Mystery activation-MTH log and bin dump cars

If I understand your description, the mechanism is intermittently activating a bit at a time...few degrees per loop or whatever.  One idea might be to remove everything but operating car so it's nice and quiet in the room.  Then manually guide the car around the loop.  Seems to me you'll hear and/feel the motor running at certain locations around the loop.  Then see what's going on "down-under" at these points.

That is a great idea, I will set the voltage on the track and see what happens. Thanks.

I don't have these cars but was wondering about using another detective method: Since the cars have a motor of some type wouldn't the AMPS go up when it activates?  Maybe you could pull a single car around the track and watch your ammeter, if you have one.  it might make a small, sudden spike that might be noticeable.

 

- walt

I tried all of the suggestions and found out the culprit involves 072 switches -one shoe of the car occasionally makes contact with the grounded swinging part of the switch (the part 1/4 inch or so from the outside rail) while the other shoe is connected to the hot tear drop at the tip.  All the cars Don't do it so it must involve the shoe position. I am stumped on options to solve now!

Hokie 71

    You could try painting the top of the offending ground rail with some clear fingernail polish or anything else that will insulate it for a short distance.

 

Galon Tonell

On 022 switches, I sometimes have to bend the fat rail down slightly so it doesn't touch the sliding shoe.  If you bend the fat rail down, don't bend it down so far the roller pickups don't touch it.

Great ideas and thanks. I just tried the easy one - putting a bit of clear polyurethane floor finish on the ground rail and it appears to have worked.  I will see how long it lasts (more durable than fingernail polish?) and follow up with the "gentle" bending of the fat rail (never realized I could do that) if needed.  thanks again for the good ideas.