MTH Imperial Big Boy Derailing

Can you get rid of the 'S' curve or install a straight section between the curves. I know it probably says O-31 curves, but the 'S' curves are a known problem on layouts everywhere, and that's a tight one. I would try to reconfigure some how if at all possible.  

THE TENDER MAY BE "PICKING" THE SWITCH,( THE FORCE OF THE LOCO SWINGING OUTWARD PUSHES THE REAR OF THE TENDER INWARD, CAUSING THE FLANGE TO PINCH OR JUMP THE POINT ON THE SWITCH. I AGREE WITH RTR12, YOU MUST CHANGE TRACKWORK IN THAT AREA.GOOD LUCK!

They make a set of drawbars. Maybe one of them is longer than 30mm.

One time I watched Ken from ERR test a new prototype Lionmaster, either a big boy or a challenger, on the O-31 S curve on a home layout. At one point, the loco and tender were parallel, but almost beside one another. It looked funny, but stayed on the track and went all the way through the curve.

Make sure that your drawbar can swing wide on both the tender and the loco.

JUST A THOUGHT, HOW ABOUT CHANGING THE SWITCH TO 072. THAT WILL MAKE A SMOOTH TRANSITION, 042 MIGHT WORK BUT YOU MUST TRY IT TO FIND OUT

I was going to reply to this before, but seeing that I do not even have a layout myself at this point, I figured I'd back off.  However.... i do agree with rtr.  What I've heard (and it makes sense once you think about it), 'S' curves are not all that great, at least not with curves as tight as O31. They may work for your smaller engines, but the Big Boy is pretty big, thats a heck of a turn for that thing to navigate (even though it "can" handle O31 curves).

**Edit: sorry, I started typing this a while ago, but only finished now.  When I started, only rtr had responded.

YES, GO OUT TO THE MAIN, PROBLEM SOLVED AND MORE ROOM FOR SCENERY OR BUILDINGS

You should also be able to change the siding to O42 switches and still get the reverse loop attached to it.  But a couple of thinking points; How does the locomotive do on all the rest of the layout, in both directions?  Does the tender come off if the BB goes into the siding from the other side?  Have you looked at the BB to make sure that there are no wires, or anything else, keeping the drawbar from moving in it's full swing?

One thing I forgot to mention earlier is that even if you are able to get this BB working on your tight 'S' curves, it will most likely be a problem with many of your future engine/rolling stock purchases and you will probably be battling these curves from now on. I think you were wise to get rid of them.

It does look like you have a really nice track plan in those extra pictures you posted. Lots of running in a small space. After you have given it some running time you might come up with something better to add as a replacement to the tight 'S' curve sections.

I have an idea that may work better yet give you the siding you want.

Move those switches to be part of the outer corners.

Then the siding is complete across the inside and you eliminate the S curves.

You lose several inches of the straights in the sides tho.

I marked up (poorly!) your picture since I'm not on my home computer to do RR-Track.

Shortening the sides allows you to do this and stay on the table.