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Sparking Engine Question

S SD60MOGR Forum Member SUPPORTING MEMBERDIGITAL SUBSCRIBER
I have an MTH Dash 8 narrow nose diesel that sparks and stumbles ever-so-annoyingly when running forward through the straight portion of an Atlas #7.5 switch. This happens when the switch is approached in the trailing point direction. I note that the sparks seem to occur under the front motor truck but, the trailing truck crosses the switch...spark-free.

If I turn the engine around and run it in reverse in the same direction...no sparks, no stumble...smooth as it should be.

If I run the same engine through the switch in a facing point direction...no sparks at all from either truck.

Any ideas what may be happening in the first situation...front of the engine first, approaching the switch points from the trailing point direction??

Is this just part of the "slop" in 3-rail trains??

I realize there is, probably, no definitive answer for this (is there any definitive answer on this forum...except to buy Barry's book?) but, I would appreciate your comments.

Thanks for any kind response(s).
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T TrainLarryOGR Forum Member
Have you had this problem before, or is it a new problem? Presumably the sparking comes from the roller pickup, and not the wheels? Is the roller assembly tight, and not a little loose? Try tightening the screw. Also, try swapping the roller assemblies and see if the problem follows the roller, or stays the same. Make sure the rollers, wheels and track/switches are clean, as usually it is dirt that causes sparking. It is unusual for your problem to occur in only one direction with the loco oriented in only one direction. Next, I would swap the trucks, and again see if the problem followed the truck or not.

Larry
LD Larry D.OGR Forum Member
My experience with my Atlas"O" 7.5 turnouts has been related to wheel-sets slightly "tight' or "wide" when I see sparking occurring. Do you see any burn spots on either the center rail or the outside rails?
I've actually taken a Dremel with grind stone attachment and removed some of the side of the powered rail where it angles to the diverging route to get more clearance for the back of passing wheels. This seems to be the cause of most of my issues. My Atlas cars seem to go through without issues, once in a while I'll see a Lionel car spark before my modifications. I think this has to deal with "not enough attention" to correct wheel spacing by the builders.
Look for the burn spots and you'll get an idea where the sparking issue occurs.
Larry D.
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