High-speed passenger train 600051 derails

[bmassaer]

Hello there,

Today we got our high-speed passenger train 600051, so we (my daughters and myself) are very excited. We created a track design shown in the photo in attach, it's a combination of old an new rails. The inner circle consists of only new rails. But even in the inner circle, on highest speed, the train derails. I just can't figure out why. Any ideas?

Thank you! 

 

 

Edited January 6, 2018 by bmassaer

[coaster]

The speed is your problem.  The train motors are capable of pulling much heavier loads, and so under light load go too fast for the LEGO curves.  Your options are to slow down or get some 3rd party wider curves.

[deraven]

Hi bmassaer.  I'm assuming it derails on the curves, not randomly hopping the track on the straights?  If that is the case, that is just physics.   Like a real train, just because it has a certain top speed doesn't mean it can take any curve at that speed; the standard Lego curves on a flat surface are too tight for it to stay on the track at top speed.

If you want it to be able to run continuously at full speed (without you conducting it and reducing speed going into the curves), you'll need to either do some modification on the train to have it lean into curves (challenging, but a fun building project), or change the track layout by having fewer easier/wider turns (intersperse 1 curve with a couple of straights in between each curve), but even then it may still jump, or bank the track itself, or both.

Other options are to get some 3rd party Lego-compatible track that has wider diameter curves, or add more cars to your train so it'll be a little slower with the heavier load.

[bmassaer]

Okay... so if it's just the engine being "too powerful", I can live with it ;-)

[Giantorange]

Going around the corners too fast aside, I have found that if you are joining old 12V track to 9v/pf, it helps if you have a totally straight section on either side of the join.  That way there is less side loading on the bogies, and less chance of it skipping on the small gap at the track join.

[LEGO Train 12 Volts]

2 hours ago, bmassaer said:

Okay... so if it's just the engine being "too powerful", I can live with it ;-)

LOL!

You can make a layout with less tight corners 

[pinioncorp]

The trains are designed to derail around corners when going too fast. Kids like it. The track type really wouldn't affect the outcome.

[bmassaer]

Yes indeed, the kids like it! ;-)

[Tcm0]

I think that the train won't derail if it's all 3 waggons together.

[Paulbricks]

It happens both on Lego and full-size trains. Many lives have been lost by trains going too fast round a corner. In reality all trains will fly off the tracks if going too fast. Usually the track buckles before the excessive speed derails it.

Recently, in the UK, a tram left the track, killing people. it was doing 45 mph, where the bend should've been 12 mph.

[dr_spock]

You can experiment to determine the safe speed through your curves by increasing speed at each iteration and taking note of the speed.  Then post speed limit for your train engineer to follow.

Cats don't seem as excited in train crashes as kids.

 

[tehkei]

16 hours ago, dr_spock said:

You can experiment to determine the safe speed through your curves by increasing speed at each iteration and taking note of the speed.  Then post speed limit for your train engineer to follow.

Cats don't seem as excited in train crashes as kids.

 

What IR LED do you use for those? been thinking about picking up an Arduino for automating some trains.

[JopieK]

You can use standard IR LED's of around 940 NM. 

https://www.hackster.io/philipp-henkel/lego-power-functions-ir-sender-for-micro-bit-aecc10 
http://www.internetoflego.com/lego-train-automation-ir-power-functions-with-nodejs-and-lirc/