Ok, so on my layout, only my Walthers C-Liner pauses momentarily on the turnout just past the points of the turnout. All my other locomotives I’ve run (all of which are atlases) run absolutely fine through the whole main. The C-Liner runs perfectly fine on the rest of the main as well. I’m stumped. I know the track is clean because I’ve looked at it, and also, all my other locomotives run fine. The locomotive jsut slows down drastically, then speeds right back up. I love watching the C-Liner run, so I’d really appreciate any help ya’ll can give me. Please, if you need to know anything else, just ask. Thank you!!!
I assume this is a P1K C-Liner? This sounds like on of the trucks is not feeding juice to the motor. I suspect either a loose wire, or the wheel wipers have ‘gunk’ on them.
Jim
Yes sir, though in N scale, they call it “Proto N”. I’ll check the power pick-ups etc. and see if that helps. thanks for the tip!
Have you cleaned the wheels of the C-Liner? If you have and it still has problems try taking it and the turnout (plus enough extra flex track to go on all 3 ends of the turnout) to your local hobby shop. I also have a thought. Are all your other engines, except the C-Liner, long enough to never be isolated on the turn out (meaning: does the first set of wheels leave the turnout before the back set of wheels gets on the turnout)?? If so then your turnout is not wired properly. Because when your C-Liner’s back wheels leave the non turnout track the loco looses power but still has enough momentum to get the front wheels on the non turnout track in front of it.
I’m not familiar at all with the way the N scale P1K is built, but on the HO scale DL 109 the wires were held onto the trucks with plastic clips that easily slid off. I had to disassemble the trucks and solder the wires to them in order to correct this problem.
Have you tried gauging the wheels of the C liner?
David B
Well, the contacts on the trucks on one side was slipping off of one of the trucks, fixed that, now it only stalls on ONE of the turnouts!!! But that’s the far one, so I’m guessing that there isn’t enough juice getting to it. So now I’m going to solder those joints together, should hopefully solve my problem.
David B, don’t have a gauge
The C-Liner is put together like the Atlas engines.
I’m hoping that soldering the track will fix this.
EDIT: guy on another forum had the same problem, suggested I clean out between the stock rail and point rail, so I’m gonna try that as well.
Thanks for all the responses you guys [:)]
A quick electrical test for this, or any locomotive: take a cheap power pack and connect a pair of leads to the “Track” terminals. Place the locomotive upside down in a cradle, turn the power pack to full throttle, and touch each of the leads to wheels on the opposite sides of the loco. The motor should run. Hold the lead on the left side and touch the lead on the right to each of the wheels on the right in succession. Repeat for the other side. The motor should run with each touch. If not, you’ve found the wheel that’s not picking up juice.
Then you’ll know more specifically where to look.
PS: It probably took you longer to read this than to actually do it.
…and why dont you have a gauge? They are an important tool. And absolutely critical for troublefree running.
The reason I suggested gauging the wheels is becuase if they are tight or wide, it might cause a momentary short or even bind between the frog and the gaurdrails.
Without a gauge, you are relying on someone who is on the other side of the world…
David B