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N-Scale DoodleBug With Lights But No Drive Power
Paul writes:
“I picked up a supposedly never used N-scale DoodleBug the DCC version. After just a short time on the track, it abruptly stopped. The lights are working but there is no drive power. I am unsure what to check for. Any suggestions would be great thanks.”
Please add any suggestions below if you can assist Paul.
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Remove shell and with a ohm meter check continuity between drivers and motor. I’d also do a direct power check to motor. Also a drop or two of Labelle 106 to the gears and motor shaft.
Hi Paul,
If it hasn’t been run for some time you might need to remove all the old lubricant as it could be binding the gears and relubricate with new oil etc but use sparingly
It sounds like the motor might have an open circuit, the brushes may not be contacting the armature. Remove the shell, and try to spin the motor when the vehicle is on the track under power, and the lights are on. If that don’t start the motor, you will need to check to see if the motor is getting voltage from the decoder. If you’re getting any voltage from the decoder to the motor, you might try doing a decoder reset. If it has a dual mode decoder (DCC & DC), try running it on DC to see if it will run. If it does run on DC, then look into the address that you are using to be sure it’s the correct address.