Comments on: How to Stop Trains Stalling on DCC Layout

By: dan koenigshofer

dan koenigshofer — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 15:51:43 +0000

This is a recurring problem. Are you saying that the rails need to be isolated between every set of power feeds? I’ve haven’t heard that. I’m using NCE, 20 diesels, HO, 200 cars, 75 turnouts – but still have stalling on some turnouts, especially engines with sound and/or 6 axle on turnouts.

By: jon

jon — Tue, 03 Dec 2019 07:36:19 +0000

In reply to John. Hi John do you install capacitors in n scale locos?

By: Gerald

Gerald — Wed, 21 Aug 2019 00:52:20 +0000

In reply to Andy.

Will a supercapacitor in an engine allow the engine to continue running through a short circuit – (not merely a section of dirty track) such as caused by wheels causing a short at a frog – that momentarily shuts the whole layout down? I’ve noticed on our club layout, such situation causes the short circuit light to come on, but then the system resets itself after a few seconds – I guess because the train momentum caused the offending wheels to pass the point of the short. If that’s the case, it seems a supercapacitor would help.

But even in a large AC6000CW diesel (in my case a Broadway Limited Paragon 3), I doubt I could find a space for a supercapacitor.

By: david.broad

david.broad — Thu, 17 Nov 2016 12:03:50 +0000

You could have one of many problems. If you converted from DC ypu probably don’t have separate feeds to every track section. A bus bar connecting every piece of rail to every other of the same polarity within the power district would help or iof this is too much a dedicated feed to where the trains stall. Rail joiners were not designed for the 4 amps and 20 volts of DCC.

Back to back faults on trains or track loose or tight to gauge, flexi often goes tight to gauge when curved can add resistance, maybe it is one particular car binding.

I run outdoors, even when it is raining and in my experience the locos with multiple poickups are the worst offenders at stalling, the best are heavy old die casts with only the outer 4 driving wheels touching the track. Their weight seems to bite through the water and dirt. Weight for weight they don’t pull as well as the newer locos with all wheels on the track but they keep going.

By: Bruce Webb

Bruce Webb — Wed, 16 Nov 2016 17:23:20 +0000

In reply to Ian. stuff called goo-gone autozone and other stores sell it

By: David Harmor

David Harmor — Wed, 16 Nov 2016 17:01:28 +0000

I viewed a product called KA2 module from TCS on youtube once that a guy had installed into his locomotive (0-4-0) and it allowed him to run over dirty or faulty track. It stored electricity so when he ran over a section of track that would normally stall a engine , it didn’t. It kept his engine running for 30 seconds or so after he shut down the power to the track. the name of this guys video is ” mantua 0-4-0 with a little something extra! The poster is kbkchooch.

By: donj

donj — Wed, 16 Nov 2016 15:06:41 +0000

Ian Besides running the Buss Wires under the table, . try cleaning your diesel locomotive wheels and tender wheels ( if a steam engine). Also clean your track with a Bright Boy cleaner. often.. Replace dirty plastic wheels on your freight cars with metal wheels. Metal wheels do not carry dirt like plastic wheels do.

By: donj

donj — Wed, 16 Nov 2016 15:01:09 +0000

Ian Do you have buss wires under the layout tab le. You need two wires – one for each rail. then you need small gauge wires coming from the rails to the buss wires. The spacing is every three to six feet of length of rails. Hopefully this will solve your problem. I look forward to “hearing ” from you.
Don

By: David

David — Wed, 16 Nov 2016 12:40:11 +0000

One other possibility when the stall is at a point is that the wheels of the loco are dropping into the gap before the frog. That raises the diagonally corresponding corner of the loco. If your loco is an 0-6-0 a little dirt between the wheel and the pickup can give an intermittent stall which is very puzzling to diagnose. Run the locos as slowly as you can and note if the wheels drop and then rise again as they get to the frog. Wheel standards have become finer over the years, but points are still made so that older stock can run. If all your stock is modern, a very thin piece of plastic between the wing rails and the frog can keep the wheels running smoothly through the point.

By: Fred Brooks

Fred Brooks — Wed, 16 Nov 2016 12:03:02 +0000

There are some great on line tips for cleaning power trucks. They are Atlas related but the cleaning principles are the same. Most moderlers will clean wheels and track but over look the side pick ups, gearing, wheel gauge, and housings. All of these problems can contribute to stall problems.

By: jezza

jezza — Wed, 16 Nov 2016 10:36:54 +0000

Run a soft graphite pencil around the track. Solves heaps of problems.

By: Martin Hollebone

Martin Hollebone — Wed, 16 Nov 2016 10:21:14 +0000

I understand you have changed from DC to DCC. I note you have fitted contact clips to points to ensure contact from loco to track over point is ensured. I believe your problem may be wheel flanges shorting at the point ‘frog’ area. If some of your locos are older they will have thicker flanges which increases the opportunity of shorting.

If this is your problem your best move is to change your points to ‘live’ frog not forgetting to fit two insulated fishplates to the ends of the frog outlet rails. If you are using Hornby ‘setrack’ the frog clearances are wider so you may get away with standard setrack points.

As other have said it is very important to keep both loco wheels and track very clean. I will add that you may benefit from linking rails of same polarity via ‘dropper’ wires passing below the baseboard level to either a common feed around the layout or returning back up through the baseboard to the next rail making sure you keep the polarity correct at all connections.

To recap; check for both ‘open circuit’ and ‘shorting’ all over the layout having a closer look at the point areas.

Hope this helps you