Nicolas, as you get more miles on that loco, that should loosen up. I had this issue on my USAT PA units… everything else ran… lubed them and they were perfect.
I would definitely look at the turnout anyway, check the gauge through it, etc.
By the way, was the metal on your “bracket” as “pebbled” as in the picture I posted (Which is actually Ted’s loco!), or was it nice and smooth?
Greg
Greg Elmassian said:
Nicolas, as you get more miles on that loco, that should loosen up. I had this issue on my USAT PA units… everything else ran… lubed them and they were perfect.
I would definitely look at the turnout anyway, check the gauge through it, etc.
By the way, was the metal on your “bracket” as “pebbled” as in the picture I posted (Which is actually Ted’s loco!), or was it nice and smooth?
Greg
Felt smooth to the touch and not pebbled.
Funny thing, even though my USAT SD 70 & SD 40-2 floppy axle slide areas are not lubed, I have not yet experienced derailments on my layout - though maybe given enough usage they could. I think optimizing switches and track work may explain it.
-Ted
Ted, some of this “slide” easily from the factory, and some, like a couple I have, basically lock up. It’s more common with the “rough finish”, but since that example of the rough finish is actually your loco, that shows that not all have that issue.
Also, there’s not a lot of published experience with the USAT #6 switches, much more with the Aristos
Greg
RE: “…Also, there’s not a lot of published experience with the USAT #6 switches, much more with the Aristos”
Maybe because Aristo’s are more problem prone!
-Ted
Hah!
Actually, they came on the scene later, and the power routing system is terrible and fails often. I sure liked the looks of their cast frog though
Seeing how the USAT #6 switch guard rails are with respect to the plastic bedding, I can understand what Nicolas stated: “…cut those plastic clips off to raise it up leaving only the screws to keep it in place”.
How I would approach this is to use a Dremel Tool with cutoff wheel to cut out notches into the metal at the base of the guard rail at locations marked with a pen of some sort where the emulated plastic tie plates are. Repositioning the guard rail at 0.106 inch from the stock rail whilst raising it up 0.030" with spacer washer where the underside screws fasten. If the guard rail needs to be reposition from its adjacent stock rail, the holes in the plastic bedding may need to be elongated. From my experience with Aristo switches, tightening the screws do keep the guard rail in place.
Just a thought,
-Ted
I ran the the engine yesterday many times in both directions, pulling stock and it never had an issue. The wheel set seems to do a good job of staying down now too where as in the past it would seem to end to jump more.
I am also glad I sold the only #6 switch I had from Aristo. I wasn’t sure which one I wanted to go with, and I was still able to buy an Aristo #6 new. The geometry of it is different and decided I didn’t want to deal with the different geometry.
The rails past the frog are shorter on a #6 for Aristo and the single rail on the opposite end was longer.
Nicolas, I don’t blame you for parting with Aristo’s #6.
The reason I got and retained the Aristo switches is they have the U.S. type tie (sleeper) closer spacing and offered versions with stainless steel rails that don’t oxidize like brass or aluminum, being better for outdoor track power users like me. Also, since I had / have a whole bunch of them, I just had to learn to fix them. Like said, “Necessity is the mother of invention”.
-Ted