I have a 408E that runs real jerky at low speeds. Once up to a normal running speed, it's real smooth. Any ideas?
thanks
Steve
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did you try lubricating engine and wheels ,does it run normally in conventional .
Alan
Are the rollers clean? How about the track? Some engines are more susceptible to dirty track than others.
Dale
Sounds like your engine needs servicing. That includes cleaning all wheels, center rail rollers and lubricating the center rail rollers and their mountings. You can clean the center rail rollers by using a Dremel tool with non-wire brush, spin it and clean with either steel wool or fine sand paper while it is spinning.
Bruce
I am a real novice to O gauge, but I had a similar problem with one of my 1970s pullmor powered diesels, and thoroughly cleaning and lubing the rollers, and all of the track, immediately cured the problem.
408 has 4 pickups, so I doubt that is the problem. The Protodrive motors have a tach wheel driven by one of the drive wheels (on one motor in a 408). If the gear mesh is bad, the tach wheel will skip and affect speed control. Usually happens on curves when the wheel unloads and the gears don’t mesh. It may not do it if you flip the loco and run the opposite way. The tell-tale sign in to turn the loco over, locate the tach wheel gear and try to move the drive wheels that engage it up and down in the frame slot. If there is movement, the axle will pull away from the tach gear and disengage. The Chinese fix is to peen the pickup tab that presses on the wheel bearing below the tach gear. Not a pretty fix, but it works.
While you have the pickup plate off, check the tach wheel to see if it is loose, has stripes and that the tach reader is aligned.
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This had been fully serviced so lubrication shouldn't be the issue. I will look at the tach wheel issue as suggested by Jon. Had issues with those in the past but not quite like this. I meed to pull the shell anyway because the headlights aren't working, but bulbs are good. Want to sell the set, but prefer to resolve issues first. Thanks for all your input.
Steve
Found the screw loose on the tach wheel. Seems Ok now.
Steve
