MTH/ROSS DERAILMENTS,

I think your problem maybe Cork related.... Looks to me like you've used  it to bank parts of the curve  and  not other parts.

I would put cork underneath all of the track (especially the switch to keep it even) or none at all..  Yep just guessing.

It looks like the turnout is not solid to the table or cork. If it is moving or is banked incorrectly it could cause a derailment. 

One thing you might try, is to check the wheel gauge on the locomotives.  I have an MTH car that was giving me problems on some switches, and I found that the wheel sets were gauged too narrow.

Thanks for the great responses! !! I will try the loose truck suggestion. Also, can you please advise about getting a gauge to measure wheel distance.

What do you think of adding weights to the engine trucks that are the derailing?

This problem is driving me crazy because all I want to do is good trains running and move forward on a layout and so far no luck.

Again, thank you very much for your help, Jerry 

A couple of things I learned about Gargraves track that also apply to Ross switches, how far is the transition pins from the regular O gauge track? Try 3 full track sections or 3 feet from a switch. Are the rails smooth to the touch? I just installed some Ross Custom 042 switches and had to do some minor filing off with a dremel tool with a sanding bit.

Another thing is if you are going from O gauge track(042) to Ross switch you may have to shim the track and/or Ross switch a little underneath the switch to keep proper track height. With 027 track to Ross track there is almost no height difference, so no shim is necessary.

Lee Fritz

Hi Lee, 

My complete outer circle is gargraves, ross switches with a few lionel 022 switches. My only issue is going into a ross turnout. That is where I get all of my derailment.

Thanks for your advice, jerry 

Jerry, is your track all Ross or a mix of Ross & tubular? How far(in inches or feet) is the Ross track from any tubular track? Also are you using Gargraves screws or regular store bought screws? In the photo it looks like your screw heads are sticking up too much.

Lee Fritz

Lee,

There is no mixing.  My 072  Outer Circle is virtually all Ross switches and gargraves track. Take a look at the pictures and if you need more I can send. Again, my issue is derailment when going into a turnout  with my gg1 and MTH ep-3. Going straight to attract is no issue . I have not tried any other engines yet. Very frustrating.

Thanks, Jerry 

Did you do anything with the cork?  I doubt very much if 2 engines would have a wheel gauge problem.

You have a nice curve  just before the switch  but the switch looks uneven to me.  The switch points  look OK.

Again get rid of the cork or put it under everything. (hopefully you already have this fixed)...  Do you think the engine's pick up rollers could be a factor.. They're not dropping down between the rails or something similar??

 Do the engine's  trucks swing freely from side to side?

Hi guys,

I did a bunch of running of the ep3  and added a premier Triplex The culprit for some reason seems to be that one switch and the gg1 pilot trucks. You think it would be a good idea to add weight to the pilot trucks? The gg1 is derailing on many of the Ross switches but not all. I need to correct the pilot trucks. Any suggestions would be very much appreciated.

thanks for the reply, jerry