Skip to main content

Fella's,

 

I have a problem maybe you can help me with. When I run my Lone Ranger set with the engine and the tender it works just fine, but when I run it towing three dead weight cars as have been provided with the set up an incline.....suddenly the engine becomes loose from the tender and the engine flies off the track (I think this is because the track itself is slightly graded, what do you think? Should I put a hidden rubber band between the engine and the tender or simply reduce the grade (if possible)?

 

Mike Maurice

Original Post

Replies sorted oldest to newest

Your grade begins too quickly is another description.

 The Generals aren't great grade engines, is the grade part of the set?

 The Generals have a stepped drawbar, slightly shorter length on the vertical portion of the draw bar, and the tip is bent at another 90º fwd, forming a tab that keeps it in the slot.

Tweaking the tabs angles should help, but this can effectively shorten the fwd tab vertical travel, then you will have binding issues on the apexes at the hill tops.

 Adding a longer vertical isn't done because it would strike the center rail on bad track. 

 Annealing and bending the tab backwards has been done on older ones. But I'm not sure of the steel type used on the newer versions.

 The "action" necessary to uncouple the tender by hand, is exactly the same action happening when your grade rises. Too fast it will uncouple.

 

Rubber band, tweak, or re-bend. I just use brass stock from a hobby shop if the new thinner drawbars(many) break.   

   

Hey Mike, I was thinking more about operations because I normally lock Generals in forward (Gramps did too) So I forgot about reversing. Tweaking the vertical tab back towards the tender, then bending the tip up to create a harder angled Z might be better for you.

 As it pulls, it should lock into the upper part of the Z —› Z←  In reverse it would catch down low, Backing, the reversed hook could be prone to pop out. Slack and gravity should let a Z rise/ fall ok changing direction

  As long as the "vertical" sections swept back angle is greater than the grade change angles, the forces created should want to pull the tender draw bar deeper into the wedge.  

Add Reply

Post
The Track Planning and Layout Design Forum is sponsored by

AN OGR FORUM CHARTER SPONSOR

OGR Publishing, Inc., 1310 Eastside Centre Ct, Ste 6, Mountain Home, AR 72653
800-980-OGRR (6477)
www.ogaugerr.com

×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×
×