7939 red container cars pulled off track

[LegoSjaak]

Hi there,

Recently i ran one long train with almost all engines and cars i have. There occured a problem though. During a run, a few of my 6 red container cars (from set 7939) were pulled off the track in a curve... What i did today was that i took away the yellow 1x2 grilles from the containercarrier, so the container is better attached to the carrying car. I also added a little plastic bag with about 130 grammes of sand into each container, so it might be to heavy to be pulled of the track. Are there other ways to solve this little problem, i mean other then i did?? Any-one else bumped into this before??

check a video of my long cargo train with 6 motorized engines!

Greetz, LegoSjaak

[locoworks]

nothing you can do really, old horby stuff did the same. the issue is that the resistance/drag of the axles and wheels puts a larger strain on the train the longer the train is. as the curves are very tight in railway terms the physics dictates it is easier to lift the wagons off the rails towards the inside of the curve than actually pull the train round them. adding weight as you did sorts this. putting the heavier wagons at the front with the easier to pull lighter wagons at the rear may help if the weight issue and excess strain is marginal.

[Brik-el]

Man that is one kick butt layout you got goin on there!

Edited August 17, 2011 by Brik-el

[brenden perkins]

How exactly is your train set up? If you have the intermodal cars behind your locomotive(s) and more, potentially heavier cars behind your intermodals.. the train could be straightlining in the curves.

[hoeij]

Hi there,

Recently i ran one long train with almost all engines and cars i have. There occured a problem though. During a run, a few of my 6 red container cars (from set 7939) were pulled off the track in a curve... What i did today was that i took away the yellow 1x2 grilles from the containercarrier, so the container is better attached to the carrying car. I also added a little plastic bag with about 130 grammes of sand into each container, so it might be to heavy to be pulled of the track. Are there other ways to solve this little problem, i mean other then i did?? Any-one else bumped into this before??

One thing you can do is to put the heavier cars in the front and the lighter cars in the back of the train. Also make sure that the track is properly tied down so that it can't slide when the train comes through.

[22kane]

It appears that you're running powered engines in the middle of the train right after the container cars. There is your problem. The front engines are picking up speed on the straight as the Maersk engines slow into the curve. This causes any slack to be pulled tight thus pulling the cars from the rails. All of your loco's should be at the front. The PF system along with different loco gearing makes it almost impossible to keep the engines at a constant speed especially on curves. You could run one engine at the end as a pusher but would have to continuously adjust the speed through the curves.

[LegoSjaak]

It appears that you're running powered engines in the middle of the train right after the container cars. There is your problem. The front engines are picking up speed on the straight as the Maersk engines slow into the curve. This causes any slack to be pulled tight thus pulling the cars from the rails. All of your loco's should be at the front. The PF system along with different loco gearing makes it almost impossible to keep the engines at a constant speed especially on curves. You could run one engine at the end as a pusher but would have to continuously adjust the speed through the curves.

Thanks for your Reply. The video you swas was made after i had the problem. I know that all engines schould be in the front, but as i did not strengthen the couplers with a 1x2 plate in this video, i had to put the 2 maersk-engines in the middle. By adding weight, the problem did not occur yet... Maybe i will make the Octan-cars heavier as well... But if i make all cars heavier.. the engines may not be able to pull the whole train any longer... For about 15 cars there is 2000 grammes éxtra to be pulled... For now it worked....

Greetz, LegoSjaak

How exactly is your train set up? If you have the intermodal cars behind your locomotive(s) and more, potentially heavier cars behind your intermodals.. the train could be straightlining in the curves.

The set up when the problem occured was: 5 engines, and then 6 7939 containercars, 4 Maersk cars and 3 Octan 7939 cars. The couplers were strengthened and after a few rounds the red containercars were pulled off.... Widening the curves is no option, due to my City layout....

I think that by adding weight (less then 130 grammes would maybe help as well...??) the problem is solved already!

Greetz, LegoSjaak

Man that is one kick butt layout you got goin on there!

Thanks, Brik-el, i'm very happy with my City and trains!!

Greetz, LegoSjaak