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Grafar 'Coronation' Class Tender Coupling Problem - Help, please


Mike at C&M
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A customer of ours received a "Princess Elizabeth" 'Coronation' class 4-6-2 locomotive from his family. He has a circular layout of track from the 'North Eastern Freight' train set which he has extended with Peco Settrack and Streamline track. He also received a couple of Graham Farish Mark 1 coaches.

 

The layout has curves no tighter than 11" radius, so within the radius 2 recommendation for running the 'Coronation' locomotive.

 

When the locomotive is running light engine, it runs perfectly, but add the coaches and when it reaches a set of points coming off a curve, the front of the tender lifts upwards and derails. Upon further investigation, the locomotive and first coach are becoming buffer locked. The NEM coupling fitted to the locomotive is of the 'long' version.

 

We are stumped as to how to solve the problem, so any advice would be gratefully received. Thank you, in advance

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Is the point a Setrack one, because that will be 9" radius and first radius?

 

Are the coaches the newer version with the close coupling mechanism or the older bogie mounted coupling versions?  If the former, then applying graphite to the CCM on the coach and/or the tender might ease it up a bit.

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  • 2 months later...
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I also have a Queen Elizabeth and can confirm that she doesn't like Peco Setrack turnouts. She'll grumble her way across a single one now and again but I have two back to back on one set of sidings and that she won't tolerate. Luckily for my layout it just means that she's banned from the innermost siding.

 

Fairly academic right now unfortunately since her con rod fell off.

 

Does anyone know why Peco chose to only make first radius turnouts in Settrack for N gauge? It seems like a curiously unhelpful choice. I wonder how many inexperienced modellers it has caught out over the years? I've got a class 56 (triple axel bogies) that whilst it will get onto that siding it graunches while doing so.

Edited by AndrueC
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I would say that Setrack is mainly a 'starter' system and more committed modellers would be expected to move on to Streamline, with its range of radii. My Farish Duchesses cope well with Peco small radius code 55 points in my fiddle yard.

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Is the coupling on the Mk1 is moving properly?

Does the problem occur when running with the wagons from the NE Freight set?

Does the B1 from the set run reliably through the same trackwork with the coaches?

Does the problem occur in all four directions (forwards/backwards along both routes through the point)?

 

Steven B.

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