I got my first N Scale for Christmas, a Bachmann Empire Builder. It has been a while since I have played with any 2 rail trains. Everything looks goos as far as the connections but the train won’t go. The headlight comes on, the wheels are on the track, etc. What do I need to look at now?
Welcome to the forums.
Sorry to hear you are having a problem. First thing that comes to mind is, are you attached to the right terminals (DC) on your power pack? If it is a DCC set, someone else will have to help you set the settings so that it will operate properly.
If no one comes up with a solution before tomorrow, I’d contact your local hobby shop or the place where is was purchased (on-line, catalog store, whatever). Hopefully they will honor a problem piece, if they can’t find the solution.
Keep trying, it’s a fun hobby. Does have an occasional glitch though, like most things in life.
Good luck,
Can you here the motor running? In my experience they are pretty noicy, so it should be had to miss. I have some Bachmann N scale locos. They worked fine for a while but then they gave up. I sent them in for repairs and they now work fine.
No sound at all coming from the engine. I was thinking about taking it apart enough to look at the motor.
The controller has a single plug for power to the track, king of like headphone jacks and a formed connection to connect on the track so it is right. Thanks!
Bachmann train set engines are notoriously spotty for their quality control. Before you take it apart, consider sending it back to them for repair/replacement. They have a pretty good customer service department, and a limited life time warranty. If you mess with it, you may void the warranty.
If the light is coming on but there’s no motor noise, there might be something binding up the drive, or the motor itself is busted. In either case, the warranty will cover it.
It means a couple of weeks without an engine, but that’s better than money down the tubes.
Lee
It would be best to contract Bachmann first.
If you take it apart it may void the warranty.
What I would do is first, place the loco on the section of track that is connected to the power alone. See if it moves. If it does then you have a connection problem in the rails somewhere. Just take it apart and carefully put them back together until it makes it all the way around. Make sure the track and the wheels and contacts on the loco wheels are clean and shiny.
Second, I would get a multimeter if you have one, and after RE-insuring all connections are correct and good see if you are getting voltage to the track. It could be a bad power pack. Less likely than a bad contact or defect in the loco, but still possible.
Third I would take the loco to a local hobby shop or someone with an N scale train, if possible, and try it there to be sure it is not just something you’ve missed.
Lastly I would contact Bachmann. They are real good about waranty work I am told.
Good luck and welcome to the two rail side of the hobby!
It appears that the poster does have power getting to the Loco as he indicates that the headlight comes on. (See quote above) What we do not know, is if it is enough power to turn the motor. As has been indicated, he should check with a Multi Meter to find out just how much power he is getting to the Loco.
Also, what I did not see indicated is if it is DC or DCC equipped.
Just my [2c], for what it’s worth.
Blue Flamer.
Thanks for all of the replies, I got it working. I removed some of the track to make as small a loop as possible and check power on all rail sections. It was 20 v at max power on everyone so I knew the track was good.
I then started looking at the engine. I only removed the one top screw and cover so that I could see the motor, etc. I put the engine on the tract and read the power which dropped to 14 v all around due to draw from the light, etc. on the engine. I read the connections with the meter on the motor and it too was 14 v so I know I was getting power all the way to the motor. While thinking of what to do next I had the engine sitting on the track at full power and after about a minute it took off and ran.
I think the motor was seized and the power overcame that and unfroze it. All is good now.
The only current set for Empire Builder from Bachmann is 4-8-4 steam.
If this is so than check the linkage and rods and see if they are loose and free. If two lock together the engine won’t move. They may have bent causing them to lock.
Have you tried both FWR and Rev.?
If you don’t get it running and purchesed it locally i would return it and go for an exchange.
If you return it to Bachmann this time of the year you might not see it for several months. This is the business time of the year.
Looking inside will not void the warranty as long as you don’t break or modify anything.
On many for the Bachmann engines they only use copper tabs going to the motor that only press against the frame to make contact for power. Sometimes these don’t make good contact and that could be your only problem.
I don’t have a newer steam engine with wires coming from the tender to the back of the locomotive but if yours does make sure the plug is pressed in all the way.
Bob
I have a Bachmann 4-4-0 CP Jupiter steamer and it took a bit to get going. I thought something was wrong at first too, but eventually it worked. I thought it was junk so I took it apart once to see how it all worked and ended up loosing the power transfer shaft, as I didn’t know it was there and wasn’t so careful taking the mechanism out. After many months I found the shaft (laying in the middle of the living room floor of course), replaced it, and after some warm up on the track it started to work.
The little American steamer had the same problem as you seem to have had. It took a bit of warming up to finally start going, but after it was warmed up and had some break in time it has worked wonderfully. I consider it my “museum piece”. I also noticed (either the first or last time I had it apart) that the gearing mechanism for the wheels seemed to have a bit too much grease packed on them, but that was only in my opinion. If I recall, I did clean off some of the grease, but still left a majority. I know soon after I tinkered a but, it worked fine. It was a bit loud at first, but after some run time it quieted down.
As of right now I am starting to work on a small test layout placed on a 2 x 4 sheet of OSB with a main loop, siding/reverse loop, and a spur track, just enough track to make sure an engine will work in multiple track configurations.