srmi
New Member
Posts: 5
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Post by srmi on Dec 14, 2021 23:01:49 GMT -5
My situation:
A simple Rokuhan track circle, free-floating on a flat and sturdy table (test circuit). All tracks are well connected. SW1500 hangs at two points. There are no problems with any other engine.
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Post by bloodynose on Dec 15, 2021 0:21:18 GMT -5
My situation: A simple Rokuhan track circle, free-floating on a flat and sturdy table (test circuit). All tracks are well connected. SW1500 hangs at two points. There are no problems with any other engine. I personally have not had good luck with free-floating Rokuhan track especially in a simple circle or oval. For some reason this track seems to not perfectly connect and will be tight on the inside rail and loose on the outside actually causing the inside to slightly lift up from the surface it's on. I have for some time now used a figure 8 of Rokuhan 220 radius with a 90° crossing as a test/break in track. I had issues with it when I first used it free-floating but after I fastened it down to a slab of 1" rigid construction foam with double sided scotch adhesive tape no more problems, not even with the SP SW1500s that I recently ran on it! In my personal preference I will not use less than the 220 radius curves, just doesn't look right, especially with longer locomotives, passenger, and freight cars.
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Post by husafreak on Dec 15, 2021 22:20:05 GMT -5
I have also noticed this tendency for the track to lift on the inside rail of a curve. I have gone back and forth with more or less screws and whether to let the track float or to pin it down. In several spots I have put the screws (flat head wood screws from Z Scale Hobo) on the outside of the track to try and hold that inner edge down. Right now I'm only having issues with a couple loco's at one turnout where the moving piece sits higher than the other track. I hate when the trains hit that "step" and jump or stop. I don't have a SW1500 though.
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Post by dazed on Jun 15, 2022 21:58:10 GMT -5
I'm experiencing this same issue. Just bought a batch of Rokuhan track and a BN SW1500. It bumps along on the curves. (270mm not-super-elevated) It's enough that at slow speed the fuel tank will catch at the joints and the wheels just spin. Brand new track, carefully inspected the joints to make sure the joiners are correctly seated, and the track is sitting on a dead-level flat dining room table. It goes over the tangents (which also have some bow to them) and a double-crossover (of all things) with zero problems...it's only the curves that are problematic.
BTW, I'm not complaining about this at all, just reporting my findings. It would not surprise me if it's the bow in the track that isn't secured that is making the difference.
EDIT: After further testing and tweaking, I was able to flatten out the track enough that the issue almost went away completely.
Got my second SW1500 out and lashed them together. Was able to pull (and push, and start/stop multiple times at just about every speed step) a cut of twenty-three AZL PS2CD's (and a few ACF's mixed in). Yes it was on dead-level track, but still 23 cars is pretty impressive.
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Post by BAZman on Jun 16, 2022 0:21:36 GMT -5
good to hear. Others have reported issues, but mostly other locomotives. Each loco model design do vary the gap between the track and fuel tanks or trucks). Most all are no problem.
I always ask about the track being FLAT. It may LOOK flat but with a straight-edge and back lighting, its NOT flat. Both Rokuhan and MTL track are not flat. Its just a fact of injection mold cooling stress.
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zosorailways
Engineer
I mean base board appearance detailing and such
Posts: 218
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Post by zosorailways on Jan 17, 2023 15:46:05 GMT -5
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Post by Kez on Jan 17, 2023 21:21:46 GMT -5
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Post by husafreak on Jan 18, 2023 13:51:36 GMT -5
Thanks for the link Kez, these threads are about the same thing. One caution is when removing the fuel tanks to sand them, which might not even be necessary, be careful to pry them only sideways to avoid breaking the tiny pins.
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Post by dazed on Jan 18, 2023 14:22:39 GMT -5
As new to z scale this is very dreadful to hear/read If you'll read through this thread (and the other) you'll understand that it isn't dreadful at all, really. Much less very dreadful. The SW1500's are amazing little locos. I'm looking forward to having time to install a decoder in mine, but in my testing (DC) they are really unbelievably nice runners. But yes--like just about every model locomotive--you have to have properly placed track, especially in Z.
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Post by husafreak on Jan 19, 2023 21:21:51 GMT -5
For sure, super easy to fix the dragging tanks… I do think it deserves one of those 3 minute AZL fix videos they do, just to show how quickly and easily the SW can be modified to work with “less than perfect” track.
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