I have a layout which is pretty dense in terms of track and has 5 pairs of switches and a 90-degree crossover. I also had to cut a number of pieces to accomodate sidings and crossovers on a 6’ x’ 10’ board.
I find that the several locomotives I used to test the layout either stop, slow down or speed up at several locations. I assume this is due to either dirty track or poor connections. I have cleaned the track, scrubbing with a Scotch Brite pad followed by cleaning with Brakleen.
My multimeter shows voltage drops along the track as a way to monitor problems and I am planning to use voltage drops to see if anything I do (clean again, tighten pins etc.) can even out the voltage throughout the layout.
If anyone has any thoughts/experience with this, please let me know.
In addition to srguy’s suggestion, if you are using “used track” you might want to check the pins that are corroded or “gunked.” although they have a tight fit, in the case a new lockon fails to address this. Another drain are accessories that run off track power either by isolated sections. Another possibility is the engine’s motor which may need lubrication and \or cleaning. I have run into this with Marx Engines that appeared to be inconsistent runners. Of course older equipment is more likely to have this issue.
Something I have done before is to make little wire jumpers and solder them across the pin joint between every single section of track on the layout .This is a long hard way to go to solve the problem. You may or may not want to do that but it does work. The train slowing down in voltage drop areas really bothered me so I just grabed the soldering iron and the solder pulled a marathon one night.
If I had to resort to lockons every three feet, I’d much rather use the suggestion of soldering the track sections. I do that with long runs, and I don’t need a lot of drops.
What kind of track are you using? Something a little more basic if you are using tubular track…the female side receptacles on used track may need a slight pinching with needle nose pliers to snug up the connection with the entering male track pins of the adjoining piece of track.
Another thing I just noticed when reading gunrunnerjohn’s posting…when I went back to the original post, it did not mention whether the track was secured to a surface or free floating. Of course, huge reliability factor. I tried the tightening of pins trick and lo and behold a heavy engine will pull them apart with their driving wheels at times, when starting up unless the track is secured. I assumed the track mentioned was secured…maybe not…
From the description given originally led me to believe tubular is being used. Servoguy recommends bending slightly the pins, one to the left, one to the right, to make better connections, both electrical and mechanical. I’ve tried this and it works very well.
Make sure to get the right kind. There is one design for O gauge and a different design for 027. The 027 type is an old Ives design, if I am remembering right.
balidas, I am trying to figure out why anyone is even considering using Lionel’s recommended method of keeping the track sections together. I used it for many years (since 1950) and it never did work very well. Then I got the inspiration to bend the ends of the rails where the pins are installed, and the problem was solved. I did a huge carpet layout that way recently with very good results, and I was using some new and some very old track. The pins and the holes in the end of the rails have to be clean, but that is true in any case. McMaster Carr sells small wire brushes for cleaning out the ends of the rails.
BTW, if you use this technique, you only have to bend the rails one time. You can assemble the track and disassemble it as often as you wish without bending the rails again.
