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Locomotive Runs then Stops Dead
Phillip has O scale and wants advice:
“I’m new to model railroading and starting with basics. Fasttrack, CW-80, and a Lionel 8042 were all sold as working properly. Loco and coal car only makes about 5 trips around (40″ x 60″ oval) then stops. When I add a car, it runs a trip then start to slow. Add another car and it hums but won’t budge. I feel like I am not getting enough voltage. How do I test that?”
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16 Responses to Locomotive Runs then Stops Dead
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Sounds very similar to the old Mantua locomotives with bad magnets in the motor. With these most people put a new motor in the locomotive.
you will need a multimeter to test the voltage. But lack of voltage is unlikely unless you have completely the wrong controller. In my experience, controllers either work or they don’t, they don’t sart out fine and then give out after a few minutes. I’m suspecting a problem with the engine. Does the engine run with three cars if you leave it overnight and then start up? (I am wondering if the number of circuits it does is based on how long it has been running and not on how many cars it is pulling.)
To me it sounds like it needs a strip down, good cleaning then lightly oil. You could be getting a flashover on the comutator segments. Ensure that the wheels and pickups are clean as well. To test the voltage you will need a voltmeter. Multi meters can be purchesed quite cheaply these days.
Philip,
From your statement it looks like the motor is maxed out when asked to pull 3 cars. This is not normal. I suspect Art has nailed the problem in that the motor is just about to fail completely. These are usually relatively easy to replace but since you are new to the hobby you may be more comfortable taking it to someone to do this for you. If you can try another loco that you know is good this should confirm your problem isn’t track or power supply related.
This is weird, I’ve not had this experience, iy is hard to describe, harder to understand and really had to diagnose. . Find an experienced buddy – join a club with live people in it. They will be able to help.
The process for trouble shooting should be: 1: Before putting any trains on the track, test your power supply by itself. Check you need a volt meter or tester set on AC voltage. With the control set to minimum, test the voltage across the two powered rails. For O or 027 you should see zero volts when the control is set to the lowest setting. Now turn the control to its highest with no trains on the rails. You will need greater than 18 volts showing on you meter. If you still see no voltage you most likely need to check your wiring. If it is properly connected to the track which is an outer rail connection and the center rail. Then add the engine and tender only, watching the meter, repeat the process until the engine stops running. If you see the voltage drops down as the engine “dies” simply lift the engine off the track. If the voltage jumps back up to full power then the engine has a problem. If it stays low after the is removed but starts to slowly return you have a problem with your power supply.
Sounds to me like it’s working hard, working hard generates heat, heat expands components and a short can occur, I would as suggest leave overnight to cool if it runs again then there is your answer, I find also your nose is a great detector when it trips out lift it of and smell it, heat smells, you could also run with out the shell on see if you can spot anything.
I would try a good cleaning of the motor with an eraser or alcohol and perhaps replace the motor brushes. I would also clean the wheels to get better traction. It appears this is an engine from the 1950s. Make sure the wires are not brittle or not making good electrical connection.
Thank you everyone. I purchased the engine from someone who said it worked fine and had been tested. I am currently planning to test my track voltage because I’ve read that Fastrack can have issues even out of the box if it isn’t tight. If the track voltage is good, I will deal with the engine. I will update afterwards.
An essential tool for the railway modeller is a basic multimeter for checking voltage and continuity.
I also recommend getting a book on the basics of model railroad electrics. This will help with diagnosing faults, and provide a basic understanding of electricity.
One common problem is bad electrical contact somewhere in the circuit.
Here are some basic checks for ensuring good electrical contact, this may help:
1) Clean the rail tops: paper towel is good, wetted with meths or lighter fluid (warning: no smoking !) if there is grease or oil. Personally, I disagree with track rubbers, they just leave bits of grit and rubber on the track, causing further problems. Modern nickel-silver track does not suffer corrosion indoors.
2) Clean the wheel rims: a wire brush is good, a rotary wire brush on a dremel type tool is brilliant. Croc clip leads from controller to the motor to turn the wheels makes this process very easy.
3) Clean the inner faces of wheels (or the axles) and the pickup contacts touching them.
4) Old motors can benefit from cleaning of the brushes and commutator.
5) Some basic controllers are rather feeble in their output, and will repeatedly cut-out if running a loco that takes a high current. To check this, fit a little 12V bulb on your controller output to see if it is still supplying power when the loco unexpectedly stops. Old locos often take more current.
6) Rail joiners are not that brilliant at electrically connecting rails. Have the controller wire connected to the track at several places (depending on layout size). (Observe consistent polarity !)
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Another possibility with second hand locos is mechanical friction. If you have the ability and tools, carefully disassemble the gear trains, clean and lubricate everything and make sure nothing is jamming.
Again I do very much appreciate all of the suggestions and hopefully I can work on this tonight. Thank you all!
I have already verified continuity all the way around with my multimeter so I want to check the track voltage before I deal with the engine. Where on the track do I place the leads to check the voltage?
When I test track voltage, the meter display jumps around from negative values up to 150 with the m displayed, which I know isn’t right. The engine itself will go around the track fine (over 20x before I stopped it), when the tender is added it goes around 2x then stops. I can start it again. It does slow down and speed up on its own (with the tender). I tightened up my center connectors on the track so I think that is fine(?). The red lead from transformer is connected to the center track connector, and black to the outer track connector. Really need to verify the track and transformer is good before I deal with the engine.
Thank you all again.
UPDATE: Disregard my post about the crazy voltage, I had the meter on DC. On AC it has a constant 16.2 all the way around the track.
from this post it sounds like you have verified that the transformer is fine and the connection to the track is fine (and that you worked out where to place the leads on the track to check the voltage). Which leaves the engine as the problem
Have you made sure that the wheels on the tender and cars run freely?
Yes, thanks, they do move freely. Turns out, a poster in another forum suggested I look at the bottom of my transformer, and it happened to be a 30 watt instead of a CW-80. So that won’t work lol. I’ve returned it and will get the proper transformer.
Thanks again for everyone’s input and help.