Left turnout 44461 - loco derailing question

[kj1231]

Had small HO set for my kids some 20 years ago and haven't set them up in a loooong time. My granddaughter is a Thomas the Train fan so yesterday I decided to start setting them up again. I purchased a Bachmann Thomas set to run on an inner loop and got my old trains running on an outer loop. On the outer loop I put a left turnout (#44461) in the middle of the curve so I can run the trains down the top of a bookcase. The turnout will be used 99% of the time because its part of the loop. It will go "straight" less frequently since its a run down the bookcase and then reverse.

The problem is that the older trains derail (longer loco/cars) meanwhile the shorter Thomas trains run just fine. I wanted to run the Thomas trains in the smaller inner loop and the larger on the outside. Are there known issues with the 44461? Or am I doing something wrong?

Thanks in advance! Ken

[Terry Toenges]

Check your couplers and see if any of them are hanging down too low. I see you have horn hook couplers. Sometimes, the little pieces hanging down from the coupler can get caught on the turnout rails. Take your cars and roll them one by one over the turnout to see if any of them is hanging up.

[Len]

Also check the point rail is tight against the stock rail. If it's sticking out even a little, the old style 'pizza cutter' flanges can pick them and cause a derailment. A little light filing on the point rail will fix it.

Len