Rolling stock + points + check rails

[SapperAnt]

Hi everyone

I am pulling my hair out here.

Ive got a load of rolling stock which won't run through points. All are scratch built: one uses IP engineering wheels and axle boxes and the other three use Binnie wheels etc. They run fine on 2' 6" and 38" radius curves and even reverse curves but when they run through 38" radius points they jump over the frogs and check rails or where two points are facing making a reverse curve, just jam solid.

Which is wierd because Ive got other rolling stock with the same length wheel base which don't.

Is it the back-to-back of the wheels?
Are they not on square?
Is it the wheelbase?

[tom_tom_go]

Look for wheel wobble on your IP wheels.

Most sets I have ever bought wobble so I don't tend to use them despite trying to fix.

Do you have an Accucraft wheeled stock, do they do the same thing?

[philipy]

If IP and Binnie wheels are doing the same thing, but other wheel sets aren't I'd check back-to-backs.
If the axles aren't parallel that could do it as well.

[SapperAnt]

The daft thing is a kit built IP van goes through them OK as does another of my scratch built wagons which uses Binnie wheels......

[KjellAn]

Hello

I think the problem is the Peco-point with the 38" radius. At the last steam-up at the PHRy there was some derailments at these points. Most of the rolling stock did go well, but a Tom Rolt and some 4-wheel Accucraft coaches tend to climb on the head of the tracks.
I think the guard-rail in the curved section is a little bit too narrow, especially to engines and coaches with large wheel-diametres. The flanges seems too long and then the wheels are forced up through the point.
Maybe a small ajustment of the guard-rail would solve the problem.

[SapperAnt]

YOu know I never thought it might be the points......

[jay1976]

Got the same problem with 2 points I won the other week on ebay the check rails have small fake hex bolts and the flanges on my big big hoppers catch the tops of the hex bolts,my cure if take off the check rails as they are just glued in place and all the hoppers go ok.I think mine are just the check rails are to close to the rail as well as to big hex bolt tops

[Soar Valley Light]

I strongly suspect that Jay may have hit the nail (or bolt!) on the head. If similar wheelsets perform ok it is a bit of a mystery. However, if it's not the back to backs then vehicles climbing out onto the crossing is very likely going to be a problem with the flangeway in the checks. It may be a wheel that's too fat and climbs up (and so out), any angle on the back of the flange would provide encouragement to climb but any obstruction in the flangeway which can lift the flange is almost a dead cert for a de-railment. It's happened in 12" to the foot scale more times than you can shake a stick at.