LGB Track Extending my Non Scenic 12x5 LGB Oval to 13x7.

Any curve will add drag. Tighter the curve, more drag and the loco will slow, perhaps even stop.

Your loco will need some running in, to work-through any tight spots in the mechanism.

Do run in both directions (turning the loco round, not just backwards) to even out wear.
Wear will be greater, the tighter your curves are, so this is important.

Also, pay heed to lubricating instructions, but keep things clean. - This is more a problem outside, where grit and dirt collect in oil and grease, creating an abrasive paste.
Indoors, fluff and dust will be the problem.

PhilP.
 
Can you run it slowly too? In the real world a steam loco starts up slow and does not run very fast, but this can be a problem for model steam locos i've heard. Looks like this indirect cylinder setup, using a kind of gear/transmission to the wheels, enables a higher cylinder speed at a low driving velocity?
 
Hello Gerard,Yes I can run it very slow on the straight track but on turns full Throttle Reg open all the way and Gas on 3/4 Very Noisey.
 
As Philp says, curves=drag, and looking at your video, that seems to be the problem. Also Accucraft locos do need a lot of running in, to loosen things up. It seems the gas is set too high, but hopefully when its run in, the can be improved. And don't forget to oil before every run
 
As Philp says, curves=drag, and looking at your video, that seems to be the problem. Also Accucraft locos do need a lot of running in, to loosen things up.
 
About the drag: Assuming that the 2 wheel holding parts can rotate far enough to go trough the bend one shouldn't expect drag caused by the friction of the flanges on the wheels, since they are mounted on only 2 axis at a relatively short distance from each other? May be you should exactly check the wheels profile and check how wide the actual space is between the opposite flanges?
 
No, The sharper the bend, the greater the difference in length of the distance traveled along the inner and outer rail! Both wheels are fixed on the axle, so more wheel slip and thuss more resistance/drag. With livesteam use the largest possible radius!
 
Yes, the axles on the trucks are fairly close coupled and should on paper cope with the tighter radius curves of your track's layout. The loco's quoted minimum radius spec' though is probably inherent in those universal joints (UJ), as designed, fitted in its geared drivetrain. The greater the angle the truck is turned the greater the stresses are being caused on those UJ's. As a result the tighter the curve the more the UJ's in the loco's drivetrain are binding up. Hence the increased need for throttle, and running at higher burner settings to increase boiler pressure to overcome this resistance building up in the divetrain. That is why the manufacturer issued that minimum radius specification. The workaround is probably the mod' on the UJ's suggested. That should allow them to work at a wider range of angles, minimising risk of binding. If the factory approve the mod' then do it. I cannot see any other solution. And yes, these geared locos, as others have pointed out, need a bit of running in. I have owned an Accucraft 3 cylinder Shay and their Climax for some years. Max

P.S. I was involved in the testing of one of these locos, when launched, for a review in the 16 mm NGM Association's quarterly magazine. We only ran it on minimum 4ft radius curves. However, it proved an easy to operate loco with great pulling power over gradients straight out of the box. Good choice of loco.
 
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Gentlemen, this is some valuable information you are providing. With all this support, I am determined.Tonight on the first curve it usually gets stuck at. I squeezed the trach firmly, and now at a lower pressure, it went right past.Last 23-minute run. I will keep adjusting the track and see what that does. The sad part is I have in the box a custom-built 13x7 Modular table that just needs a wood planks atop and Astro Turf waiting.But that unfortunately does not help any way.I am so close yet so far.One more thing, if I can manage to somehow to add exactly 1 more foot would that positively solve this issue? 13x8
 
Rob1962 said:
Gentlemen, this is some valuable information you are providing. With all this support, I am determined.Tonight on the first curve it usually gets stuck at. I squeezed the trach firmly, and now at a lower pressure, it went right past.Last 23-minute run. I will keep adjusting the track and see what that does. The sad part is I have in the box a custom-built 13x7 Modular table that just needs a wood planks atop and Astro Turf waiting.But that unfortunately does not help any way.I am so close yet so far.One more thing, if I can manage to somehow to add exactly 1 more foot would that positively solve this issue? 13x8
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Have you an area big enough to experiment with? Then you could find out for sure ehether your loco will go round thd curves.
Maxi-model made a good poit about the UJ issue. I didn't think about it, but onecof our members hsd the same problem with the UJ binding
 
Rob1962 said:
Gentlemen, this is some valuable information you are providing. With all this support, I am determined.Tonight on the first curve it usually gets stuck at. I squeezed the trach firmly, and now at a lower pressure, it went right past.Last 23-minute run. I will keep adjusting the track and see what that does. The sad part is I have in the box a custom-built 13x7 Modular table that just needs a wood planks atop and Astro Turf waiting.But that unfortunately does not help any way.I am so close yet so far.One more thing, if I can manage to somehow to add exactly 1 more foot would that positively solve this issue? 13x8
Click to expand...
If you had some R2 or R3 LGB points you could do a temporary line in the floor to see what your Shay likes best. If that not possible a line of them on your table going end to end alternating with 1 curve rail each way to see how the Shay copes with that. Being Radio Controlled you should be able to test that way, make sure a big heavy cardboard box each end to stop any potential runaway.
 
Rob1962 said:
Gentlemen, this is some valuable information you are providing. With all this support, I am determined.Tonight on the first curve it usually gets stuck at. I squeezed the trach firmly, and now at a lower pressure, it went right past.Last 23-minute run. I will keep adjusting the track and see what that does. The sad part is I have in the box a custom-built 13x7 Modular table that just needs a wood planks atop and Astro Turf waiting.But that unfortunately does not help any way.I am so close yet so far.One more thing, if I can manage to somehow to add exactly 1 more foot would that positively solve this issue? 13x8
Click to expand...
Difficult to say.

If you can source 7 ft diameter curves, or bend flexi to the same diameter then it might possibly work.

But, as has been pointed out, you are trying to run a loco which has a specification for at least 8 ft diameter curves, on tighter bends....
 
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