UCS Track dead spot

[CharlesAZ]

OK - another newbie question here. I am running a post war O gauge train(736). i have two pieces of Lionel  UCS track (red circle) that are giving me trouble. Whenever the engine roller pick up hits the red dot (magnet) - the engine dies. Same goes for the lighted caboose. Seems when the roller makes contact something shorts - or is it just that the center rail stops briefly and thus there is no power to pick up?

I tried covering the circle with black tape (per another suggestion) - but that does not work. Still get a dead spot. Not an issue when I have momentum - but these are on a siding where I hope to operate log car, etc. So speed is slow on that track.

Any help would be much appreciated!!

Thanks

[ADCX Rob]

Clean the track & rollers.

[CharlesAZ]

Thanks for the suggestion. I cleaned the track and the rollers. The engine works fine on the track,,,until the roller hits the center spot. When one of the rollers hits the center of the red "magnet" area it loses power.

I tried covering the circle with black tape in the chance it was shorting when it came in contact with the little metal dot in the middle of the red circle,  but strangely it still stops when the roller hits that spot?

The actual rails conduct fine and power transfers to the rollers on both sides of the circle. Just frustrating as it will stop the train if i do not have enough momentum.

[Curmudgeon]

To expand a tad on "clean track and rollers"....because....you should have two rollers under that 736.

The "red circle" is electrically inert, should have no power or ground. Tape over the centre of the circle proved you aren't shorting.

If you observe carefully, and the front roller, when on the circle, causes stopping, you may have a badly filthed rear roller, bad rear roller arm spring, or, just dirty track (centre rail).

So, clean the track.....roll the 736 over, and look at the rollers.

Then clean them just for grins.

[TrainLarry]

  Your locomotive should not stall as you describe, unless, as stated above, the rear roller is not picking up current. Check the roller for dirt, both outside, and inside the roller where it pivots on the rivet.

Larry

[CharlesAZ]

Thanks to all for the advice. After much cleaning...I was still having the problem. I swapped out another piece of controller track and...it works. Still do not know exactly what was wrong with the original track other than one spot on the center rail must have a flaw. I will have to look at the piece more closely after I get everything else working - for know I will go with what is working.

Thanks again!