Hello everybody! I have a little problem. Whenever my first year production 2020 runs over my Fastrack operating track section, it somehow finds a dead spot and clicks into neutral. I've tried cleaning everything but it does no good. Does anyone know how to fix this?
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Could it be that it's not actually hitting a dead spot but instead, the center rail, magnet or control rail is too high and it is pushing the hinged pick-up roller upward and it's hitting the metal underside of the loco's frame?
I had something similar happen with one of mine.
Some have dremmel'd down the high magnet and it's plastic enclosure. Some have used electrical tape on the underside of the loco frame to keep metal from touching metal.
Expecting compatibility between a loco made 65 or so years ago and track made last month is something to ponder.
Maybe retire the old boy to a well-deserved spot on the shelf?
My issue occurred with a Legacy S-4 diesel switcher built within the last 2 years.
The fact that it wouldn't be thoroughly tested on all pieces of Fastrack causes me to ponder.
D500,
I am certainly not retiring my original 1900's Lionel 263E Work Train any time soon, it runs on FasTrack smooth as glass, and is one of the main stays of my layout, in fact FasTrack accommodates every different kind 3 rail engine & rolling stock including Lionel Tin Plate originals and MTH Repros. Once he has his track set up properly, none of this should be happening. It sounds like his track needs looked at to makes sure everything is even for the engine to travel over, or he may have a bad piece of FasTrack.
PCRR/Dave
The locomotive is not shorting, it's just a dead spot. I've tried it with other postwar and modern locos and they run fine.
My guess: one of your collectors isn't functioning.
I'd start with cleaning the outside of both rollers.
Then, if you have it, I'd put a drop of Caig Deoxit where it will be drawn into the center of the roller to clean the contact area between the roller and the pin. Then spin the roller with a Dremel wire wheel at low speed to move things along.
Finally, there can be a contact problem between the roller arm and the base of the collector assembly.
I have worked on collector assemblies that had have the rollers removed so the pins could be cleaned. At that point, I usually use new rollers.
If you watch the engine go over the uncoupling track slowly, you can usually figure out which roller is bad. The train will stop when the good roller is on the magnet.
I think that it's already been mentioned that engines with wide rollers can have problems with the control rails on an uncoupling track lifting them off the center rail. I guess the problem could be made worse by a roller with a groove worn into it's center.
CW,
Sounds about right.
PCRR/Dave
My guess: one of your collectors isn't functioning.
I'd start with cleaning the outside of both rollers.
Then, if you have it, I'd put a drop of Caig Deoxit where it will be drawn into the center of the roller to clean the contact area between the roller and the pin. Then spin the roller with a Dremel wire wheel at low speed to move things along.
Finally, there can be a contact problem between the roller arm and the base of the collector assembly.
I have worked on collector assemblies that had have the rollers removed so the pins could be cleaned. At that point, I usually use new rollers.
If you watch the engine go over the uncoupling track slowly, you can usually figure out which roller is bad. The train will stop when the good roller is on the magnet.
I think that it's already been mentioned that engines with wide rollers can have problems with the control rails on an uncoupling track lifting them off the center rail. I guess the problem could be made worse by a roller with a groove worn into it's center.
I have done that and it stalls when the front roller is just in front of the plastic thing. Very weird.
The only issue I had was with FT uncoupling tracks with one MTH Premier engine that would stop due to FT magnet coil were made that they are raised above the center rail. This would jack the wheels off the track when going over it. Grinding it down solved the issue. It only happened with just that one engine.
I do agree what everyone else says. I would use a ohm meter across both roller pickups. You should have a low resistance reading.
The problem is fading in and out. It depends on the side to side position. Very strange.
Well, the dead spot isn't at the ends, it's just after the magnet. I had a continuity problem once on my layout. I simply soldered a wire to bypass the bad contact and it works perfectly!
The ohm meter shoed a three ohm resistance so the rollers are fine but I'll try that.
quote:The problem is fading in and out. It depends on the side to side position. Very strange.
That makes me suspect that the control rails are lifting the roller off the center rail. (Broken record).
Here is an idea for a test (if you can do it with fast track): Next time the engine stalls, press the uncouple button. If the engine moves, or even if it's lights just flicker, then the roller is in contact with one of the control rails.
Notice that the magnet rail has cuts to isolate it from the center rail. This is perhaps an 1" and an 1 1/2" on both sides of the magnet. This is to enable operating the track from track power.
Where is the rear collector(roller) when the front is just past the magnet? It could be that both rollers are on the dead magnet rail.
You may have use a five inch transition track on either side of a tubular O operating track.
quote:The problem is fading in and out. It depends on the side to side position. Very strange.
That makes me suspect that the control rails are lifting the roller off the center rail. (Broken record).
Here is an idea for a test (if you can do it with fast track): Next time the engine stalls, press the uncouple button. If the engine moves, or even if it's lights just flicker, then the roller is in contact with one of the control rails.
That might work. I'll try it!
Notice that the magnet rail has cuts to isolate it from the center rail. This is perhaps an 1" and an 1 1/2" on both sides of the magnet. This is to enable operating the track from track power.
Where is the rear collector(roller) when the front is just past the magnet? It could be that both rollers are on the dead magnet rail.
You may have use a five inch transition track on either side of a tubular O operating track.
The rear roller is just forward of the joint between the operating track and the next piece of track when it happens.
Ok, I found the problem. The rails that supply power to the operating cars are lifting the rollers up. I got it to the position where it was dead on the operating track and pushed the uncouple button. I heard a buzz and the lights flickered.
If both rollers are on the magnet track with the cuts at the same time, there is no power on that piece of center rail.
You proved it by pushing the uncouple button and provided power to the rail. The uncouple control doesn't send full track voltage to the magnet. That's why you only got a buzz and a light flicker.
Due to the spacing distance between the front rollers being less than the isolated magnet section, I am not sure what you can do for the older engine. Some create a tether(hot wire) to the tender with an additional roller on the tender when they encounter this problem.
I think it would be simpler to use the 5" transition pieces and an O tubular activation\uncouple track. A small shim would level the rail head height.
Ok, do you have a dremel or a tool with a fine disk cutting wheel?
You could place a cut closer to the magnet through the center rail that the rollers on the 2020 would span, so that one was always in contact with track hot.
Park the train where it is dead and mark the front and rear roller span.
Then, solder the original cut closed.
if one doesn't do it, then do it on both sides.
The sweet spot is between these two connections in the bottom view on top of the rail.
The rear roller is just forward of the joint between the operating track and the next piece of track when it happens.
Oops! sorry about those last two posts. I didn't read this carefully. It may just be the center rail connector at the end joint. If you take the track out and slightly and carefully bend the center tab towards the outside rail with a male connector on both pieces at the joint, it may correct the problem.
Using a meter would help you find if the power is being lost on the center rail before the cut.
Ok, do you have a dremel or a tool with a fine disk cutting wheel?
You could place a cut closer to the magnet through the center rail that the rollers on the 2020 would span, so that one was always in contact with track hot.
Park the train where it is dead and mark the front and rear roller span.
Then, solder the original cut closed.
if one doesn't do it, then do it on both sides.
The sweet spot is between these two connections in the bottom view on top of the rail.
No, I'm afraid I don't have a dremel. I was thinking about getting a piece of solid copper wire, strip all the insulation off, and solder it over the center magnet.
The rear roller is just forward of the joint between the operating track and the next piece of track when it happens.
Oops! sorry about those last two posts. I didn't read this carefully. It may just be the center rail connector at the end joint. If you take the track out and slightly and carefully bend the center tab towards the outside rail with a male connector on both pieces at the joint, it may correct the problem.
Using a meter would help you find if the power is being lost on the center rail before the cut.
That should work, I gotta try it!
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