My Bachmann 2-6-0 is experiencing problems stalling on turnout frogs. The loco stops with the center driver on the turnout frog. At very slow speeds, the loco stalls. At slightly higher speed, the loco stalls but the drivers continue to rotate with no forward, or reverse, movement. When running at higher speeds, the loco obviously momentarily pauses when the blind center driver hits the turnout frog but it continues through the turnout. I checked the front and rear (center is blind) drivers and the turnouts and they are all in the correct gauge. Any body have any ideas about what could be wrong with the locomotive?
- I'm guessing that you are using track power. If so, your locomotive is too short to maintain electrical contact as it goes through the switch. At speed, momentum will carry it through, but clumsily. Best solution would be to extend your electrical footprint by putting pickups on the wheels of the tender.
If the loco stops, with the drivers turning, its high centering on something. If those are Aristo switches, then I would say the frog is higher then the rail heads, and that is why the locomotive is high centering on the frogs. I had to sand the frogs on my Aristo switches down so the top of the frog was flush with the top of the rail-heads.
You are right that the engine was running on track power. The loco has pickups on the tender. The problem is not the lack of pickups as demonstrated by the fact the engine stops at each switch and slow speeds. Even though the engine has physically stopped moving, the chassis continues to receive power because all the drivers continue to rotate as if the engine were moving forward. This is very perplexing problem.
I misread, sorry. I’d go with David’s idea and see if the loco is being high centered on something.
If it is the Spektrum 2-6-0, have the low hanging guide pins on the centre drivers been removed?
I will check the guide pins. When I first looked at the underside, I didn’t see anything that looked like it would catch on the swtich. Will check again. Thanks
What radius is the turnout? I think Tony has it, I remember when these Spectrum moguls first came out there was some gnashing of teeth because those guide pins would foul turnouts and crossovers, particularly if the turnout was less that 8’ dia equivalent. Alot of folks removed them.