Help with Accucraft British Railway 60103 (no smoke deflectors) Flying Scotsman

[Flying Scotsman]

Hi everyone,

Hoping you can help. We have just tried to run our Flying Scotsman [Accucraft British Railway 60103 (no smoke deflectors)] and it has the following issues:

1. continually derails on easy/ wide curve

2. controller freezes 

3. it causes big electrical short circuits 

 

The track and the control otherwise very easily run a number of other G scale trains. 

 

The train is in mint condition and was in an unopened box for 8 years. 

 

Anyone have any suggestions at all? 

[Rayman4449]

Hi there,

On the derailments, not having run one my guess with that engine is 1) very small/short prototypical flanges on the wheels particularly the drivers and 2) the very large driver diameter makes it more susceptible to climb the rail in curves and derail.  The small flanges as used on Accucraft and USA Trains steam engines looks good but makes them far more easy to derail.  Unless there is something of issue with the suspension or something not quite right it is likely going to be a situation where you are going to have to tweak the layout for the engine.

 

When you say controller freezes, what are you using?  Need more detail.

 

On the shorts I assume this isn't live steam.  If the engine is live steam then I dont know that they have electrical isolation between wheels/axles to prevent shorts.   If the engine is electric run, then you are likely encountering an issue common on these all metal steam engines (Accucraft/USA Trains) where the wheels and drivers are making contact with metal detail (like brake shoes etc) that are causing both sides to contact at the same time and short out.  You are going to have to spend time looking at the drive train and seeing where the wheels make contact with the body and correct it one at a time.

[du-bousquetaire]

Hi I would like to try to help out: First no Accucraft live steamers and very few Asters introduced in the late 80s and early 90 s have insulated wheel sets. It was quite problematic so they stopped doing it. So if the loco is live steam it's an either or proposition.

 

What do you call "easy/wide curves" Most Accucraft are designed to operate over 10' radius curves. Not under. Although a 4-6-2 like Flying scotsman could perhaps negociate a bit less but it would still be around the 7' to 8' radius.

 

Do check the that the suspension is in good condition (IE that there isn't one catch plate on the journal box come unloose, making one driver pop out under.)

 

 Also check the gauge of your track I have seen a Cab Forward by the same maker derail on my 11'radius Tenmille track just because the gauge is too tight. worked fine on my inner track which is homemade although slightly smaller radius.

Small flanges are no obstacle for good tracking as the NMRA comitee proved about thirty years ago; what makes a wheelset  stay on the track is the fillet the flange being just a gard rail often unnecessary on good track, especially as Accucraft engines are quite heavy and this also prevents derailments. I really doubt that this could be the cause. Nearly all my rolling stock has fine flanges and rarely derails. As a matter of fact I intend to run  a finescale loco soon just to see how it does.

 

On very bad track with silly curves, flange may be necessary but it shouldn't be that way for a standard gauge modeler. Most standard gauge locomotives were designed to negociate about 100 meter curves at reduced speeds, (330' radius) which comes out to ten foot radius in gauge one. Because they often found curves that sharp in loco sheds, wyes, junctions and industrial spurs. Don't forget folks in the great outdoor we are free to make some really comfortable curves usually. (And as some funny British author put it: "You don't have to negociate with the domestic authorities to do it"!