Hi! My neighbor gave me an older 2-4-0 Lionel steam engine number 8602. It runs very well and pulls six cars very easily along an oval. Maybe you can help me with a problem. If I run the engine on my main line, when it gets to a switch, unlike any of my other engines, it stops and reverses. (O27 - 27" path remote control 6-65121/2).
I called Lionel Tech Support and the fellow couldn’t help. He suggested that the engine was probably too short and was missing a continous contact with the rails.
As always, thanks for your advice.
That could be the problem but first make sure that the pick-ups are clean and both are connected, ditto wheels. A continuity meter is best for this but using transformer power while the engine is upside down attach the commen to an area connect to the wheels/frame and touch the power feed to the pick-ups one at a time to see if the moter gets power.
To confirm spacing measure the distance between pick-ups and the dead space on the switch.
Good luck.
Roger: I’ll try your suggestion. Many thanks.
A temporary solution could be to switch of the e-unit. I have one postwar Alco diesel with similar behaviour. I just placed the lever in the non-reversing mode and it now runs fine over the switches. Obviously this is not a real solution, but it works for the time.
Greetings
Egbert
Egbert: That is an idea. Thank you.