Ok the latest electrical problem I need to solve is a curious delema. I have 6 DCC Locos, 3 Steam, 3 Diesel. All run over this spot fine. These include 2 Mikado 2-8-2’s, 2 EMD 1500 switchers and 1 SD7.
The 462 Pacific runs fine around the entire layout but when it hits this specific spot on the mainline (slight curve) it stops short. Sometimes it will start up again and proceed.
Ive cleaned the track, locomotive and tender wheels.
The system is an NCE PH Pro w/radio. The EB1 CB does not trip. The loco is a Paragon 2 pacific.
Gary, if all your other locos “run over this spot fine”, it seems extremely likely that the 4-6-2 loco has a problem. Since even the 4-6-2 runs fine over the rest of the layout except for this one spot, it is probably a driver wheel problem. A wheelset could be out of gauge or, more likely, the curve is somehow adversely affecting wheel contact with the rail.
Is the curve a piece of flex track, sectional track, a turnout?
Run the loco at the slowest speed possible and observe where the stall takes place. See if you can observe any binding or lifting of one of the driver wheelsets.
It doesn’t sound like a short. Does the headlight stay lit? How about the sound?
What do you mean by “it stops short”. Are you referring to an electrical short? Or the point where it stops? Stops short of what?
Since it occurs at just one location and with just one loco it sounds like a combination of a dead spot on the track and all the wheels not picking up current.
I have a BLI Pacific with the same problem. I believe it is supposed to pick up current on both the tender and loco wheels so that if it hits a dead spot, such as an insulated frog it will continue to get current from the other set of wheels. On one side it was not getting current. The way I tested this was to place it on the track and turn on the bell. First I tipped the loco wheels off the track on one side and then the other. The bell continued to ring. Then I tipped the tender wheels on one side and the bell continued to ring. When I tipped the tender wheels on the other side the bell stopped. That told me that on that one side it wasn’t drawing power from the loco wheels. I took it apart and thought I had fixed the problem but it came back. I’m thinking about getting a keep-alive device for this and my two yard switchers which tend to stall out on insulated frog.
I would suggest testing the track with a meter to see if you have a dead spot. It might just be a loose soldering connection at that spot and with a loco that isn’t drawing power from all the wheels it is supposed to, that might prevent it from getting any power when the good wheels are over the dead spot.
I have the exact spot marked from ftont of loco to rear of tender. Unfortunately when I built this layout It was a 9 x 14. I had to create pop-up locations but they are not ideally located. That combined with 64 year old eyes makes it almost impossible to watch it happen. I know where it stops because i shut the system down the last time before it could re-start.
No electrical short. The EB1 stays lit but the loco shuts off. Everything lights, sounds and movement.
Where it stops is on the mainline. No turnout involved but there is a rail jointer just prior. Both sides are fed with feeder wires.
There is a good chance that it is one of the driver wheelsets either out of gauge or binding. It causes the loco to pause at the one spot of track. When this has happened to me, it has almost always been on a turnout. But, in your case, it is on a curve of flex track. Even though all of the other locos manage to pass this spot without a pause, the solution is still to “reset” the track to ease the curve or make the track more stable. Seems weird if it is the loco to reset the track but that is what I do even if only one loco is behaving. Some locos are just more finicky than others.
Well, in my experience, when only one loco has a problem (pause, short, or derailment) at only one spot on the layout, even though the problem is the loco, a track repair will fix the problem. Either the wheelset is out of gauge or, more likely, there is just a tight tolerance issue.
I don’t think a binding siderod would cause all power to the loco to stop. The motor, itself, may jam/stop; but the lights should stay on. IF the loco is picking up.
Before taking things apart, I think I would run the loco onto the “spot” and let the event happen. Then I’d prod here and there to see if it started up. Say, the rear tender truck. Etc. Is there any physical thing you can do that will start it? Then, do the test again and see if it can be fixed with the same particular prod.
If “prodding” can get the engine to start up again, it seriously hints that it’s the engine. Not for sure, yet; but darn close. But one should think long and hard about WHY that particular prod works.
Just for info: How often does it happen? 100% 50%
And, is it a curve? How sharp? Do you have other curves that sharp? In that direction? For that matter, what happens when you run the loco through in the “other” direction?
It comes to mind that there might be a slight “twist” in the track right there. I suggest getting something like a teeny bubble level:
and slide it crosswise along the track. Is the track canted? Does the amount of cant CHANGE as you slide the level.
It’s also slightly possible that you have a cold solder joint on your feeder, and the weight of the loco is causing it to drop out. Stranger things have happened.
Also, especially if it’s a curve, the continuity of pickup might be affected. Say, if there’s a plug connection, the slight twist i
As most everybody knows, I’m not a DCC operator, but if only one loco has a problem, the problem is with the loco.
My guess is that the wires between the tender and locomotive, or, if they’re present, the plugs there, will be the source of the problem. The curve is likely causing the issue, either with the plug(s) not installed tightly or with a wire loose within the plug or broken inside its insulation.
You might want to try running the locomotive with the drawbar disconnected, so that the tender is pulled only by the wires - my guess is that it will stop in other places along the track. You may even be able to induce it to stop anywhere simply by touching the wires as the locomotive runs.
I have no educated opinion on this, but here are free phone apps that are “level” apps. The compass function in my Iphone 6 also seems to serve as a level, though I have no idea why it should
Unfortunately i think Rich is right. I don’t see any bent rods and the loco goes around all the other curves and turnouts on the layout. It dies 100% of the time on that spot.
No matter, Ive already ripped up about 6ft of track [:|]
Can you tell if this happens to be the tightest curve on your layout? If so, a realignment of track may be in order. If you have sharper curves, may have to look elsewhere.
My BLI Pacific does fine on 18" radius sectional track curves.
Is there a slight kink or variance in the flex track as it curves?
Don’t forget LEVEL of the track in the bad spot - is it tilted, one rail higher than the other? Or is it the start or end of a grade? Too sharp a transistion might lift wheels from solid contact with the rail, resulting in a power loss.
I would not rule out a loco issue though - unless BLI has changed things, that loco should pick up on both sides fo both the loco and tender. Even if the drive wheels lose contact with the rails, you have all those tender wheels pickup up. Or vice-versa. If a very small bad spot, so small it does not affect any other locos, stops this one, it can’t POSSIBLY be picking up from all pickup points. For example, if you set the tender on the rails alone, not connected to the loco - it should start the sounds. Chuffs may not increase with the throttle without the sensor link, but you should be able to turn the bell on and off and blow the whistle.