Layout for son and dad


I thought Peco switches had power routing, hence no insulated rail joints needed on sidings, otherwise there's a dead spot between the frog and insulated rail joint.
 
After spending too much time trying to make the curved turnout work, and couldn’t - I ripped the thing out.

I am in the process of putting the 3-way turnout in its spot. We will see how it works out! Fingers crossed!

The only downside to minimize the amount of track I had to rip out I will have a piece of 15” radius track to make it fit. My thinking is that I am no worse off because the curve turnouts diverging track was a 15” radius.

I laid the 3-way in place and the SD7 made it around without any problems. I will install the track tomorrow.

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It was a Peco.

Most likely it was an installation problem or a point rail gauge issue. At the end of the day, I couldn’t make it work or get to the root of the problem.
 
Thanks for the feed back. I am also using Peco Curved turnouts so hope I don't run into the same issues. I'm assuming, because you mentioned the possibility of an insulation problem, that you were using electrofrog turnouts. I had numerous problems with them with my HO layout and gave them away for insulfrogs. Since then, I haven't had any conductivity issues.
 
No electrical issues. Strictly a derailment issue. I think maybe it wasn’t level. If you aren’t having issues now right after installation, you are probably ok.
 
I may be a little late with this but here it is for furure reference. When all else fails with derailments through switches with 6 axle engines, try an old-timers trick. Adjust the wheel gauge on the center axle to the tightest tolerance while the end axles are either normal or to the widest tolerance. Then the truck acts like a 4 axle truck.
 
No electrical issues. Strictly a derailment issue. I think maybe it wasn’t level. If you aren’t having issues now right after installation, you are probably ok.
That's what worries me - I have just completed laying the temporary track work but have no power to it to know if these curved turnouts are an issue or not.
 
I would run some temporary power to them. I would imagine N gauge is even more particular. I was never able to test mine because they were part of a reverse loop and didn’t have it wired up.
 
Thanks for the feed back. I am also using Peco Curved turnouts so hope I don't run into the same issues. I'm assuming, because you mentioned the possibility of an insulation problem, that you were using electrofrog turnouts. I had numerous problems with them with my HO layout and gave them away for insulfrogs. Since then, I haven't had any conductivity issues.
That is installation, not insulation.
 
That's what worries me - I have just completed laying the temporary track work but have no power to it to know if these curved turnouts are an issue or not.
As long as it is temporary there shouldn't be a problem, but my rule of thumb when laying track is power it as you go. Put in a section (logical unit) of track, test it, then move to the next section. Even if the wiring is just alligator clipped. That way if there is an electrical or mechanical problem one knows it quickly instead of trying to diagnose a problem on a "completed" layout.
 
Thanks Horseman and that's pretty much what I have been doing, on and off sort of, and haven't had a problem so far. Once I start putting the track down permanently, I'll be testing as I go.
 
So we have been operating the layout with the curved turnout removed and replaced with a 3-way turnout with no derailment issues.

I have made a few buildings and laid down 3-spur tracks.

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I still need to weather a few buildings.
 
So I was having trouble with my servos separating from the aluminum channel they were Gorilla double sided and duct taped to. After a short while using them, they would fail and the spring wire would come out of the turnout throw bar. I was debating on gluing them, but came up with the idea of using a zip tie. So far, they seem quite solid. Time will tell.

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