Large Scale Central

G1MRA standards - promoted as important?

General Discussion
#61

Steve,
depends who you talk to. The Aristo production manager believed this to be the case and maybe that is why the frogs on both the wide-radius and the #6 are designed to allow this to happen. I doubt that anyone would accept a flange-riding frog as prototypical or practical, as the flange is not meant to take compression forces. Rail contact is with the tread and not the circumference of the flange.

    I believe that the original intent of the raised (too shallow) flangeway and raised frog railhead,  on the wide-radius frog,  was to lift the drive wheels so that locomotives with sliders would not short out on adjacent, opposite polarity,  railheads.
#62

Tim,

Thanks for taking the time to explain that. I always wondered why my Aristo Mikado stumbled on those WR switches.

I think that Greg has a “go-by” on his web page that details how to fix the problem. I keep threatening to do that, but it always seems to yield its place to a more urgent project. Perhaps I should move it up on the priority list.

#63

Steve,
I have modified all my 30 or so wide-radius switches and am extremely pleased with the performance post modification. Out of the box they are nothing but toys. I am also experimenting with a cover over the throwbar, ala LGB style to keep the throwbar contact area clear of debris. To date it is very effective. Simply a piece of bent brass sheet that is a tight fit over adjacent track ties (and covers the throwbar as much as possible), keeping the plate firmly in place.

#64
Tim Brien said:
Steve, 
    I believe that the original intent of the raised (too shallow) flangeway and raised frog railhead,  on the wide-radius frog,  was to lift the drive wheels so that locomotives with sliders would not short out on adjacent, opposite polarity,  railheads.</blockquote>

Aha! That make sense–I kept wondering why all my LGB 1600 switches had raised frogs, and why my locos would visibly “bump” over the switches. It’s for the sliders!

So now I have to get rid of locos with sliders…

#65

Mike,
just modify the frog.

#66

Just file them flush on the top and file out the flangeway?

I still run a couple LGB slider locos

#67

Mike,
modify the frog if possible and if shorting out is a problem then the sliders may be carefully bent up slightly at the outer edge. This still allows them to operate, but when viewed end on, they would appear slightly angled up away from the loco.

#68

Thank you!

#69

Mike, try this link to see if it helps you…

http://www.elmassian.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=86&Itemid=96

Regards, Greg