Adding a guard rail/3rd rail to installed flex track

[Matt Bumgarner]

Our local NRHS chapter was donated a pretty nice N-gauge layout that is just the right size to be portable. It is already scenic'd and ballasted, so I don't want to do some major reworking.

However, the layout has a pretty severe curve at the top of a very steep grade, and the front trucks of my Atlas Alco RS-3's will derail every single time if they run short hood forward in either direction (and that is the lightest end of the engine. No cars derail on this curve, nor does the second truck of the engine.

I think I can solve the problem by adding a third rail inside the gauge of the track for a guard rail, but apart from pre-bending the rail and using CA glue, I can think of no other way to attach the rail. Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance,

Matt

[Tim]

Matt

The guard rail will be of no help except scenically.

The problem is with your loco, the truck on the short hood end
is limited in it's rotation, that's why it derails.

Remove the shell, and looking straight down on it, see if you can
determine what limits the truck rotation.

You may be able to make some adjustment to allow more movement.

Tim Anders
Souderton, Pa