turnout and crossover derailments

[raz]

my layout has been expanded 4x8 it includes 2 crossovers l&r 2 turnouts l&r all dcc ,all programming went really well including reversing one loco.my derailment problems are when the loco and cars are going into the c/o and t/o at half speed or a little less it runs through good sometimes then goes off. i changed the order of the cars i only have two and a caboose so its always car two and three i also played with direction and speed. i did notice the points moving but its hard to catch it and see the actual derail is it normal for this movement? also i can see that the manual slide has moved a bit, also its like there is no pressure applied to keep the points in position towards travel direction is there a way to tighten this up.also when i power up some switches activate others don't seem to? so i am checking to make sure of direction any tips or trouble shooting ideas would be welcome thanks ahead of time!

[Jerrys HO]

raz

I did a lot of tweeking to my t/o and c/o. Do a search on this and you can read a lot of things most of the posters have done to their's.
There is one thing I have done which helped a bunch and may be all you need to do. It sounds like your trucks may be too tight and they are trying to push through the points. Try loosening the trucks a tad and try it. I found this has helped my rolling stock considerably.

Jerry

[jward]

would these crossovers consist of the standard switch with the 18r curve? is so, do you have an s curve through them? on an 18r s curve, it would be no wonder you'd have derailments. your car ends are pulling the couplers to opposite sides. when this sideward pull exceeds the amount of coupler swing the cars allow, it forces the wheels off the rails. about the only thing you can do is to eliminate the s curves through a rearrangement of your track.

[raz]

thanks jerry i will try the truck adjustment also i am going to pick-up one of them gauges.  jeff i have straight track going into my c/o no s turns and the short length of my train is clear of the 22r turn before going into the c/o,but the t/o is after a 18r curve but that is less of a problem, that switch does not seem to move on its own as much as the c/o. i read some other post and will  try some of the other suggestions.  thanks 

[Desertdweller]

I have found on my model railroad (several years old) that sometimes, when an EZ-Track switch fails to operate, the problem is not in the switch or in its mechanism.  Sometimes the problem lies in corrosion in the aluminum contacts where the 3-wire electrical connector plugs into the bottom of the switch controller.

Before taking the switch mechanism apart (this does not always end well), try unplugging the 3-wire connector and check for corrosion inside the plug or on the 3 spade terminals it plugs into.  This corrosion would have a white, powdery appearance.  It can be cleaned off with contact cleaner or WD40.

I've learned to check these connectors first, before doing anything more drastic.  It can be very difficult to repair an EZ-Track switch internally, especially once it is incorporated into permanently-mounted track.

Les

[Doneldon]

Dd-

I haven't done this myself but do you think it would
make sense to "seal" such connectors by putting a
little conductive grease on the terminals?
                                                               -- D

[Jerrys HO]

raz

The biggest problem I found with the turnouts is to make sure they are level. I have cut thin plywood to the shape of the turnout and mounted it, then I trimmed my foamboard down to the level of the track.(works great on the turntable also)
You will read in the other posts about filing the rail where the points contact, I have had to do this also. It's not hard to do and helps.

Jerry

[Joe323]

Much of the turnout problems on EZ track are caused by poor quality control at the manufacturing process (no offense Mr. B just an observation) here are my suggestions:

1) when you buy the turnouts check to be sure the points are straight and in gauge before you renove the package. If you buy them from your LHS do this before you buy it.

2) check and adjust the coupler trip pin to be sure it is not too low and snaging the track buy kadee trip pin pliers to adjust as needed

3) file the points and the stock rail to make them sharp if you subscribe to Model Railroader check out the virginian video series part 8 for more info.   

[Desertdweller]

Don,

I haven't done that, but it would probably help.  I'll have to find some of that stuff.

My model railroad shares a room with a gas water heater.  I suspect that may have something to do with the problem.

Les

[Doneldon]

My model railroad shares a room with a gas water heater.  I suspect that may have something to do with the problem.

Les-

You are correct. The sulfur in gas will tarnish silver in a
hurry and I can't think of a reason the same wouldn't be
true for rail, especially brass rail.
                                                      -- D

[2narrowminded]

Get a NMRA standards gauge for the scale your working in. Then you can check everything. The track gauge flange clearances, wheel gauge ect. Then you will know where the problem is and can correct it.

[jbrock27]

It's like 'Groundhog Day' here, from the "Virginian video series" to "sulfur from the gas water heater" references (how does that happen with a modern day water heater anyway Doc?)

If I was RichG, I would say something to the effect of "many who come here fail to review other posts and are doommed to certain failure" or something like that...

[raz]

i think i may have solved my derailment problem? it may have been a q. c. problem with the crossover,the one rail on the point was rolling in towards the center of the track when the loco. was going into it,this rail is very loose compared to all the others,i wasn't sure if i could put a spot of glue on it to stiffen it up,so i turned it around and i have not had a derailment for over a week also no problems in reverse. maybe a bandaid? i also loosened up all the trucks on the cars that came with the set to match other cars i purchased separately train runs smoother now not as jerky it seems. i thought it may have been the loco but it was going on with the three that i have.  thanks much for all the help