2mm Distillery: Dail-uaine

[Caley Jim]

I think your problem may be that the closure rails do not accurately align with the point and splice rails of the crossing. In theory anything should run through smoothly even in the absence of check rails. One of the knuckles being wide to check to wing rail gauge would be a consequence of poor alignment and would cause a wheel to lift. Also, are you sure that the b2b of the loco wheels is accurate? 

 

Jim 

[Caley Jim]

I forgot to add that you should be able to slip a piece of 0.5mm (20 thou) material into the wing rail flangeway and it should align perfectly with the knuckle of the other closure rail. A length of bullhead or plain rail is ideal for this. 

 

Jim 

[DavidLong]

I think that the yellow lines on the earlier post nicely demonstrate the problem. I suspected it on the first overhead view but the lines reinforce the point. The straight part of the upper wing rail isn't aligned with the nose of the crossing vee so that the front wheels of the loco are trying to pull the loco to the right but the movement is partly compensated for by the check rail but not completely so the wheels then hit the nose. Small four wheel wagons seem to be quite forgiving in these situations, someone with more knowledge may be able to explain why this is so. The small jig that I demonstrated earlier in another thread prevents this happening by way of both the crossing and the wing rail being clipped to the central straight edge while being soldered to the base plates. Both of my resultant crossing assemblies worked first time.

My own particular achilles heel (or toe in the case!) is at the switch ends which I seem to get right most of the time but usually it seems by pure luck rather than any engineering precision on my part!

 

David

Edited October 7, 2020 by DavidLong

[bécasse]

7 hours ago, Roger.s said:

What marvel of technology was used to draw the yellow lines!

A Mac enables one to simply add lines like these, arrows, text, balloons, etc, (even a signature!) to any of what one might call the basic set of files (.pdf, .jpg, .png etc), and indeed to interchange the same file between formats. Although it is a bit basic (certainly compared to what one could do with a drawing package), it is quick and simple and I use it all the time. I rather assumed that Microsoft must offer something similar.

[justin1985]

Many thanks for everyone's help!

 

It was definitely that knuckle and flangeway. I managed to fix it by replacing the wing rail / knuckle was at the top of the previous picture. New one fitted using offcuts of rail held with bluetack as a spacer.

 

That turnout now works nice and smoothy! 

 

However ... (there's always a however) ... I noticed a very slight jump on the plain PCB turnout at the end. This one was actually a very early effort recycled onto the layout as it was going to be buried in cobbles. Closer inspection and I realised one of the blades was actually sat at an angle, which was causing the problem. Of course, when I tweaked it upright with pliers and soldering iron, it was now out of gauge. My attempts to then tweak it to gauge introduced a load of kinks. So ...

 

 

I've printed a new template, and I'll make a start tomorrow. I'm sure a new turnout will be much better, with everything I've learned since building the original one!

 

J

[justin1985]

I've had an especially busy few months, and barely had the chance to do any modelling, let alone look at RMWeb.

 

I did, however, get the troublesome turnout sorted pretty soon after my last post. Another hybrid Easitrac / etched chair plate affair.

 

 

In the last few weeks I have squeezed in building a tank wagon based on a prototype spotted in photos of the real Dailuaine.

 

 

The real thing seems to have been a bit longer than the PECO RCH kit, but I'm happy it's close enough. Built with the Association chassis kit, detailing parts very kindly supplied by @BernardTPM, and some custom transfers made using the Ghost toner. Seeing as mine isn't quite the same as the prototype, it's No.5 rather than No.4!

 

 

Just needs weathering now ... 

 

J

[Adam]

Hi Justin, 

 

You’re right, the real thing was longer, a 12’ wheelbase but I like the smaller, shorter one you’ve done. There’s another version elsewhere on the forum: