Help with derailing engine

Is there a bad joint between the first and second pieces of straight track?

Rail tends to dip over time at the rail joiner.

In the middle of a piece of track, rail between two ties is supported by the adjacent ties.

But at the joint the rail joiner doesn't provide any support.

The weight of the engine causes the joint to hinge down and over time actually causes the rail to curve down slightly.

The joiners also work slightly loose because of this and dont conduct power as well.

If you have had to squeeze to joiners to improve power supply to the second rail this might be a clue.

If it's always derailing at exactly the same spot, I'd suspect the track before I'd worry about the locomotive.

Is there a dip in the rail? Is the left hand rail lower than the right, throwing the weight of the engine to the left?

How about running through the other direction? Does it still derail the same way?

Don

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If the track is in gauge and everything looks even when you sight down it I would suspect some type of debris that is causing the problem. An obstruction that the wheel flanges hit is a very common cause of derailments and is often not easy to see. Check the inside of the rails in the derailment area for a possible problem.

J. Bright

Of course, the engine could be derailing in the curve but only comes off the track on the straight. The point of derailment is not always where the wheels climb the railhead.

-- Cheers Roger T.

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