Piko Harzkamel and LGB R5 point.....?

Zerogee

Zerogee

Clencher's Bogleman
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Yesterday I gave my recently purchased (from Germany) Harzkamel a run out at a local GSC open day - the host for the day isn't on here, I don't believe, but Cliff, Stuart (Marshman), Jerry (Lone Ranger), Steve (Bigjack) and of course Mike the Creaky Beaver were there.
Anyway, it was a beautiful afternoon on a really fabulous line, with extensive and immaculately-laid track including a number of R5 points (the big LGB R5s, as opposed to the Piko "R5" which is actually more like R3.....). The Kamel ran nicely, except for a problem on the R5 points - when approaching from the "toe" end of the point, the front power bogie would handle it fine, but the rear bogie would ride up on the frog and then drop back at an angle, most often throwing the last axle off the rails. This occurred repeatedly at all sorts of speeds, right down to the merest crawl when you could actually see the loco hesitate as the rear bogie stepped up over the frog. Running the other way round the circuit, so it took that point from the "heel" end, there were no problems at all. Many folks offered various suggestions, including the brass check rail extensions (either home-made or available from people like Bertram Heyn), and it was also suggested that the vertical plastic flange on the entry to the frog should be slightly rounded off.
I just thought I'd pose the question here, and see if anyone else has had this particular problem with Piko locos? Evereything else that ran on that line (mostly using LGB mechanisms) seemed to be fine.

Thanks!
Jon.
 
Jon,
just confirm if the trailing truck derails when entering the toe of the switch with the locomotive reversed so the trailing truck becomes the leading truck. This is to confirm the defect to both trucks or just one truck. If one truck only then possibly back to back wheel measurement is different to the opposite truck.

Barring that then a modified checkrail/guardrail should pull the loco wheels away from the frog ensuring the wheels run the flangeway and not ride up the point of the frog. A thin piece of brass strip could be bent to fit the guardrail outer face. This will narrow the 'check' gap to pull the loco wheels away from the frog leading edge. I do not know the R5 but I assume the checkrail/guard rail extends past the frog.
 
Yes it was a lovely afternoon on a superb line.
It was interesting watching Jon's loco doing what it did.
The 'shimming' of the guard rail immediately came to mind as that is also a cure for other points like Aristocraft jobbies.
On the LGB R5 the guard rail will not only need a shim but also possibly an extension as well. Jon did mention a German guy who makes and sells these 'modifications'.

But I also had a problem with one point and one loco and eventually found that the loco blocks bottom was fouling the front of the guard rail. I subsequently cut off the top corner of the front of the guard rail and made it more of an angled front edge. This cured the problem.
Not sure if this is Jon's problem but he will be testing the loco back and forth (loco turned both ways) through an R5 to see if it is indeed the loco's fault not the points.
 
Hi DR, thanks for the advice, but I think something is getting confused in translation - obviously you mean the SKATES, because to us "sleepers" are the ties (as they'd call them in the US) that the rails are fixed to! I had a moment of puzzlement about what you meant until I looked at your photo. ;)

I had heard about Piko skates sometimes causing short-circuit problems on some points, but I'd not heard of them causing derailments..... as Mike (BC) mentioned above, I'm going to have to lay an R5 point and some track down and do some careful trials in various directions and speeds. I want to get to the bottom of this, because I need to decide whether or not to use the one R5 point that I have when I actually get my track laid (yes Mike, I know.... ;) ) or if to redesign slightly and stick to R3. The Kamel is a very nice loco and I wouldn't want to have a line it won't run on!

Jon.
 
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