Has anyone had a problem with and electrical short from what appeasr to be across the frame? My loco was running perfectly and just stoppped and now has adead short in the loco frame. Where do you look to fix the problem??
Well there are lots of general toubleshooting steps you can take first:
- Visual inpection for anything blatent that could such a short.
- Use a multimeter and break the circuit here and there and track down any shorts.
Hopefully the DCC decoder or motor didn’t go bad…
I had to return my Niagara because of a faulty decoder. It was away 6 weeks, but came back in perfect running order.
The interesting part of it all, to you, was that I had had a short before the decoder problem manifested itself. One day, the loco just stopped and the controller beeped indicating a short. It took a lot of observation, and we’ll say three or four expletives, sometimes repetedly hissed under my breath, before I learned that the problem comes from the trailing truck of the locomotive. The main rivet that allows the truck to pivot and stretch the spring was too loose, and it allowed the truck to make contact with the spring arm, generating a short. I still don’t really understand this, but I removed the truck, supported the main rivet on something very sold, and gave it a sharp rap on its bottom end with a drift pin and a hammer. One or two sharp taps, and the truck pivot tightened up markedly. I placed it back on the loco, and the short had disappeared.
It returned later that day, so I sent it in, but I had isolated this new short to the tender by removing the loco and seeing if the controller would stay set. It was fine with the loco (I was pleased to see), but as I allowed each tender axle to come in contact with the rail, one at a time, it was the second last axle that tripped the DB 150. That told me there were internal problems beyond my abilities. When I related my detective work to them, BLI agreed that it seemed prudent to only return the tender, and the rest you know.
Look at the rear truck. I have one that something is just a bit to sloppy back there. The axle bumps funny and shorts the whole thing. I can easily imagine that when it bumps like that it could also get stuck. I have NOT taken the time to figure out why or how it happens. Just an off the cuff suggestion as the shorts I have had clear fairly easily.
Hi guys,
Thanks for the responses. The short does appear to be in the loco. If I put the tender on the track on its own and apply power the sound system works fine. As soon as I put the loco on it shorts out.
I have lifted the leading and trailing trucks off the track but the problem remains.
I have used a mulitmeter and have resistance across the all wheels and the frame. I did think about disconnecting the power wire to the motor and then applying power direct to the motor contacts to see if the motor still runs.
I should add that the loco has probably only had a total of less than two hours running.
I am in Australia so returning it to BLI is both time consuming and expensive in postage costs so any help with diagnosis is appreciated.
Cheers
Philip
This doesn’t sound very encouraging. Unless the trucks can still cause a short when lifted because of their construction, that leaves the interior wiring suspect, or perhaps some debris near wipers that is somehow bridging polarities. I have removed the boiler on my J1d Hudson, and it was not very difficult. Just have to take care with the hard-mounted LED for the headlight, so rotate the shell away from the frame, slightly, at the rear first and then slide the shell away from the LED by moving it toward the front. A jeweler’s loop or Opti-Visor and some good light may reveal what is amiss.
Sending it away is a pain, no matter where one is, Philip. But, the good news is that, once you have their permission to return it, you will get it back, or a replacement, and it will work. My longest wait so far has been 6 weeks, and it was for the 4-8-4 NYC Niagara.
Thanks Selector,
The boiler is already off the frame and I have remover the coverplate from the underside of the frame. From this visual inspection there is no obvious debris across the contacts or wheels. I am a little suspicious of the wiring as it appear to be held between the frame halves- is this correct? I also havent worked out how the frame comes apart yet- any ideas?
Cheers
Philip
Phillip, I’m sorry I can’t help you with the problem but I can tell you that BLI currently has about an 8 week + backlog in their repair dept. I have two locomotives there now.
JaRRell
Sorry, I have only ever removed the boiler. I am sure the wiring is where it should be, but it is possible that the insulation somewhere along the way has been compromised so that wire is making contact with the frame. Tons of light and a good magnifier may reveal something to you, including all the way to the harness plug below the cab.
I wish I could help you more, but … It sucks having to send a loco away, but I have done it twice now, and not been unhappy with the eventual return.
To all those that responded- it is now fixed and running perfectly. The problem is I am not sure what fixed it. I gave it to my Dad to look at in case I had missed something- he confirmed all the same symptoms and reset the options and hey presto it worked!! Just shows that sometimes we look for the most complicated causes and the “old guys” look at the basics and solve the problem. At 80 my Dad is still smarter than me!!!
Well, let me raise an Adelaide Lager to your Dad. He’s 80, and he handles DCC-equipped engines pretty well? My BLI 4-6-4 showed up just today, so let’s hope that all of these fine engines keep running for a long time with no problems. Good to hear that all is well.