Rough track areas

[Bob Collins]

As I am able to use more and more of my layout I have noticed that although the couple of deisels I have travel without any problems, both of the steam engines have difficulty crossing the several crossovers I have on the layout

Do any of you have a similar experience and how do you correct it? File/sand down the areas on the crossover that are causing the problem

Got my 2-8-0 back from Bachman yesterday. They replaced the engine without question. Good thing as it never ran an inch on its own

Am still fighting my wiring problems, but I get it figured out a little bit at a time. I think that at least so far this has been the time when patience has really become a virtue

Bob

 

[shamus]

Hi Bob,
I don't know what track & turnouts you are using, but with some Peco turnouts I found I had to file the metal frog down a little to get my rolling stock to flow through without any problems at all.
You can feel the frogs for high spots.

Shamus

 

[roryglasgow]

Froggy Feeling

Feel the frogs for high spots? Would those be WARTS?




I'm terribly sorry about that. I have a bit of a head cold. Must be the decongestant talking. No...I think I'm just that demented normally.

 

[billk]

Rory, you're confusing frogs and toads. If it was supposed to have high spots, it would be called a toad, but it isn't so it's called a frog. Or maybe, being from Texas, you are thinking of a horned frog, but from watching them last Saturday I don't think high spots would be a problem. (That "HUH?" you hear is probably Woodie or Shamus!)

 

[Bob Collins]

The crossovers are Atlas. I can feel something of an area that is somewhat higher that the tracks themselves, so thought that might be the problem. I'll play around with them and see what I can do to fix the situation.

In the case of rory I sort of wonder just what kind of "decongestant" he might be using... most likely something that says "proof" on the bottle somewhere

Bob

 

[Bob Collins]

billk.... I know what a horned frog is ... I also watched my alma mater de-horn them last Saturday!! Huh!!

 

[roryglasgow]

Frogs and Toads

Yep, you're right... I wasn't thinking clearly there. So, are you having problems with the toads on your turnouts? hehehe

Those are horned toads, BTW. And they're not really toads, of course. They're lizards. Funny little critters.

As Yosemite Sam would say, "GRRRRREAT HORNY TOADS!"

Seriously, I was just thinking about it, and I had a similar problem with an Atlas turnout. I took a straight razor and glided it over the track, shaving the frog, er, toad down little by little. It seems, though, that sometimes the little plastic frog (TOAD!) isn't always installed all the way down into the little seat that it sits in, which means that it might be a little shallow for some deeper-flanged rolling stock (example: the Annie and Clarabel coaches in my Tomix Thomas the Tank Engine set tended to "hop" over that offending turnout).

-Rory

 

[roryglasgow]

Oh...

Oh, right, horned frogs... Still thinking fuzzy... I think I'm going to take a break from the computer before I confuse something important, like my files... hehehe

-Rory

 

[Bob Collins]

Rory;

I think you are probably correct. As I carefull run my hand over the frog/toad/lizard/snake I can feel that it is slightly raised above the level of the track.

Of course it is in one of those hard to get to spots on the layout, but I think I can get to it and carefully use a craft knife to shave it down ever so slightly.

Bob

 

[shamus]

If I am going to get stupid remarks again, I will not answer any more questions. (ON FROGS)

Shamus

 

[Bob Collins]

Sorry, I hadn't realized that a little levity in the course of trying to solve my problem was forbidden. I'll see to it that it doesn't happen again.

Bob

 

[Drew1125]

Frogs, toads, horns, warts, & all aside, my advice to you Bob, would be to get yourself a NMRA HO standards gauge. Your local hobby shop should have one. If they don't, they can order one. These things are invaluable when constructing, & troubleshooting a layout. You can use it to check the the proper gauge of your track, AND wheelsets. You can also check all your flangeways for the proper depth & width. This tool is one of the most important things for a model railroader to have. My top three are x-acto knife, scale ruler, & standards gauge.
BTW - I used to have an HO layout with the track slightly out of gauge on one of the curves. I never had a problem, until I tried to run my mogul, & the pilot truck would jump the track at that location every time. I tried filing, but only solved the problem by relaying that section of track.

 

[Bob Collins]

Thanks Charlie;

I have an NMRA standards gauge, but never thought to use it for that purpose.

I'll give it a try.

Bob

 

[roryglasgow]

All of this makes me wonder: who makes the most reliable turnouts? I'm not too pleased with the Atlas (N-gauge) turnouts. I see that a lot of people use Peco turnouts and track. What's the general consensus?

And Shamus, as far as "stupid remarks" are concerned, I think it is perfectly appropriate to comment when someone starts talking about feeling frogs. Not only do you have to consider what is going through the mind of the frog-feeler, what's the poor frog think about it?

May your track run straight, your rolling stock stay on the rails, and your frogs stay bumpless.

-Rory

P.S. - Is it me, in my ill-headed state, or does the word "frog" start to sound funny after you say it a few times?

 

[shamus]

Shamus

 

[Drew1125]

Hi Rory!
Hey, I know a great cure for that cold of yours. Lets see, you you rub on a frog, then you bury at a crossroads at midnight...
Just kidding!
I've used turnouts from Atlas, Micro-Engineering, & I've tried building my own, but whenever I stray away, I always come back to Peco. They're just the sturdiest, & most reliable turnout I've found, at least for my own needs.
I've used them in both HO, & N scales.

 

[Bob Collins]

Shamus;

What an outstanding picture!

I found that my problem was actually with the ends of the guardrail where they seemed to stick up just slightly higher than the track. I shaved them down on one end to be certain I was correct and that seems to have corrected the problem. Will now do the other end.

Thanks very much.

Back to wiring my loops!!

Bob