Sharpening Kato Turnout Blades

[Kamome]

Has anyone tried or had success sharpening the point blades on Kato turnouts?

 

The #4 points tend to be more troublesome. Kato turnouts don't have the definite snap you get with Peco points and lack the recess for the blade to move into. I have a few locos and wagons that the wheel flanges seem to get behind the point blade with ease, leading to derailments.

 

If anyone has found a suitable solution, I'd be keen to get some tips?

 

Many thanks in advance.

 

 

[cteno4]

Kamome,

 

That the #4 "tuning"! The way seems to be to actually file a couple of tiny pockets for the blade ends to sit in on each rail,me specially the straight rail where the diverging blade rests and seems to pick the blade the most. I did this on a couple of points in the early days of our club when we used some #4 points and it seemed to work pretty well, but we so just went away from #4s all together.

 

http://www.pbase.com/atsf_arizona/kato_4_turnout_tuning&page=all

 

Http://www.trainweb.org/nrmrc/pubs/AppNote%20Unitrack%20Turnouts.pdf

 

Some also find that the blade at the pivot point can have a bump in it and tuning this can help as well. Ive never tried this but it does not look like it could hurt.

 

http://www.cjcom.net/n-scale/turnoutfix.htm

 

Cheers

 

Jeff

Edited April 6, 2015 by cteno4

[Kamome]

Thanks cteno4

 

This has obviously been well documented. The #6s are certainly more reliable but lack the ability to change power routing and frog power which seems an oversight by Kato.

 

I will try the info with my #4s and the scissor crossing. Hopefully it should lead to less problems in the long run.

 

Any tips on buying an appropriate file for the job?

 

I have some modelling files but they seem to be more geared to plastic filing and I'm unsure they'd work well on metal.

[cteno4]

I used one of my sharp tipped conical bits in my rototool to do the two i did. i found i could easily get in and grind a tiny bit at a time w/o pulling the rail out like john did. any small set of hard metal files should do the trick if you are doing it by hand.

 

jeff

[westfalen]

Some also find that the blade at the pivot point can have a bump in it and tuning this can help as well. Ive never tried this but it does not look like it could hurt.

 

http://www.cjcom.net/n-scale/turnoutfix.htm

 

 

That's where all my derailments on No.4's happen rather than where the point contacts the straight rail but I gently bend the fixed rail with a small pair of pliers instead of the delicate blade pivot point.  Watch a train go over the turnout very slowly and see where the flange actually jumps off, with mine it's always been at the pivot point and none of the No.4's on the club's T-TRAK modules have the notches filed in the straight rail for the points.  We find any derailments that do pick the points are caused by older rolling stock with deep sharp flanges or out of gauge wheelsets.

[velotrain]

If anyone has found a suitable solution, I'd be keen to get some tips?

 

Use Tomix turnouts - I've had no problems with the 140 mm shorties, running various trams.

[Kamome]

Thanks for the help cteno4

 

I was unsure whether a rotary tool would be a bit too aggressive.

 

I may have a go at tuning at the pivot first as this seems to be the biggest issue with most of the locos that jump.

 

I have also discovered that Popondetta Taki tankers are particularly disappointing with Kato points due to their large flanged wheels. I'll replace these with Kato ones. Its a shame as the modelling is pretty good.

 

Thanks for all the additional input westfalen and velotrain.

[cteno4]

Kaomome,

 

sounds smart! it will be interesting to hear your results on tuning the pivots i have not tried that yet. might look at that on our double crossovers on the club layout.

 

when we had issues on the #4s on the old layout i did a lot of slow movement looking and in our situation it was picking the blade, but we had these just after curves (yes not good but no room) so there might have been pressure on the flanges at the blade point. but we moved away from them soon after and just not used them much at all other than in the double crossovers and they actually work pretty well with shinkansens and other passenger trains if you go slow. 

 

i used the cheap little tiny end grinding bits i have as they don't cut fast! easier to just take a bit at a time an does not grab as much with fear of jumping. i had a couple of tiny grinding things i needed to do and had to be really precise and i just put the rototool into the little drill press attachment i have for it (its a proxxon) and just manipulated the stock against the bit and it is a lot easier to go at it a little at a time and have good control as well as get the light set up on it well!

 

cheers

 

jeff

[katoftw]

I only have had 1 model, a D51 loco jump on the #4 points.  And it was on 1 direction with the points in 1 position.  The other position didn't effect it.  Nor did running it in the opposite direction.  The middle flange/pivot point was where the issue was for me.  The leading single axle wheel on the D51 loco would jump.  I did the bent job other mentioned near the pivot point.  It improved it but sometimes would still jump.

 

I resigned myself to not running the D51 in that direction with the points in that position.  Straight was the issue, Turn was not.  Using the point as a spring point didn't effect the running.  I actually sold the D51, and nothing else in my fleet has issues with the #4 points.  Even wobbly wheeled Tomytecs have nil issues.

Edited April 7, 2015 by katoftw

[tossedman]

I stumbled across this this afternoon.

 

 

Cheers eh,

 

Todd

 

[katoftw]

Interesting video.  But the loco does only travel facing a single direction over it.  An unmodified #4 point shouldn't have an issue with locos facing the way they did.  For me the was the leading axle that had an issue going the opposite direction.  Something the video did not have.