I forgot I was trying to do this

[Rod.H]

So I checked the pot of 4BO paint I have, it was still liquid after 6-7 years. Gave it a quick shake and brushed it on in oneish thick coat.
 

 

 

When I source a pot of grey paint, I'll remove the track. May end up rethinking the uncoupler magnet track locations, yet again. Along with that trailing point(? - it's on the main and only accessible from there by passing it and reversing, I think that's trailing) for I think it's not sharp enough. That and I know that siding isn't straight for directly after the point is a 1%(?) curve piece then a straight.

[Rod.H]

I sourced some grey paint, removed the track, painted it grey, hated the paint, located another grey paint used that instead after masking and refitted the track

 

and here's a part list
 

S246 x3

S246F

S60 x2

S123RE rerailer/crossing

S123SGL signal

EP-550L left-hand point/switch

R550-3.5 (used at the point, needed to clear the roadbed)

S61L  (matches in with the R550-3.5 on the other leg of the point)

5-101 x4 buffer

S149

S123U x4 Kadee uncoupler magnets 

S123

S227

S94

R490-22.5

HP-490R right-hand point/switch with motor

HP-490L left-hand point/switch with motor

 

I'm contemplating another HP-490L as I'm not a fan of the wiggle forced on you when diverging by the EP-550 series points, they(HP-490) certainly do a better job of doing point ladders.

[Rod.H]

I sourced a HP-490L(2-840) and replaced the EP-550L left-hand point/switch

As the diverging angle of the siding is different, the hole that was being used for the siding power feed is in the wrong spot. As that point is power feeding I don't need it, so I just fitted a standard S246 straight replacing the power feed straight that was there. While I had the electricity continuity tester out, I checked the other module and realised that those points were set to power routing. Changing the setting in those to non-pr resolved that. As a sanity check, I joined together the powered #4s in the same design and continuity checked it, they're all permanently set to power route only.

 

Now for dealing with the exposed wires on the surface I bought a piece of brass stock.

It will work I just need another piece and a way to cut it as I've done something sensible with my microsaw put it away and now can't find it.

[Rod.H]

Got a new saw

 

And chopped some brass and stuck it down with carpet tape. I also applied some carpet tape to the underside of the first point on the other module as all of that track was being held down by the screwed down buffer tracks.

 

Did some manual testing, with the powered #4 I was getting the near constant derail of anything coming from that siding. With the manual #4 there's no longer a  constant derail. I'm thinking it was caused by the R550-3.5 creating an s-curve.

 

Or the other possibility is this rail head step. I might've warped something when I screwed that bit of track down. It's not noticeable when pushing & pulling cars around by hand, but it is enough to stop a gravity-induced roll.

Edited July 2, 2023 by Rod.H

[dotzen]

I'd put my money on the step being the main cause. S bends will cause derailments, but usually only for long cars and even then it's less common than the US forums would have you believe. I've run Pullman coaches over Fleischmann piccolo track with S bends on the points similar to your setup and never had a problem even after hours of running. But if you stick a bump in the middle of the curve...

Have you got different code rails or is the RH track not sitting correctly?

[Rod.H]

I think I had a combo of both, for what was derailing in my previous test were my 71-foot long 6-wheel (per bogie) passenger carriages but they were derailing in the point not on the straight after the point. It's also probably not seated right. I do have an unscrewed-down piece that I'll swap with and see if that removes the step.

 

edit: Okay, the rail step was due to mis-installation, unscrewing it completely and refitting it removed the rail step, not fully as running a finger along the rail still indicates that a step is there. It's now into microns, not the visible millimeter it was, and had been for a while going by the wear pattern.

Still, the length of the rolling stock that derailed did indicate to me that there was an issue there, it was just not the one I was looking at. 

Edited July 3, 2023 by Rod.H