Atlas Guard Rail Issue

Rockyroad,

I thought I had a similar problem with a 7.5 turnout. My tender on a cab forward kept snagging and derailing. I thought it was the rail but in fact it was the gauging in the wheel set. I adjusted the wheel set and problem was solved.

Hope this helps.

Cesar

FB...thanks for the reply.

Regauging will work on freight and passenger trucks, but powered diesel wheel sets, GG-1 drivers and steam locomotive drivers are another matter. My Williams motive power is the biggest "culpert" and a few older Lionel steam locos.

Rockyroad,

I had the same problem with MTH Real Trax and here is what I did to solve the problem. Removal of a problematic switch is not necessary. All of the 14 switches on my layout have the change shown in the sketch, and for the past 6 months of operations there have been zero derailments.

I do not know if the guard rail is removable on Atlas switches, but my fix can be done without removing them. Use small clamps to hold the cable tie material in place while the adhesive cures.

Bobby,

I like the cable tie idea. The Atlas guard rails are only removable if you flip the turnout upside down and remove the two push-on nuts that hold them in place...of course you destroy the nuts when in the removal process.

I have a half-dozen mainline turnouts that will need the "fix".

Thanks for the illustration!

I had some similar problems on my old layout.  My assumption was that the equipment was fine, the switches were the problem.

I eventually narrowed it down to Lionel engines slightly out of gauge.  It started to be apparent after I had purchased two CC Train Masters.  One ran through the Atlas switches fine and the other derailed most of the time.  I re-gauged the engine acting up and everything ran fine after that. 

It looks like Cesar had a similar experience.   

Re-gauging engines is a major job and can be disasterous if not done properly. Ajusting the guard rail is a simpler and safer remedy IMHO.