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 Posted - November 06 2019 : 10:42:54 PM
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Even after cleaning all track well on my N-Scale Alpine Railway with rubbing alcohol, I still am having issues with my trains shuttering when running over the switch tracks....all 4 of them to be exact. Is there any way to fix this problem? I already checked to make sure the switch tracks were secured-down good enough, which they all are.
Thanks.
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven." - Matthew 5:16
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 Posted - November 06 2019 : 10:59:00 PM
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| I had this problem with my double crossover with four switches on it. Later found that the switches had to close really tightly against the rails , and the problem was solved...
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Posted - November 06 2019 : 11:50:33 PM
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It could be as Walt mentioned, it could also be because the frogs are not powered. Just a guess since I can't see the switch up close.
If that is the case, and not all the wheels on the loco have electrical pickups, you may have a brief moment where it stutters as it rolls over the frog.
You could solve it by adding extra wheel pickup - like we do in HO - or powering the frog.
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Posted - November 07 2019 : 08:15:56 AM
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Okay...I will check to see how closely the switch track closes up against the rails, as that could very well be the issue.
All of the switch tracks are powered on my N-Scale layout, although 2 of them do not currently function as they should (still trying to decipher that.) Even still, the switch track on the inner loop (near the bridge) does work but still the train shutters/comes to halt over it.
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven." - Matthew 5:16
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Posted - November 07 2019 : 6:28:35 PM
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quote:Okay...I will check to see how closely the switch track closes up against the rails, as that could very well be the issue.
All of the switch tracks are powered on my N-Scale layout, although 2 of them do not currently function as they should (still trying to decipher that.) Even still, the switch track on the inner loop (near the bridge) does work but still the train shutters/comes to halt over it.
Originally posted by RP model railroads - November 07 2019 : 08:15:56 AM
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Just to clarify - are the frogs themselves powered? I have some switches on my layout that are not - they are plastic frog snap switches - but they are configured so that they rarely cause an interruption in power to the locos.
It would help to see one of your switches up close.
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Posted - November 07 2019 : 7:53:10 PM
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Is this limited to one locomotive or all? Are all the trucks
designed for power pick up, or just one (is it a wheel base
issue)?
Are all the connected rail joiners tight and clean?
Edited by - Chops124 on November 07 2019 7:57:46 PM
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Posted - November 07 2019 : 10:38:14 PM
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Here's a photo of one of the switch tracks on the Alpine Railway...technically there is still a plastic slider, but the switch track operates both electronically and manually. This particular one and another one on the layout are not working for some reason.  Still working on deciphering that. But, as I mentioned before, some of my trains still stall over the functioning switch tracks as well.
It is happening to all of my N-Scale German locomotives (2 Fleischmanns and 1 Minitrix.) All 3 locomotives have fairly clean contact wheels, and the track itself is quite clean.
As far the rail joiners go, they are all tight-fitting, although there is some slight gapping.
The switch tracks themselves do indeed close tightly up against the rails, so that's not the issue.
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven." - Matthew 5:16
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Posted - November 07 2019 : 11:09:02 PM
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A couple of possibilities occur to me. It appears, in the pictures, that the switch frogs are plastic and therefore not powered.
1) If your engines are designed so that each truck only picks up from one rail, you could stall when the wheels that pick up power are on the plastic frog.
2) It may be that, even if your engines pick up on all wheels, you could have a problem if the points are not getting power to them, for example if the hinged part is old and loose.
I don't know if either of these is the case, but it's something to check.
Carpe Manana!
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Posted - November 08 2019 : 09:01:02 AM
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It's the plastic frogs that are the problem.
You need to add electrical pickups on your locos or go to a powered frog setup.
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Posted - November 08 2019 : 09:50:03 AM
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Hmmm, sounds like plastic frogs are indeed the problem.
Maybe you should try plastic toads, instead. But seriously,
that sounds fairly logical.
Then again, is the candle worth the game? From what I saw
in your video, the locomotive slowed, but only briefly. Is
it something you can live with?
Edited by - Chops124 on November 08 2019 09:51:39 AM
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Posted - November 08 2019 : 3:25:23 PM
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Until I found my problem, at slow speeds the trains would stop. At other time the quick jolt would cause the cars to separate.
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Posted - November 08 2019 : 9:49:14 PM
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I will have to double-check.....although I do believe all of my locomotives have all-pick-up wheels. Maybe not. I did buy an N-Scale Woodland Scenics Roto Wheel Cleaner tool, to hopefully better-clean my locomotives' wheels, which may very well resolve this issue.
As far as the frogs go, I definitely will not go to the trouble of installing all electric frogs......so I guess I will have to endure the shuddering then. 
I thought mine already were electric, as they are controlled electrically through switches on the front of the layout (as seen below).....as I said, 2 of them are not working properly yet.
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven." - Matthew 5:16
Youtube Channel: www.youtube.com/rpmodelrailroads
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Edited by - RP model railroads on November 08 2019 9:53:10 PM
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Posted - November 09 2019 : 03:58:01 AM
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Just to clarify: Your switch points could be thrown either by hand or by an electric motor or solenoid, but that has nothing to do with the frogs on your switches.
the frog is the part of the switch where one rail from each route crosses the other. The frogs on your switches are plastic. This is done to eliminate the short circuiting issues that would result if the frog was made of metal. However, the plastic frog creates an inevitable electrical "dead spot". Larger engines with all-wheel electrical pickup and flywheels will coast over them no problem. However, small engines with short wheelbases and no flywheel will stutter and possibly stall on them.
To eliminate this issue, you can buy switches with metal frogs. They are known as "electro frogs". However, they require a little extra wiring to avoid the short circuiting issue. Many of these switches are "power routing", meaning that the power is directed down one route or the other by the position of the points. This method is plauged by problems relating to poor conductivity. If the points and stock rail aren't perfectly clean, they lose electrical connection. There is a method to bypass this issue. You can add in a separate electrical switch to only power one route or the other. If you get creative enough, you can actually interlock the electrical switch with the physical switch that moves the points.
For your layout, you could replace the switches with new switches that have metal frogs (just make sure to read and understand how to wire them up first), or replace your locomotives with locomotives that have all-wheel pickup and flywheels. All that being said, clean rails and clean wheels will go a long way towards minimizing the stutter on your plastic frogs.
My Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/weekendrailroader?blend=1&ob=video-mustangbase
Edited by - weekendrailroader on November 09 2019 03:59:25 AM
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Posted - November 09 2019 : 4:12:57 PM
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Thank you very much for your advice, and I now understand what a "frog" is. As soon as I receive the roto cleaning tool, I will clean-up all of my German locomotive wheels, and I'll also clean up the switch tracks even more, to minimize this shuddering problem.
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven." - Matthew 5:16
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Posted - November 09 2019 : 4:45:13 PM
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An easy way to clean locomotive wheels is to use a paper towel and some isopropyl alcohol
Set up a short length of straight track, connect your power pack to it.
Take a paper towel, wet a portion of it (approx. a 2" x 2" area) with some isopropyl alcohol (70% to 99% is best. Usually about $1 for a container at any place that sells toothpaste or bandaids) You want the paper towel damp, but not dripping.
Set the paper towel on the track, with the damp area sitting on top of both rails.
Set your engine on the track. Leave one truck directly on the rails. Set the other truck on the rails that are covered by the paper towel.
Hold your engine with one hand, and turn on the power to the track. Set the throttle at about 25% power. Hold the engine's weight up off the rail just enough so that the wheels spin freely. You'll notice two black streaks of dirt appearing on the paper towel under the wheels of the locomotive. Pause, reposition the paper towel so a clean damp spot is on the rails, and repeat until the dark streaks no longer appear on the paper towel.
When you've finished the first truck, flip the locomotive around and repeat the process for the second truck.
Note: do not touch the body of the locomotive if you spilled any isopropyl on your fingers. In addition to removing wheel grime, isopropyl is also very good at removing paint. A little isopropyl goes a long way. Also remember to screw the lid back onto the container after every use. It evaporates very quickly.
You can also use isopropyl on a paper towel to clean the rails on your layout.
Keep in mind, abrasive cleaning methods, such as sandpaper or "bright boys" for track, or brass bristle brushes for wheels will eventually score, scratch, and wear down the rails and and wheels.
Save those methods for cleaning really dirty equipment, like trains and track that you bought at a garage sale which have been sitting in a basement for twenty years. Then use a non abrasive cleaner like isopropyl for maintenance from then on.
- Speaking from experience here.
My Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/weekendrailroader?blend=1&ob=video-mustangbase
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Posted - November 09 2019 : 7:36:56 PM
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Whoa - I didn't even think of using isopropyl alcohol on a napkin, and running trains on a separate section of track on top of the napkin to clean the wheels. Oh well, I will be getting the roto cleaning tool now anyway.
As far as using isopropyl alcohol to clean track, I already knew that and have been using such a method for quite some time. My #1 cleaning method has been using isopropyl alcohol on Q-tips, and rubbing them on each rail of a section of track, until it comes up clean. Speaking of which, I should probably do another round of track cleaning soon....
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven." - Matthew 5:16
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Posted - November 10 2019 : 12:14:41 AM
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| Week End Railroader might have the ticket, here.
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