Remote Turn Out Issues

[furstukin]

Just an update, I replaces all plastic wheels with metal today and those cars still derail, I also tried to file down the end of the transfer rail a nit but still no luck, so I returned it for a new one as I do not have any spare sprint steel or equivalent nor a desire to rip apart something brand new where if I broke it I can't return it.

[jward]

This does indeed seem to be the problem I have filmed it in slow motion and just as it hits the point where the transfer rail meets the main rail the wheels slip in just enough to cause it derail. Not sure why my loco and one tank car make it through fine, but I have even tried adding a load to weigh some cars down and they still derail. That said I am not sure going through the process in the video is worth my time, since I can exchange it for a new one. And given the left one works I can only assume this is just poor-quality control.

But I did have a simpler idea I wanted to run by some people with more knowledge. If the rails are steel alloy, can I lightly magnetize the transfer rail so it wants to hold the main rail when in the transfer position or will that be a problem for the electrical track?

This is a problem often seen with manufactured switches such as EZ Track but the problem is not limited to just them. As they come from the factory, the switch points (what you call a transfer rail) have ends that are way too blunt. There are a couple of things you can do to help the problem. First is that you can block the offending point open with a small scrap of wood or plastic, then CAREFULLY file a taper to the point. Start an inch or two back from the end, and file the inside face of the rail head, where the wheel flanges run. File enough material off the point that it is sharp in the end. I build my own switches, and you could cut your finger on my switchpoints. You don't need to go to that extreme but the sharper the point the less likely the wheels are to catch it and push it over. In addition to this, when I build mine I notch the stock rail so that the point fits in the recess in the rail. The wheels never have a chance to contact the end. That is very difficult to do on a pre-assembled switch but you can do the next best thing and CAREFULLY grip the rails just ahead of the point with a pair of pliers. Gently put a slight twist in the rail. In effect you want to create a little jog in the rail to direct the wheels away from the switchpoint, similar to the recess I file in mine. You have to be careful when you do this. Too much twist will make the track guage too narrow and cause more derailments. The twist is something the real railroads put in their stock rails for the same reason suggested here.


If all this seems like a pain, remember this is a DIY hobby, and little tricks like these can overcome the shortcomings of the manufacturing process. It would cost too much for anyone to mass produce track to the standards I use in building my own, but for the most part it performs pretty well regardless. The two main areas I have found on prefabricated switches are the points, and sloppy tolerances in the flangeways at the frog and guardrails. There is a DIY fix for that problem too, should you ever need to use it.
 

[furstukin]

So, I got a new turnout and this one works when the train is going slow, but everything, including the locomotive, derails at speed. And the wheels generally making a clicking sound as they roll over the frog arms. There are some rough edges I will try to smooth out, but this seems to be really bad quality control. The manual switch for throwing the frog arms is even reversed on the two different right turnouts. For one you move it toward the turnout to engage on the other you move it away. So, they obviously have no "standard" assembly method or at least no one doing inspections to ensure proper assembly. I must have gotten lucky that my left turnout works flawlessly. This is definitely making me want to steer away from the EZ track for the future.

[jward]

Now for the other fix I alluded to in my last post. Often the flangeways on the frog and guardrails are too wide. A hacksaw blade is the proper width for these flangeways. Since yours are plastic, a simple solution is to glue strips of styrene in the flangeways until the hacksaw blade just barely fits. Once the glue has set you can use a hobby knife to trim them down to the top of the rail. Any good hobby shop should stock these strips. Many will have a P;astruct or Evergreen display rack with various sizes to choose from.