you are running DC or DCC, the locomotive by its wheel arrangement (three numbers, the first being the number on the lead truck, if any, the number of driven wheels, and the number of wheels on the trailing truck, if any), and the manufacturer's catalog number for the locomotive (not the number on the cab or tender). For diesel locomotives, it's helpful to know the type of loco (F-unit, Alco, SD45, etc.), but at least tell whether the loco's trucks have four or six wheels. The more information you provide about your set up the better and faster we can help.

Again, I'm sorry to learn you are having difficulties with your trains but do remember that most activities have a fairly steep learning curve at first.
Things will even out and you can look forward to many hours of enjoyable model railroading. Welcome to this board and to a wonderful hobby
whose diverse aspects have held my interest for nearly 60 years.

                                                                                                           -- D