Thanks Radcam,
The brake fluid is slowly removing the acrylic paint without damage to the plastic.
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Track gauging.
The UP 4-12-2's drivers were falling between the rails and right inside the tunnel where it is hard to get at since the logging railroad is right above it! Of course, dozens of other steam engines and hundreds of freight cars have no problems traversing this track!
The gauge is OK for 'normal' width wheels but the driver tire width on the 4-12-2 must be just a bit narrow.
Wasn't easy pulling the spikes out and moving one rail in only about a 1/64 of an inch. The overhead catenary is also there!
The engine was also shorting out on one turnout so some adjustments were made.
The driver retaining plate was removed so the center blind driver could be replaced with the spare flanged driver. The side rods and gear box had to be removed. This was done as I noticed the blind driver, sometimes, would move too far off center and catch the inside of the rails.
As can be seen in this picture, there is a lot of side slop. I'm guessing Key did this to help go around sharper curves. I think too much 'side play' causes the engine to 'side track' and cause derailments. Some Kadee red insulated washers were put on each side of each axle to remove the side slop.
Cut a slot in each Kadee washers to, easily, slide them over each axle.
Everything is working better. No short on the one turnout and no 'climbing' of the drivers over the rails.
The gauge was a little wide, also, in this spot.
One would think, with an 8' radius, there would be no problems!
Logic would dictate that it seems the max gauge and some side slop in the drivers would be good for preventing derailments: Au contraire mon ami.
Also, like the full size, the articulateds usually negotiate curves better than large coupled driver engines.
This picture shows 'normal' tire width (right in picture) versus a narrow tire width (left). Not a big difference but can cause derailment problems.
