First this engine is gorgeous. But I have had several issues.
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Front guide wheels. Derailmaent issuesThis is the only steamer that I have had issues with, and continue to do so. I took the front spring off, and it helped a little, but I am still having issues. Any suggestions would be great.
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Drive wheels (front) are aslo a problem. This will happen on curves and through some switches. Again, this is the only engne I am having problems with. Minimum radius is 30". Most are larger.
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Engien will suddenly accelerate to full speed. Terrifying. I have an NCE system with long busses. So I have “stubbers” installed. Again, this is the only engine I have had problems with.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Jim Lowery
I take it that it’s a DCC engine? Make sure CV29 is set to a value of “34”, NOT “38”. 38 is for dual mode DC/DCC responsiveness where the decoder decides what it’s getting and alters its status accordingly. They can run away in that mode when they get ‘confused’. A setting of 34 restricts the decoder only to DCC packet responses…it won’t run away as if it thinks it’s getting high steady DC voltage. Remember, the track in DCC always gets about 15 volts or so. Engine will run suddenly at tear-iffic speed.
Your truck may be installed backwards…if it has the least bit of assymetry making which axle leads somewhat important. I dunno, but it’s worth a shot. Also, I would put the spring back…nothing much has changed, so…restore it to the way the designers felt it would run best. Then, take a look at your tracks. When a new loco derails where the older ones never did (happens to me all the time, believe me…), it’s the track 90% of the time. Seems counter-intuitive, I know, but when I look for tough-to-find track problems, I usually find them, I fix them, and the loco runs as well as all the others.
Usually it is uneven track. It could be a slight hump at a joint, sometimes only one on of them. It could be a slight dip. It could be uneven rail heights, or super-elevation you thought you have done a super job on, but didn’t…not really. I have each of these issues from time to time. A new steamer, or a Genesis SD-75M will leave the rails, usually a leading axle, usually the outside wheel(s) on that curve, indicating a low rail there.
Same applies to your turnouts. Nothing wrong with it…probably…but it sags in the middle, or is high at the frog, or the points rail gets picked finally by this one new engine. Happened to me.
First, invert the loco, remove the front truck, feel with your finger for any burrs or
I think Crandall is right about the decoder issue, but for the derailing, does it derail backwards as well as forward? I’ve had cases where the weight was too far back, or the tender was coupled too tightly to the loco, causing the front of the loco to pop up like a railroad wheelie! Give that a test.
I will check the CV setting. I didn’t know that, and it is a possibility
I am egotistical about my track I don’t think it is the track, but it could be in the turnouts. Again this is not a new engine, I am just getting around to running it. The rest of my fleet runs just fine on this track. But I will still take a look.
The tender being too close is something I had not thought of. I will try that one.
Thanks Jim Lowery
Jim,
BLI steamers are not without some performance problems. It takes some TLC to get them working properly. As a last resort, you can send a faulty loco back to BLI for service and/or repair.
The sudden acceleration definitely sounds like a decoder problem. Follow Selector’s advice there.
As to the derailments, I have several questions.
You say that the loco is not a new engine. Did you buy it used?
You say that you don’t think it is the track, but it could be the turnouts. Where does the loco derail? Same spot(s) every time?
You are having problems with both the pilot truck and the driver wheels. Which problem occurs and where? Is the pilot truck derailing at different spots than the driver wheels?
Pilot truck problems are common with BLI locos, but problems with driver wheels, not so much. Describe the driver wheel problem in a little more detail.
The 4-8-4 is a reliable loco and should perform well on 30" radius curves.
Tell us more.
Rich
Jim, I received a GS-4 that was derailing at any excuse. When I gauged the drivers, I discovered that the rear driver set had one wheel on crooked. So in about 30-40 degrees of rotation, the driver set rose out of the track. Instead of waiting many weeks for a repair, I explained the problem and got a new driver set sent to me. I suggest you very carefully check the gauge of each driver set throughout it’s FULL rotation.
Re the pilot wheels - if they gauge Ok and are on correctly, removing the spring might help only if you add weight on the pilot frame. This cured several of my steamers from jumping frogs.
Hal
Hello guys…
Sorry I didn’t get back sooner I had a tredmill test. I will go out tonight or tomorrow and look at the performance in better detail, and I will report.
It is a new engine, but i have afeeling it may have been a first run. I did buy it brand new.
JIm.
Well I hate/embarrasses to admit it. but you were right. I went to the places in a slow manor and found one of my turnout was out of gauge. I fixed the problem and the engine went through smoothly. I also found another section where the track (lift out) is out of gauge. I will fix that. Interesting that my other rolling stock and engines did not have any trouble there. Maybe they are more forgiving.
As a result of this, I am going to go over every turnout I have constructed just in case. Even though many were built with jigs (others not) I am going to make sure everything is OK.
Thank you for the Ideas. My ego got in the way of the obvious. Like you said it is a learning opportunity.
Also, I forgot that I did a factory reset on this engine. It could be (like others have said) that a CV setting might be (DC/DCC mode) could be the culprit. I will get out my JMRI a reset the DCC only.
Thank you for all of your accurate suggestions.
Jim Lowery
Jim, congrats.
In the end, what matters is that it got fixed.
Rich