Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Model Railroading Tips - How to Avoid Your Trains From Derailing

One of the most frustrating problems that model railroaders face is the extremely annoying problem of derailments. This can not only cause your model railway trains to go off track, but also your plans to build your dream model railroad too. This can be quite a common problem, but one that can be solved relatively easily if you know what you are doing, so I wanted to share some model railroading tips to help prevent it.

The first thing I would suggest would be to check the wheels of your model train to make sure that these are all turning properly. If the wheels are sticking at any point, then this may be the cause of any derailments you are experiencing. You will also want to make sure that the wheels are correctly aligned, as if they not then this can be another common cause of the problem.

It's also a good idea to lubricate your wheels if they seem to be sticking to smooth up the motion. Adding a little drop of oil can free up the movement nicely if you are having problems, although be careful to not add too much either, as this can cause the wheels to pick up dust and dirt, which will only add to cause further problems.

Another common cause for your model railway trains to derail is due to problems with the track itself. Therefore, the first thing to check is that the model rail tracks are clean and clear of debris. By cleaning the rails, this will not only remove any dirt that could get stuck in the trains wheels, but also make sure that the electrical conductivity of the rail is in tact too.

You should also check that your track connections are all correctly made and that everything is all smoothly aligned. This is one of the most common problems in causing your model trains to derail. As the trains run over the joints time and time again, this can cause them to move slightly over time and this will inevitably start to cause trains to come of the tracks. Therefore, a handy little tip here, is that if you have built a track in a permanent scene you can solder the joints in the track and then file them down to be perfectly smooth.

When running your fingers across the joints, you want to make sure there is no change in the level of the tracks and that the gap between the two is minimal, if any. It's also important to make sure that these joints aren't forced into place when creating your layouts, as this stress on the track will tend to cause more problems, with parts moving about and slipping out of line.

The last of the model railroading tips I want to share with you in trying to help you avoid derailments is a relatively simply trick to help with keep your model railway trains on the track. This is to add a little extra weight to your wagons. Many newer models are lighter than the old trains and this can cause them to jump free of the tracks easier. Therefore, the extra weight will help prevent this. However, if you do choose to try this method, be careful not to add too much as this will only cause extra wearing on your trains and other problems may arise.

I hope that by using some of the model railroading tips I have shared with you today, you can solve you model railway trains from derailing and by learning how to avoid this frustrating problem, keep your model railroad dreams on track. For more tips and information, visit my website by clicking the links below.


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