Help-curved rerailer

[ShoeToe]

Just added a simple branch using 2 turnouts and 2 18" curve EZ tracks with rerailer +2 straights. My 2-8-0 loco cannot navigate the 2 curved tracks.  It derails on the rerails.  All Bachmann stuff including the loco.  What gives?  Loco runs fine on 18" curves without rerails around the rest of the layout.

[sd24b]

Just added a simple branch using 2 turnouts and 2 18" curve EZ tracks with rerailer +2 straights. My 2-8-0 loco cannot navigate the 2 curved tracks.  It derails on the rerails.  All Bachmann stuff including the loco.  What gives?  Loco runs fine on 18" curves without rerails around the rest of the layout.

check your track gauge.  then watch as your engine goes around the curve.  there may be something lifting up your wheels.  Phil

[jonathan]

Also,

Check the trip pins on your Connie and the rolling stock.  They may be catching the end of the rerailer platform.

The tender/loco connector wires may be dragging and catching the rerailer as well.

Are the curved tracks attached immediately after the turnouts?  You may have created an extreme "S" curve, which will give fits to ALL rolling stock.  Most equipment will not cooperate with tight "S" curves.

Regards,

Jonathan

[ShoeToe]

Thanks guys. I changed the config.  Used straights off the turnouts and replaced the curved rerailers.  Seems like it is my tender.  It is lifting off the track just before the curve (after the turnout). I'm not happy with the way the tender is connected to the loco. 

I'll check the forum for problems with these Spectrum tenders. 

[Doneldon]

Shoe-

Tripping tenders are a common complaint. There are two things to try for a fix: One, get rid of the horizontal wires which tend to push or pull the tender off of the rails on curves and at turnouts. The first fix is to use all extra wire to make a vertical loop which can flex as opposed to that horizontal bend. Two, add a little weight to the very front of the tender. One or both of these will fix 95% of the problems. If they don't work for you, add a bit more weight (at the front of the tender) and check for free play in your couplers and trucks, dragging coupler trip pins and out of gauge wheels and rails.

                                                                                                                -- D
                                       

[ShoeToe]

Thanks D, it turns out that I already attacked the wire and tender weight issue when I pulled the loco out of the box, new, last month.  I checked the forum and this tender lifting issue is well known since, at least, 2007.  I'll keep playing with the right weight and wire mix (because we modelers love to fix things) but I'm concerned with the quality of this product. Time to expand beyond Bachmann?

Thanks for the feedback.

[jonathan]

ShoeToe,

Don't let the tender wire issue get you down.  Every manufacturer--EVERY manufacturer--has a quirk or two in their product.  It's up to us as modelers to do a little tweaking to make everything work perfectly.

I am not a company man, but for the money, the Connie is the best all around steam locomotive on the market.  I have six of them.  I just took apart my very first Connie (2006 purchase I think), in order to superdetail it, and found all the mechanical parts in perfect working order.  The motor, gears and drive rods/valve gear still look and operate like new.  I run these locomotives constantly.

The tender wires will loosen up a bit over time.  The tender derailment issues will eventually go away, especially if you tweak the wires as Doneldon has suggested.  IIRC I added tender weight to only one of my Connies, and it probably doesn't need the weight anymore.

Don't know how many hours you have on your Connie, but they do run/track better after several hours of run time.

Just a thought from a Connie fan.  I'm probably a bit biased. 

Regards,

Jonathan