So I did some research and have discovered that Peco N Settrack turnouts are all first radius. The QE seems happy with the handful of other single turnouts on the layout but the entrances to this set of sidings have two turn outs joined back to back to get to the innermost. This is creating a longer section of first radius than just one turnout and seems to be a bit much for the old girl. The original plan called for the track to exit a curve then go straight into the first main siding turnout but I changed the plan a couple of weeks ago and now it passes over a secondary turnout that allows a loco to stop and reverse into a stub siding.
She slows noticeably, stalling at low speed and in gently pushing her along without power I can feel resistance as the track seems to squeeze her chassis.
I think I can live with just banning her from the innermost siding. That will give her a turnout's length of straight which will halve the 1st radius length and she seems okay with that but it's not ideal. We live and learn. Next time I'm designing a layout I won't be using Settrack. It shows that just because Settrack is designed for the beginner doesn't make it foolproof. Either that or I'm just a better class of fool
