Guest jonte Posted November 16, 2010 Share Posted November 16, 2010 Dear forum members. Please can you help? I've just completed an engine release crossover consisting of two scratchbuilt (more like homemade!) right hand points built over a printed off template of a large radius Peco point, using some scrap strips of PCB and a couple of home made gauges(I'm no expert at track building but SWMBO has successfully sought a cessation in layout funds so those excellent Peco items are strictly off the agenda). They're wired on the electrofrog principle via a SPDT switch; I've gapped them in the appropriate places and put in a total of four IRJs (which I've infilled with thin pieces of plastikard to stop them shorting). However, I've noticed that in places when the loco is crawling, it stalls and the motor starts to hum - sometimes when this happens it lurches forward and carries on; sometimes it stops. This doesn't happen when the loco traverses at speed. I'm pretty certain it's not shorting (hope it's not anyway ) so am I right in thinking that dirt is causing the problem? Any advice would be sincerely appreciated. Thanks in anticipation, Jonte PS.........while I'm on, can I use two-part epoxy to glue the bits of plastic used as IRJs between the rails? Thanks. Jonte Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladysplicer Posted November 16, 2010 Share Posted November 16, 2010 Hi maybe the points are slightly out so when the loco crawls it catches where as at speed its enough to clear the affending part run loco over them slowly and see push a wagon/coach threw slowly see if that catches. cheers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
burgundy Posted November 16, 2010 Share Posted November 16, 2010 Jonte Have you by any chance "gauge narrowed" rather than "gauge widened" on the curved section? Eric Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jonte Posted November 16, 2010 Share Posted November 16, 2010 Hi maybe the points are slightly out so when the loco crawls it catches where as at speed its enough to clear the affending part run loco over them slowly and see push a wagon/coach threw slowly see if that catches. cheers Gosh - that was quick Ladysplicer !!! Thank you. That's an idea - I'll give it a try, although a couple of Bachmann wagons went over it okay - perhaps the Hornby's wheels have a different back-to-back. Best wishes, Jonte : Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete the Elaner Posted November 16, 2010 Share Posted November 16, 2010 perhaps the Hornby's wheels have a different back-to-back. Quite likely. I have had trouble with out-of-the-box Hornby & Bachmann locos & wagons on Peco code 75 due to variations in back-to-backs. Once corrected, everything runs nicely. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jonte Posted November 16, 2010 Share Posted November 16, 2010 Jonte Have you by any chance "gauge narrowed" rather than "gauge widened" on the curved section? Eric Thanks for the swift reply, Eric. Although it's early days, this appears to be the general concensus of opinion so, without doubting you, perhaps you've got a point. Only thing is, I was quite rigorous with the gauge, albeit Heath whatshisname in design - think i'll have to get the hot iron back out and tweak a couple of sticky points. Kind regards, Jonte Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jonte Posted November 16, 2010 Share Posted November 16, 2010 Quite likely. I have had trouble with out-of-the-box Hornby & Bachmann locos & wagons on Peco code 75 due to variations in back-to-backs. Once corrected, everything runs nicely. Another swift response to my dilemma, Pete, thank you. Incidenatlly, if you don't mind, how did you resolve the differences - did you rewheel to one type? Best wishes, Jonte Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wagonman Posted November 16, 2010 Share Posted November 16, 2010 If the motor still hums when the loco is stuck then it is still receiving juice which means dirt can be eliminated as the cause. The likeliest answer, as others have said, is a mismatch between the track and wheel dimensions. Check the B-to-B of all your wheels and try to adjust them. Metal tyred plastic wheels on metal axles (like all decent wagon wheels) can be simply 'tweaked', loco wheels are a bit more difficult as you don't want to alter the quartering of the drivers. Standardising on one make and re-wheeling everything else is the Rolls Royce solution, not for those with severely constrained budgets! I don't know if there are published standards for OO, nor whether Peco et al adhere to them if there are any. You're probably on your own... Richard Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jonte Posted November 16, 2010 Share Posted November 16, 2010 If the motor still hums when the loco is stuck then it is still receiving juice which means dirt can be eliminated as the cause. The likeliest answer, as others have said, is a mismatch between the track and wheel dimensions. Check the B-to-B of all your wheels and try to adjust them. Metal tyred plastic wheels on metal axles (like all decent wagon wheels) can be simply 'tweaked', loco wheels are a bit more difficult as you don't want to alter the quartering of the drivers. Standardising on one make and re-wheeling everything else is the Rolls Royce solution, not for those with severely constrained budgets! I don't know if there are published standards for OO, nor whether Peco et al adhere to them if there are any. You're probably on your own... Richard Thanks for the benefit of your experience, Richard. Let's see if some tweaking of the offending rail areas reaps some rewards (or makes it worse) Kindest, Jonte Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium kevinlms Posted November 16, 2010 RMweb Premium Share Posted November 16, 2010 Thanks for the swift reply, Eric. Although it's early days, this appears to be the general concensus of opinion so, without doubting you, perhaps you've got a point. Only thing is, I was quite rigorous with the gauge, albeit Heath whatshisname in design - think i'll have to get the hot iron back out and tweak a couple of sticky points. Kind regards, Jonte If the wheels are set to a "proper guage" and the wheels are set to a "proper guage", then you ought not have a problem. If either are inaccurate, who knows where the problem might lie. Before you go tweaking anything, do some checks to identify the cause, then tweak. Do the same vehicles go through existing examples of real Peco points? Almost certainly something is wrong with your homemade points, perhaps your guage is not as good as you thought? Kevin Martin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jonte Posted November 16, 2010 Share Posted November 16, 2010 If the wheels are set to a "proper guage" and the wheels are set to a "proper guage", then you ought not have a problem. If either are inaccurate, who knows where the problem might lie. Before you go tweaking anything, do some checks to identify the cause, then tweak. Do the same vehicles go through existing examples of real Peco points? Almost certainly something is wrong with your homemade points, perhaps your guage is not as good as you thought? Kevin Martin Now come on, Kevin, I might have said they were homemade but at no point did I say I thought they were good Seriously though, I know you're right and I thank you for your input.......wouldn't mind but while routing through some boxes in my work shop looking for a coil of wire earlier, I chanced upon a couple of B6 points I built to P4 (believe it or not!!) a couple of years ago for which the proper roller gauges were used in conjunction with the proper P4 standard wheel sets purchased for the purpose of testing, and guess what?......yes! they worked perfectly FIRST TIME. They've remained unemployed ever since as I just couldn't face destroying my beloved M7 in a futile attempt to regauge it. Just goes to show you're right. As one of the points in the crossover works okay, and discretion being the better part of valour, I may subject the offending item to the cutter's torch and just convert it to a single release road. Never mind........... Best wishes, Jonte Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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