Again, this is a older problem and I have sower off pulling long trains!
Lots of back ground on this E-Bay problem child. When I first got it, it all ready had a decoder installed and seem to take a lot of power to get it to move. From what I have regathered it is a earlier RTR that is sort of a cross between a Blue Box and current RTR. It still has the pick up towers on the trucks that feed power to the printed circuit board front and rear. But there is a single wire from the chassis to the rear of the board only.
First clue there was a problem is it ate it’s head lights. Light that came in the engine lasted about 6 hours, it had a Digitrax DH 123 decoder. Replaced the head lights, gone again with in 3 minutes. Did this about 3 times, then I pulled the lights from the rear, blow them as well. Remember the front lights lasted for some time, I think the stock front and rear lights would be the same voltage. OK, lets for get the lights for now.
Next it melted the decoder. Some of you folks may have seen this post in the DCC section and all so about 3 weeks ago in my posting about “How many cars should a engine pull with out hurting it self”. This engine never had the power to pull over 10 cars! When it blow the decoder it was being cleaned with goo gone on the cleaning track. I installed the DC chip on the board and it ran, like a pig still. With out a amp meter for the DCC system I had no idea what amps it was pulling.
This next part is the reason I am asking for ideas. I took to my LHS, K-10 Model Trains in Maryville IL. Ken, the owner still has 3 main lines that powered by blocked MRC 9500’s. We ran it on the DC line with the DC chip installed on the board. It was not dragging any cars and pulled .4 amps and still moved like a pig, max speed was maybe 40 sMPH if that! I was exc
Ken,I seen these SD50s at the club and they run like a smooth thoroughbred.
You sir (and I am sorry to say this) bought a piece of junk that was dumped on e-bay.
Don’t feel bad…This is the risk we take buying use locomotives.Been/done
Now,Ken,you know your skills far better then I do…
Here’s what I would do…
I would disassemble the engine remove any DCC…
Then I would reassemble the engine clean and inspect every small piece to insure its a stock part and not more modeler added junk and replace with stock parts if needed…
Half an amp is a lot of power for a modern loco to be pulling. Sounds to me like the motor may be binding or it could be a bad motor. I have several Athearn rtr locos that had bad motors (ran very slow and couldn’t pull much) right out of the box and I had one that had a bad light board that actually caught fire. If you haven’t done so already replace the motor with one you know works and see if that resolves your speed problem. As for the lights, the stock board should be putting out either 3v or 1.5v, can’t remember which, to the lights. If it’s putting out more than that then I’d say that’s a flaky board. I sent you a board and some lights a while back. Have you tried them?
Haven’t seen the RTR electrical setups, only old and Genesis systems. Sounds like dcc is least of your concerns. Just a shot, slipping driveshafts at the motor ?
Your second sentence explains it all – E-Bay problem child.
You bought someone else’s junk that they unloaded on e-Bay because they were having the same problems with it that you are.
The only true solution is to throw it in the trash and never buy from e-Bay again without very carefully reading exactly what the seller describes.
Sometimes there are tell-tale signs of problems in the description, and sometimes the sellers tell outright lies to get rid of something.
Check the seller’s reputation (rating?) before buying anything. If they’re a first-time seller with no rating, leave it alone or call them and ask lots of questions about the condition of the product.
And always remember the e-Bay motto: Caveat Emptor (Buyer Beware!)
Products bought on e-Bay carry no warranty unless purchased brand new from a reputable hobby shop.