curve problem


F

f1_indy2000

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I have a curve that is 24 degrees and has a little kink in it. I have a gauge and know where the problem is and have eyeballed it also and have marked where the problem occurs with a nail. Well what is going on is when I run my six axel engines their front wheels on the back trucks ride over the track and sorta derail. If I turn them around their back wheels jump the track. I'm not sure on how to how to solve this. I have attached a couple of visual aids that I hope are helpful if anyone who has experienced anything like this and would love a sugestion. In the picture of the rails themselves should I maybe shorten that outside rail so its more of a clean curve. And if I do any cutting which one would I want to shorten? Can I assume it would be the one that's nearlest to the nail(marker)? Just looking at it looks a little odd. That or do I need to move it right or left to get it to straighten out? Or should I just pull the track and put new track in its place? Thankfully I have extra flex track. Thanks guys
 
If it's practical to do so, I'd pull the track and replace it so the joints do not occur on a curve. Or, lift both pieces, solder the joiners and THEN lay it back down. Just getting the outer rail to completely butt against the other one may solve the problem as that will straighten the kink some.

Tim
 
I don't know about the sodering thing since I'm definalty no good at it. I am considering replacing the entire curve itself and then going from there. Thanks Tim
 
Try this 1st. If the rails aren't glued down(I hope) & nailed down(the best way), just remove the nails from that joint both ways about 12 to 18". While the track is loose, not from the joiners, push the track inward a little to straighten out that joint so the rails are lined up & not kinked. It won't hurt to have a tiny gap in the joint.
the only reason I'm telling you this, is to keep from tareing out the whole set of rails.
Try it & let me know.

Larry
 
Flex track doesn't bend over the last 1.5 inches on each end. So, you must solder it when they are laid tangent on a flat surface, and then bend them. Also, stagger the two joins...slide both of the sliding rails about 5-6 ties into one of the sections and make them abut each other there. You'll avoid kinks because both ends are not co-incident at the same point in the curve, thus augmenting each other's ability to force the kink.

One way you can reduce the problem without having to take up your track is to force the straightened end into a very slightly (and I do mean very slightly..) better, more conforming curve with the ends of pliers or a track gauge, and then drive track nails into your roadbed tight against the webbing of the rails. They should retain their new curvature, and the new curvature, if you haven't overdone it and reduced it well below what you had, will reduce your problems to near zero.

A third way is to actually use pliers to make a physical, and permanent, slight favourable kink in the straigher end about 1/2" back from the join. Again, the idea is to mitigate, not over compensate and make things worse. You merely want a slight improvement, enough that your cars will shrug and go through that length of track as if it were any other. This may take three or four gentle tweaks until you find your cars running through there happily. Take your time and make it work.

-Crandell
 
Also check the vertical alignment. If one rail is lower than the other, 6 axel trucks can climb right over. The other suggestions should be done as well to remove the kink.
 
This may be too late for me to tell you since you've already laid your track, but I've learned that the best way to have kink-free flex track curves is to take two pieces and solder them together while still straight, then bend the track to fit the curve.

(I know you'd like to avoid soldering, I hate doing it myself ;) but since it's a necessary skill for wiring the track, you might as well learn it sooner instead of later.)
 
Thankyou all for the suggestions and I did get that fixed. I decided to just replace the track and before I replaced it I did like what was suggested on soddering the two pieces of flex track before placing them back on the table. Everybody run through there without issue, HOWEVER, one of my sd40s is still running over and believe I need to take it appart. Its an older Athearn bb and I can feel the trucks are sticking or something. They don't turn as smoothly as my other sd40s, so I hope thats an easy fix. Thanks again!
 
Do you have an NMRA guage? If not, get one, since it has multiple uses. You can get one at most hobby shops or any on-line retailer. I suspect the problem with your BB SD-40 is wheels that are slighty out of gauge, just enough to push the flanges against the rail and make it climb over curves and turnouts. This is an easy fix with a gauge. You just drop out the wheels and twist them in slightly on the axle until all wheels show they are in gauge. You also have to check that all wheels are in line with each other in each truck. You can't eyeball this, you need a wheel gauge.
 
Thanks Jim and yes I have a gauge and see where I can check the wheels. I had planned on doing that after dinner. Thanks
 
One last thing to do...bevel the top and inner faces of each end of rail, no matter if is was commercially cut or cut by you. Sometimes this is all a balky axle or truck needs to get across marginal track joins. Use a fine metal file and just give the edges a wee bit of a bevel...it can make a huge difference. Do this for tunouts, crossovers, and any joins you make...every end gets three or four scrubs of a metal file.
 
F1_Indy,
I suggest soldering. Its not hard to learn and can be a big help when it comes to joints in curves.
My next suggestion would be to use a PC Board tie and solder one side, then using the NMRA gauge, solder the other rail just a hair over gauge size. Being a curve, you will want just a little slop. The nice thing is being able to tighten the joint up by sliding it closer if you have to.

Finally, check the loco wheels and make sure all is well there!

Matt (up close to Muncie)
 
Thank you all for the interesting information! Also I solved the engine problem. I just took it all apart and gave it a good looking over and put it back together and the thing works and better than it did. Amazing, Thanks again.
 
CIOR said:
F1_Indy,
I suggest soldering. Its not hard to learn and can be a big help when it comes to joints in curves.
My next suggestion would be to use a PC Board tie and solder one side, then using the NMRA gauge, solder the other rail just a hair over gauge size. Being a curve, you will want just a little slop. The nice thing is being able to tighten the joint up by sliding it closer if you have to.

Finally, check the loco wheels and make sure all is well there!

Matt (up close to Muncie)
Click to expand...

Thanks Matt also OT, Are you going to the trainshow this weekend at the fairgrounds?
 
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