Atlas Code 55 #7 turnout and Bluebox Kato SD40

[chuck geiger]

The OP has two engines that don't work in that turnout.  All the rest of his engines and cars run through it just fine.  This logically means it's the two engines' problem, not the turnout's. 

Fix the engines, don't mess with the turnout....especially filing an Atlas55's plated mystery metal frog.

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

Bob good point (no pun intended)

[Doug G.]

I hope everybody understands the illogic in blaming the switches,here.

Doug

[chuck geiger]

Every picture tells a story - I just ran the GP-9 with about 8 cars over the adjusted frog and no bump ups...Never touched the locomotive. This engine had never had a problem on any turnout with 4 different layouts and all Atlas C-55 turnouts. Model railroading mysteries.

[peteski]

I wouldn't suggest just blindly replacing wheelsets without doing some troubleshooting first.  Dropping the truck out of the chassis is a simple task and it should reveal what is causing the problem.  It is always nice to figure out what the problem is before fixing it.

[nkalanaga]

I had a similar problem with Micro-Engineering turnouts and Kato first-run F-units when I was laying track, 25 years ago.  Everything else ran fine, the Fs would derail at one turnout, when taking the curved route, facing point.  Must be the locos, right?  Well.........

They do have an "issue", in that the trucks fit very tightly, no rocking.  If the track isn't level, across the track, the trucks can't compensate.  I'd also had the flanges turned down, so they were more sensitive.  But still, they ran elsewhere, and everything else ran fine.

It turned out that the frog had a hump in it, an issue common to early ME turnouts.  When the front truck went over the frog, the entire loco, including the rear truck, leaned.  That lifted the rear wheels enough that the flanges went over the point, and continued straight down the track!

The solution was simple - I literally hit the offending frog with a hammer!  It still works fine, after over 20 years.  I could have filed it flat, but that would have reduced the flangeway depth, which could have caused other problems.

So, just because it's one loco, doesn't always mean it isn't the turnout.

[mmagliaro]

What nkalanaga said...
Yes, if nearly all your engines go throught the turnout and just one or two don't, you would think logically that the one or two engines must be the problem.  So yes, I would start there and make 100% all those wheelset are not only in guage but also not racked to one side.

Having said that... assuming that just one or two errant engines excuses the turnout is a fallacy.  These things are all about tolerances.  Everything could be "in gauge", within the tolerances of the gauge.   But if the track is a hair on the narrow side and a wheelset is a hair on the wide side, for example, you may have a problem.  More than once, I've had one particular steam loco that decided to ride up the point rails of an Atlas turnout when nothing else had a problem and all the engine wheels were in gauge. 
In a case like this, I would indeed choose to "correct" the track, because if one engine comes along that is within gauge but rides up, you will probably see another engine come along one day that does the same thing.  I prefer to make the track as tolerant as possible.

[robert3985]

I am soooo happy that I hand lay all of my turnouts on the bench! 

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[CRR Chase]

Thanks guys for chiming in with suggestions.

I also believe it is the wheels.. I will change them and provide an update..

[peteski]

Thanks guys for chiming in with suggestions.

I also believe it is the wheels.. I will change them and provide an update..

Would you consider pushing the unmodified truck (removed from the model) over the turnout to see where the problem is?  When troubleshooting a problem, it is always nice to figure out exactly where the problem is and what is causing it (for possible future reference, and to satisfy curiosity). You will have the trucks out of the model to change the wheels, so it is not much more effort to test it.

[mmagliaro]

Would you consider pushing the unmodified truck (removed from the model) over the turnout to see where the problem is?  When troubleshooting a problem, it is always nice to figure out exactly where the problem is and what is causing it (for possible future reference, and to satisfy curiosity). You will have the trucks out of the model to change the wheels, so it is not much more effort to test it.

"figure out exactly where the problem is"  YESSSSSS
Changing out the wheels might fix the problem, but not knowing why can come back to bite you.
Problems that go away by themselves always come back by themselves.

[nkalanaga]

I also think testing the trucks is a good idea.  Even if it is the wheels, it would be nice to know what's wrong with them, so you (and we!) can be on guard for similar wheels in the future.

[peteski]

"figure out exactly where the problem is"  YESSSSSS
Changing out the wheels might fix the problem, but not knowing why can come back to bite you.
Problems that go away by themselves always come back by themselves.

That was a 3rd time in this thread I suggested trying that procedure. I hope CRR Chase will do it.

[jagged ben]

...
Problems that go away by themselves always come back by themselves.

Gonna remember that one.  Might print it out and post it at work.

[NtheBasement]

1) These are the only engines that have the problem, therefore the problem must be the engines.
                                                      OR
2) This is the only turnout that has the problem, therefore the problem must be the turnout.

Given that, I sure wouldn't absolve the track team.  Two mentions of similar experience with turnout not being flat, please check for that hump or dip.

[CRR Chase]

Would you consider pushing the unmodified truck (removed from the model) over the turnout to see where the problem is?  When troubleshooting a problem, it is always nice to figure out exactly where the problem is and what is causing it (for possible future reference, and to satisfy curiosity). You will have the trucks out of the model to change the wheels, so it is not much more effort to test it.

Yeah, I will try to document this before and during surgery... With all the knowledge here on the forum, I was thinking surely this has been experienced before by you guys.. I am very new compared to most of you guys... It may take a little bit to get the data were looking for... gonna be busy today and tomorrow "chasing turkey" lol..