Rebuilding the Iantha Branch

Discussion in 'Freelance' started by Iantha_Branch, Jul 1, 2018.

  1. gjslsffan

    gjslsffan Staff Member Staff Member

    Locos or cars or both?
     
  2. Iantha_Branch

    Iantha_Branch Member

    Mostly cars.
     
  3. Are they light cars that derail?
     
  4. gjslsffan

    gjslsffan Staff Member Staff Member

    I was looking at your video Ethan and heard a car derail in the video, right at the end, but didn't see it. You might need to see if your bolster mount screws are too tight, not having enough lateral play. Sometimes when those screws are tightened the trucks can become stiff to rotate as the result of the plastic expanding when the screws are tightened. I have dealt with this wrinkle for decades. You do have an NMRA gauge right? Not trying to be condescending here just trying to help.
     
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  5. bob_wintle

    bob_wintle Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Do your wheels spin easily? If not you need to invest in a Truck tuner. These can be purchased through Micro Mark. Are you using Metal wheels. If so change over to metal wheels sets as you can. Get your self an NMRA gage. Go to the NMRA website and look at weighting cars. By the way there is an Swap meet in Payne County or at least there used to be. Ive never been to one but I will research it and let you know. Good to see you are getting back to Modeling.
     
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  6. Joe Lovett

    Joe Lovett Member

    Ethan, you might try to add weight to the light railcars to bring them up to standard. I don't know what the formula is for HO scale but it has been posted here on Frisco org. Don't know where, maybe someone else can answer that.

    Joe
     
  7. bob_wintle

    bob_wintle Member Frisco.org Supporter

    The standard is 1 Ounce for the car plus 1/2 ounce for each inch the car is long. When doing this you want to keep the weight centered over each truck and as low a center of gravity as possible. I have been using big Nuts that I buy at the hard ware store. I have also used old wheel weights I get from my work. https://www.nmra.org/sites/default/files/standards/sandrp/pdf/rp-20.1.pdf#page=1

    This is a link to the weight standard
     
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  8. Iantha_Branch

    Iantha_Branch Member

    Thanks for the input everyone.
    The cars I was running were a mix of of bowser open hoppers, athearn rtr box cars and p2k gondolas. They might all be a little on the light side, but I would think they had enough weight to not cause problems. About half the cars had metal wheels. The trucks all seem to be free and not over tightened. I do have a gauge somewhere but I haven't found it yet. I'll have to keep looking.
     
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  9. Coonskin

    Coonskin Member

    You used flex, sectional, and prefab switches, right?

    If so, doubt it's a gauge issue.

    Assuming the trucks pivot freely, it sounds like flanges that are picking at joints/switch points.

    Do they derail to the outside of curves? If so, the wheels are climbing the rail, as if picking a joint. If the trucks don't swivel freely enough, then they can "crab" (scrub along slightly cock-eyed with pressure against the inside of the ball of the rail) and pick joints/points/etc. Be sure to check each and every joint/switch point (inside the gauge and top of the rail) to make sure your finger nail doesn't feel a slight mismatch.

    Likely anyone of us modeling "lifers" could diagnose your issues and get you on your way to fixing it IF we were close enough to actually visit you and see the issues firsthand. The typed word is pretty clumsy. Sometimes these things are obvious, sometimes not so.

    Good luck.

    Andre
     
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  10. bob_wintle

    bob_wintle Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Ethan, my son lives in Stillwater. He owns District Bicycles. 7th and Husband. Next time I go down there I will let you know.
     
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  11. Iantha_Branch

    Iantha_Branch Member

    I use atlas code 83 flex track and custom line #4 switches. I have the points spiked in place so they cannot move.
    I went back and double checked, all the trucks have the right amount of flex to them and all the wheels turn freely.
    I do have one turn where they like to climb over the rail going down a slight grade.
     
  12. Iantha_Branch

    Iantha_Branch Member

    After thinking things over for a while taking a lot of factors into consideration I decided to rip up all the track I had laid and went back to EZ track. It seems like no mater how flawless I lay flex track, it always causes me trouble and I spend more time trying to line it out than I actually do operating. I've head good luck in the past with bachmann ez track so I drew up a new plan and got orders placed and over the last couple days I got everything set up. In the process of getting the wiring in place, I think I fried my DCC system, so I've gotta look into that issue now. I still have stuff I can run on standard DC in the mean time.
    When I drew up the track plan this time I had a realization that my feet aren't getting any better despite starting an office job, so an intricate switching puzzle didn't have any appeal to me anymore since I can't be on my feet enough to operate it. So it went with a loop with industries and staging tracks. It's simple, but it more of what I need than the last set up.
     

    Attached Files:

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  13. geep07

    geep07 Member

    Ethan,
    Sometimes our wants are more than our needs. So the choice of redesigning your layout applies to the KISS method. Having crossovers double slip switches and double ended yards curved turnouts etc. really look neat, however the prototype railroad did not have these to make a switching puzzle for their switchman and conducters, they did it for reasons to serve an industry fast and efficiently and the space it took to get it to work properly. Not mind games.
    Have fun with your railroad!

    John
     
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  14. Coonskin

    Coonskin Member

    Ethan...

    Think you'll need a run around track?

    Andre
     
  15. Iantha_Branch

    Iantha_Branch Member

    I haven't been very active the last few months, it's been a real rough time. I worked pretty much non stop from August all the way till the middle of October and then things went south at work and I was suddenly out of a job. I did start a new job at a MUCH better company in early November. I've been busy with that job though and the holiday season. One thing that is a draw back and a perk is I'm getting to see a good deal of Frisco territory in western OK. Week before Thanksgiving I was down by Altus and next week I'll be out at Woodward.
    I did finally feel like messing with the layout this morning. I got two light switches set up to where I can switch between DC and DCC easier now. I got a cut of cars out on the main and ran for a while. I did get a nice video but the file is too large to upload.
     
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  16. dalebaker

    dalebaker Member

    Ahhh Ethan, I see you are visiting a lot of the metropolitan side of Oklahoma!!!!:ROFLMAO:
     
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