Atlas Code 55 Turnouts...

[strummer]

...or "What am I doing wrong here?" 

I had been using Unitrack and enjoying how well it worked, but could never get past the looks, so I took it up and replaced it with Atlas code 55. I replaced all the wheels on my rolling stock with small flanges, so now the only loco I have that doesn't like this too much is my Kato Mike. Except...

...on every turnout, if I run (any) train into the turnout, the loco wheels will lift and the loco tries to take the turnout route, instead of staying on the mainline. This happens with every engine I have, and on every turnout, both #5s and 7s. The cars will go through ok, but not the engines. I have checked all the wheel gauges, and they seem ok. If the train is going in the opposite direction, there is no problem, but that makes sense, since the turnout becomes basically just a straight section of track.

I must be missing something here, but cannot pin down the problem. Suggestions?

Mark in Oregon

[C855B]

Be doubly-certain that your switch machine or other actuator is not putting too much pressure on the points. Too much and they will climb out of level and cause flanges to pick at them. Just enough pressure to keep pressed against the stock rail and no more. If I have one still causing me grief, I'll touch the top corner of the point with a file, tapering toward the stock rail.

Also, the gauge may indicate OK, but especially Kato wheelsets tend towards the tight side. Make sure the flanges are loose (centered) in the gauge slots. It made quite a difference for my operation.

[mmagliaro]

Welcome to the wonderful world of Atlas code 55 turnouts. 

In your immediate case, the wheel is climbing up the point rail tip and taking the wrong route, right?
The top surfaces of the point and main rails have to be dead even at that tip or it will cause problems.  Sometimes, your spring pressure is okay (not forcing the point rail to "climb" or "dive"), but you need a styrene shim under the throwbar to keep the point rails from dipping low at their tips.

Another BIG thing to check.  Put your NMRA gauge on the TURNOUT (not the wheels).  It has two tangs for checking track gauge.
Put it between the rails, at the ends of the point rails, so that one tang is inside the point rail and the other is inside the opposite
main rail (where the wheels are going to go).  Make sure that is not NARROW right where the wheels enter the point rails.
I've had quite a few like that.  If they are narrow, the wheels will climb right up over the point rail and take the wrong route
like you are describing.

[Chris333]

I remember putting styrene bit in the draw bar notches so the points could not lift up higher than the stock rails. I have no idea if they still have those notches. Atlas turnouts are why my N scale layout has handlaid turnouts...

[daniel_leavitt2000]

I really wish someone would come up with a new line of C55 and C40 track.

[strummer]

Welcome to the wonderful world of Atlas code 55 turnouts. 

In your immediate case, the wheel is climbing up the point rail tip and taking the wrong route, right?
The top surfaces of the point and main rails have to be dead even at that tip or it will cause problems.  Sometimes, your spring pressure is okay (not forcing the point rail to "climb" or "dive"), but you need a styrene shim under the throwbar to keep the point rails from dipping low at their tips.

Another BIG thing to check.  Put your NMRA gauge on the TURNOUT (not the wheels).  It has two tangs for checking track gauge.
Put it between the rails, at the ends of the point rails, so that one tang is inside the point rail and the other is inside the opposite
main rail (where the wheels are going to go).  Make sure that is not NARROW right where the wheels enter the point rails.
I've had quite a few like that.  If they are narrow, the wheels will climb right up over the point rail and take the wrong route
like you are describing.

Thanks for taking the time from building what could very well be the finest N scale locomotive of all time ( ) to respond.

I've checked those areas with my guage, and they LOOK to be ok; will check again, and if they do indeed appear to be narrow, would would you suggest for a fix?

I really like the look of this track, but am frustrated by this issue.

Also, I don't suppose anyone has a lead and trailing truck from the newer Kato Mike release that they'd be willing to part with? As it is, my Mike runs fine, but being a first release, makes that annoying "whirrring" sound on the spike heads.

Mark in Oregon

PS: thanks to all who have responded so far... 

[RBrodzinsky]

The trailing truck, for under the cab, is still available from Kato

[mmagliaro]

I'll check for things you can do to the pilot truck wheel.  I'm pretty sure I've been able to just put a different 33" wheelset in there.

Any chance you can post a REALLY close photo of that turnout, around the point rail tips?  That would be a big help.


Make sure your point rail gauge doesn't look like in the photo below
Also note in this photo how square and blunt the tips of the point rails are.  A wheel can easily ride up on those.  They should be
filed to a chamfer.  But be careful to file the front edge only.  Try NOT to take any off the top of the point rail that would reduce its height.
That leads to more of this same problem.

If they are narrow, I file the insides of the main rails or an edge of the point rail, carefully , scrape-scrape-scrape in one direction with a sharp jewelers file.  It's tedious, and you need to brace the point rail from the opposite side with a strip of something when you file on it so you don't bend or break it.

[strummer]

The trailing truck, for under the cab, is still available from Kato

Thanks. I just ordered (2). Not many parts available for this engine. I can only hope that by listing it as "revised", it will have the finer wheel flange...

Also: Max, upon closer inspection, I see that the lead truck is a "snap in" affair, so I was able to modify an Atlas wheel set to fit, and we're good to go.

Mark in Oregon

[mmagliaro]

Wait... is this problem only happening on Mikados?  Or on every engine you own?

[wazzou]

I seem to recall @Mark W replacing the point rails all the way back to the frog in his Atlas C55 TO's and having some success.

[peteski]

If every engine you have has the problem check the wheel gauge. In most Kato and Atlas diesels their wheels are too tight in gauge.  And the flange-ways in Atlas turnouts are really narrow (um, they are actually within the NMRA specs).

[strummer]

Peteski: I was afraid of that: if the cars are ok, and the locos are not, the problem must lie with the engines...

Max: I'm having turnout issues with (almost) all my locos; I mentioned the Mike due to its larger truck flanges, so it makes that "ticking" noise over the Atlas track in general. It runs fine, but with those (not quite "pizza cutter") flanges, it does have that noise issue, as well as not enjoying the turnouts...although that is one engine that will make it through the turnouts, tho just barely. The other is, of all things, the MT FT I dropped on the floor last year...   

Mark in Oregon

[JoeD]

I really wish someone would come up with a new line of C55 and C40 track.

I was a fan of Micro Engineering but I understand from a friend there are production problems with them.   For the time being its Peco for me.

Joe

[mmagliaro]

Peteski: I was afraid of that: if the cars are ok, and the locos are not, the problem must lie with the engines...

Max: I'm having turnout issues with (almost) all my locos; I mentioned the Mike due to its larger truck flanges, so it makes that "ticking" noise over the Atlas track in general. It runs fine, but with those (not quite "pizza cutter") flanges, it does have that noise issue, as well as not enjoying the turnouts...although that is one engine that will make it through the turnouts, tho just barely. The other is, of all things, the MT FT I dropped on the floor last year...   

Mark in Oregon

Oh!  I thought when you said you checked the wheels, you meant that included the engines.  Yes, what Peteski said.
I can't remember the last time I bought an engine and the wheels weren't too narrow in gauge, and those will climb points, climb frogs, and otherwise bump, bang, and derail their way over Atlas 55 turnouts because the turnouts are actually a lot closer to being in correct gauge than older Atlas code 80 and Peco stuff, which are on the narrow side.  Why the industry decided to just "go narrow" all the time is beyond me.

Anyway, yes, check the LOCO wheels.  I bet they are narrow.   Are your engine riding up on the point rail that is pressed against the main rail?  Or are they getting caught on the OPPOSITE point rail - the one that is out in free space and isn't supposed to be ridden on for that direction?