Frog on Peco turnouts

[basementdweller]

I am curently laying track for my new layout, as I install a turnout I run my test cars througth the turnout.

Here is what is going on.

I am installing Peco code 100 Large #6 insulfrog turnouts, my test cars are two Athearn / Bev Bel heavyweight passenger cars with three axles per truck, plastic wheels.

The lead wheels of the first truck ride over the frog and derail when the turnout is set to the diverging route. It does this on all turnouts.

Any car with two axle trucks run through the turnouts just fine.

Should I consider just switching these cars to better quality metal wheels? If so which brand? Do I have to worry about causing short circuits as I will be running DCC. Or is this a problem with these Peco turnouts?

Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[Russ Bellinis]

Do you have a NMRA standards gauge? You may have some wheels out of gauge causing the problem. The Peco large turnouts should work with any rolling stock.

 

[atsfman]

I have a large number of the Peco large turnouts, I also operate with DCC, no problems. I use all metal wheels, no plastic.

Bob

 

[basementdweller]

Thanks for the reasurance of using metal wheels with these Peco's. Today I bought some Intermountain metal wheels and will switch these cars over tonight and try them again.
No I don't have a wheel guage, I must get one.

 

[60103]

Are these recent Peco turnouts or older ones? When they first came out, they were set to accomodate the toy wheels of Tri-ang and Hornby and the flangeways were extra wide; NMRA wheels would push over and climb up on the frog. If you bought these second hand, there may be no cheap solution.
You can check by putting a truch in the frog ans seeing if it will shift from side to side.

 

[basementdweller]

David, these are brand new turnouts, thanks for the tip, as I have considered buying used ones off Ebay, I will think again.

I believe I have found the solution, I installed the Intermountain metal wheels, and WOW!!! what a difference, the cars run through the turnouts with no problems.

The wheels I removed I noticed had one metal and one plastic wheel, most likely for lights, they were in very bad condition.

New question:
How much side to side play should the axle have in the truck? Please don't make this too technical for me, is it none, very little, a little bit more, or doesn't matter as long as the axle doesn't fall out?
Thanks Martin

 

[neilmunck]

a fair bit is fine because the conical bearings mean the car always sits straight.

if they are nearly falling out then that can screw it all up a bit.

if you are not having problems then you are fine