Re-Railers???

[rbryce1]

I wanted to ask if there had been any progress on finding the problem with the Bachmann re-railers, so I went to the thread to post the question.  I see Bachmann has found a way to fix the problem with their re-railers, or at least stop the issue from being discussed.  On April 1, 2013, the Yardmaster posted that it was being "discussed and will be remedied".  He then locked the thread so no more posts can be done there.  WHY?  That is kind of low!  Thank you Mr Bachmann, I guess this is the same "Tech Support" everyone on this forum has been complaining about for as long as I can remember.  At least you are consistant.  From now on, I'm buying Atlas track, and if I find a buyer for several hundred pieces of new Bachmann track at our club's next train show, it's all out of here!  Since I have not yet started building the layout, planned for this fall, it's all still new.  I do have several hundred pieces of track, but that is only enough for the lower level, and every piece of Bachmann track I sell is a piece of new Bachmann track they will not sell.  Atlas will be selling me a lot of track.  

[jbrock27]

Problem?  What problem?
These aren't the problems you are looking for...

No problems with turnouts either, just ask Jerry.

[Jerrys HO]

jb

Ask me what? I never said I never had problems, just have the talent to fix them.

rbryce

I don,t think you will ever find out. Recently while moving some track around on my layout I noticed I have two different re-railers that look the same but on the outer section of the railer one has a groove and one does not. Strange as I had never noticed that before. Newer version vs. older version?

Jerry

[rbryce1]

Today I went over to H&R Trains and bought 4 sections of Atlas Code 100 NS track and 2 Atlas re-railers.  I tested several cars by manually de-railing them and passing them over the Atlas re-railers.  98% success rate of re-railing on the first pass, 100% re-railing on a second pass.

[jbrock27]

Jerrys HO


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Re: DCC Turnout #5 Problem
« Reply #16 on: July 20, 2013, 11:08:01 AM »   Reply with quote
Keith.
I agree don't give up sometimes the frustration overcomes you , but when it's all figured out there is a certain feeling of accomplishment that somehow makes you forget why you got so frustrated in the first place. Patience does pay off in the end and you will soon learn why this is the Greatest Hobby in the World.
By the way I have been through the Bachmann turnout's inside and out and out of now 17 of them only 2 still need a little attention.

Jerry
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Drive It Like You Stole It!

[jbrock27]

It is a great thing Jerry to have the ability to fix things.
I think you are acting a little paranoid lately.  There is no reason to.  Relax.
Your experiences with the turnouts have been different than Keith's (Keesu) and different from Robert's (rbryce1) experience with the re-railers.

[Bob_B]

I have a couple re-railers and of course the (E-Z Track) power connectors are re-railers as well but I don't really see the point of them. When something derails, 9 times out of 10 it shorts the track and I have to manually re-rail them anyway.

My 2c

[jbrock27]

Fortunately, the sometimes I have something derail, it is usually a freight car and does not cause a short but the car sometimes get dragged down the track bc the coupler is still hanging on .  On the occasion the derailment happens, it is usually at a turnout.

[jward]

as I had said before in the original deleted thread, if you are having derailments consistently, find the problem and correct it. rerailers shouldn't be needed if you have well laid track. looking for rerailers to cure the derailment problem is like banging your head off the wall repeatedly, then expecting Tylenol to cure the pain.

[rbryce1]

If it's this easy, I'm going to be amazed, but there is a definite difference between the Bachmann re-railer design and the Atlas design.  The Atlas re-railer has a flat spot in the outside of the rails where the Bachmann has the groove continue up to the rail.  The flat spot on the Atlas allows the outside wheel to rise up to the level of the top of the rail and slide sideways as it is pulled back into alignment by the wheel on the inside of the tracks being forced by the guide on the inside of the re-railer.  The Bachmann design has the outside edge of the re-railer come to a point and align with the groove on the outside of the rail.  The wheel flange then enters that groove and never crosses over the rail to re-rail.  I'm going to modify a Bachmann re-railer to the same geometry this weekend and try it.  If it works, I'll post photos.

Either way I'm still going to convert the entire upper level to Atlas track.

[rbryce1]

OK, Jeff, I'm done with this.  How many times in the past thread did we argue about the fact that we are not concerned here with de-railing.  IT HAPPENS!  No matter how good things are, IT HAPPENS.  The issue IN THIS THREAD, and please stick to it, is the failure of Bachmanns product to re-rail the very occasional derailment.

I really believe I may have solved the problem in 2 ways.  1)  I think I can modify the Bachmann re-railers I already have so the things work, and 2) from now on, I'm no longer using the Bachmann product.

If anyone wishes to know how my test turns out, then just say so.  If you still want to switch the topic of the thread, then please, start a new one.

[rogertra]

If it's this easy, I'm going to be amazed, but there is a definite difference between the Bachmann re-railer design and the Atlas design.  The Atlas re-railer has a flat spot in the outside of the rails where the Bachmann has the groove continue up to the rail.  The flat spot on the Atlas allows the outside wheel to rise up to the level of the top of the rail and slide sideways as it is pulled back into alignment by the wheel on the inside of the tracks being forced by the guide on the inside of the re-railer.  The Bachmann design has the outside edge of the re-railer come to a point and align with the groove on the outside of the rail.  The wheel flange then enters that groove and never crosses over the rail to re-rail.  I'm going to modify a Bachmann re-railer to the same geometry this weekend and try it.  If it works, I'll post photos.

Either way I'm still going to convert the entire upper level to Atlas track.

rbryce1.

I'm guessing the Atlas rerailer is code 100 set track?

The only place I'm going to use rerailers is on the exit from my staging yards, on the main track just after the first switch then, how to put this?  I'll have a rerailer right at the entrance and exit of each reverse loop staging track.  I'm doing this as my staging tracks will be hidden in another "room" and will be monitored by a cheap video camera.  It will be a pain to have to go into the "room" as it's an awkward part of the basement to access.

I do not use rerailers anywhere else as derailments just don't happen, unless an operator makes a mistake and backs cars through a closed switch.  Other than that, derailments are very rare and any that do happen, are thoroughly investigated and the problem fixed.

[jward]

roger,
amen to that.

[Bob_B]

as I had said before in the original deleted thread, if you are having derailments consistently, find the problem and correct it.....

Oh if it were only that easy.
I have some locos derail and some that don't so you would expect the problem to be the loco. Yet it happens on one particular turnout in only one direction so you would expect a faulty turnout.
Sometimes it seems the laws of physics don't apply and "s**t 'appens" :-)

[rogertra]

as I had said before in the original deleted thread, if you are having derailments consistently, find the problem and correct it. rerailers shouldn't be needed if you have well laid track. looking for rerailers to cure the derailment problem is like banging your head off the wall repeatedly, then expecting Tylenol to cure the pain.

And Amen to that as well.

There is no excuse for continual derailments at the same place in your track work or with an individual locomotive or item of rolling stock.

Is stuff consistently derailing at the same place on your track?  Then there's something wrong with your track.  The solution?  Find and fix the problem.

Is the same loco constantly derailing? Then there's something wrong with the loco.  The solution? Find and fix the problem.

Is the same item of rolling stock constantly derailing?  Then there's something wrong with the item of rolling stock.  The solution?  Find and fix the problem.

Rerailers are not needed as derailments just shouldn't happen.  They happen due to poorly laid or manufactured track, out of gauge wheels, poor rolling wheels or stiff trucks not swiveling freely.  These are the most common causes of derailments.  All easily fixed by even the most ham-fisted modeller using the simplest of tools.

Yes, I will have rerailers in my hidden and difficult to access staging yards.  Why?  Because operators make errors.  Backing up instead of going forward and derailing on switches set against their train etc..  Besides, having rerailers on the entrance and exit to staging tracks just makes sense.