Kato D51-498 often derails

[alain10025]

Hi,

 

I have a couple of Kato steam locomotives (Hitoyoshi, C62-Tokaido and D51-498). I noticed on the forum that some people seem to have issues with certain models derailing often. From my experience, I mostly have issues with the D51-498 with the last set of wheels (see picture below) that tends to "jump" left or right, particularly on turnouts. 

 

However, I do not see any way to fix this issue since there does not seem to be any screw to shift the position of these wheels or the stiffness of their connection to the locomotive... Did anyone encounter such issue and find a way to fix it ?

 

Thank you !

 

Alain

[Kamome]

I have 5 of the Kato D51s, 2 of D51 498, although neither are the newest release. I’ve never had any issue running any of these locos on either Kato or Tomix track or turnouts thus far. 

 

The rear wheel assembly should pivot freely. It clips and unclips easily onto a pivot bar at the rear of the locomotive. Check that the assembly frame can move freely. If not, are there any plastic manufacturing burrs or something similar that is fouling or a detail that is catching. The drawbar for the tender also connect to this. 

 

Check the wheel axles are housed in the frame correctly. 

 

I would also consider just sitting the locomotive on the track. Does it sit correct and straight or lean to one side? It may not necessarily be the rear wheel that’s the issue but something else not installed correctly that’s throwing it off.

[alain10025]

Thank you for your reply. When I sit the locomotive on the track, everything seems correct. From what I have observed, it seems that the rear wheels are, on my locomotive, very sensitive to any minor "bump" they may encounter along the track, particularly at the connection betweem tracks (where it sometimes happen that you feel one track is slightly higher than the other when passing your finger over the track at the connection), 

 

Though the issue cannot be consistently repeated, such "bump" seem to trigger the derailing, be it on turnouts #4 or #6.