Problem with steam loco on turnouts (N scale)

[fmjnax]

I'm still fresh on getting in to the hobby, but I picked up a box full of stuff and a poorly put together mini-layout for $40 from a guy on Craigslist.

In the box of stuff was a couple of steam locomotives. One is a Bachmann 4-4-0 and the other I haven't been able to identify yet and doesn't appear to run (I'll post it in another thread later).

The track on the layout is nickle-silver track and looks fairly new, but I can't tell what brand it is. The Bachmann runs just fine on the normal track, but on every single turnout (there is 6 total), it jumps the rails. I got down eye-to-eye with it to try and figure out what was happening. It looks like the gears that turn the the wheels are making contact with the black plastic on the turnouts (are they called frogs?), thus throwing it off the track.

I'm still not 100% that is what is causing it, but so far that is the best I have come up with. The tender rolls through the turnouts fine and all the rolling stock rolls through them fine as well. It's just the loco that jumps. Does anyone have any ideas?

[fmjnax]

Found out both of the locos:

BAC11752 is the 4-4-0
Bachmann USRA 0-6-0 Switcher (this is the one with the visible gears that appear to be hitting the frogs).

I got both of them working fine on normal track, but both of them still jump off on all of the turnouts. They both bind up between the rail and the black plastic on all of the turnouts.

[fmjnax]

I got it figured out. I had to re-gauge the wheels. They were far too narrow. Everything runs as well as I could expect on the poorly done layout.

[railfan]

Glad you got it figured out.

Mike

[LoudMusic]

Originally Posted by fmjnax

I got it figured out. I had to re-gauge the wheels. They were far too narrow. Everything runs as well as I could expect on the poorly done layout.

That's exactly what I was going to suggest. Followed by improper thickness of flanges. Glad you got it sorted!

[fmjnax]

Thanks guys. I think I got the better end of the deal on my $40 pickup. 1.5 working loco's (the 4-4-0 has worn contact springs so it doesn't make good contact. Easy fix for me), 5 rolling stock, over 100' of roadbed, 15' of flex track, a stack of magazines, an Althearn power supply, and the layout (which is probably over 30' of track). I can live with it.