Large Scale Central

Help! Or at least some free advice.

Problem Solving
#1

I have 2 Aristocraft Heavyweight Passenger cars with the same problem. The are 2 I shortened to 54 feet to make Pennsy MP-54s.

Anyway, they keep derailing. So when I got down to track level (anybody need anything while I’m down here?) I noticed that one corner (wheel) was up in the air enough to ride over the top of the track. It must be racked (twisted).

Here’s the $64 question: Should I be looking to tearing up the track, or taking apart the trucks? Neither one looks like fun, but I figured somebody around here must have solved this problem before.

Thanks for all suggestions.

Lou

#2

Put the cars on a flat surface and see if all of the wheels are touching that surface. That will tell you if it is the cars. If it is, then you might be able to adjust the truck bolsters. As I recall, they are screwed onto the bottom of the car. Shimming one end with small spacers might be enough to compensate for any unevenness if it is the car.

If the cars are fine, then its the track.

#3

Are they the 6 wheeled trucks ?

#4

No, Fr. Fred, they are 4 wheel trucks.

#5

the track

#6

Gremlins!(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-surprised.gif)

#7

I seem to recall the trucks are compensated (sprung) so one wheel shouldn’t be riding up. If the track is out of gauge - too narrow - then it will force the derailment. Check the gauge along that part of the track ?

#8

Or the wheel gauge is too wide -duh!

But now it’s raining too much to try again outside.

#9

Lou Luczu said:

Or the wheel gauge is too wide -duh!

But now it’s raining too much to try again outside.

…

Lou, I had same thing years ago on the Two and Three axles due to the tracks being on the ground had a small twist in tracks going around curves. With the heavy duty springs they have and long wheel base, it wouldn’t let the car work like a 3 point sys. Like Greg E. said … “Tracks…” I found out on mine that the tracks got to be level or go to a lighter type springs and that a bummer to change out.

#10

I have found the longer the car the more susceptible it is to derailing on twisted track.

#11

Yes Todd. That is why my test car is an Aristo streamline passenger car. I have one that is more finicky the the other ones I have. So if that car can run on my railroad, just about anything else I have can run on my railroad.

#12

The truss rods sometimes interfere with the turning of the trucks and make sure that the trucks turn to their full limit with no hangups such as the wiring or any other item that may prevent the truck from turning. I have three axle trucks and shortened coupler shanks on all my heavyweights and run on 8’ diameter curves with no problem. Sometimes I have a problem backing them across an Aristo wide radius switch due to the shortened coupler shanks.

#13

I wish Aristo had mounted the trucks normally (i.e.: center spindle).
Not only do the trucks rotate off-center, they are also dealing with the forces of truck mounted couplings which further complicate the issue.

I would suggest stiffening the springs closest to the middle of the car. This may force the truck to flow better with the track when bumps occur. Also body mount couplings could help.