Train Is Barely Running. Low Power?

[scrambler81]

 Something wierd is going on with my Christmas tree layout. I throttle up the train, and it hardly moves. When it is moving, it is very slow, even at full throttle. I removed the whole train and replaced it with a Minuteman switcher, and got the same result. There doesn't seem to be a short, it just seems like there isn't enough power. Even the Gateman wouldn't pop out when the train went by. It is a 6x6 platform, I'm running O gauge tubular track with 0-31 curves and there are 4 switches. I use a BW-80 power supply. I've been running the exact same set up for the last 14 Christmases, and I've never had a problem before.

 Anybody care to take a guess?

[rtraincollector]

Maybe your transformer is about shot. Iyou have volt meter first take reading from transformer then take all off the track and see what power your getting should be same then try with engine and see how much power your getting. other thing to try by hand take a lighted passenger car or caboose and see if it dims any where if its not your transformer. Could be one of your switches beginning to wear out and creating a short there's a lot of possibilities theres a good starting point though. 

[Rob412]

Possibly a resistance short. Had this happen many years ago where the train would come on and barely move. There was a single strand of tinsel across the tracks which wasn't enough to cause a dead short circuit but was drawing all the power from my ZW. I would also check your insulators on the center rail as one may have shifted or broken down over the years and with taking the track apart many times would be a possibility. Take your lockon and separate the track into sections and see it your engine responds on each section.
Good luck
Rob

[8ntruck]

Sounds like you have a low voltage problem.  Since two locomotives and your gateman all have problems, those are probably not the problem.

The first thing to check is all of your connections.  You should check for broken wires between the transformer and track.  Another possibility is that one of the insulation pieces between the center rail and the ties is no longer insulating.  You could try breaking the seperating your loop of track in two pieces.  Snap your lockon to one piece and try running your locomotive.  Do the same with the other piece of your loop.  If you have a bad section of track, the locomotive will run on one piece, but not the other.  If it does not run on either  piece of your loop, the transformer might be suspect.

Good luck.

[sir james I]

A quick and accurate check is disconnect the 2 track wires and place 1 on the engine roller and 1 grounded to the frame. If you have an old style e-unit remember it has to be in forward or reverse. If the engine runs like it should, then start checking track and wiring.

[scrambler81]

I don't have a volt meter, I guess I should. As for track pins and such, my track has never been apart.

I see that all of the buildings wired to the accessories terminals work OK, but those on track power do not. The light in the Gateman is on the accessories side, and it works fine, but the man himself is wired to an insulated track, and he is a no show.

 I did notice that one post on an 022 switch is broken. Unfortunately, my tree trimmer has big feet. Shhh...she'll kill me. Anyway, would that actually cause a problem like this? I guess my next step will be to take a CW from my basement layout, and try it on the Christmas layout. That, and track down a new 022.

Thanks for the ideas. Hopefully, I won't have to try all of them before I find my answer.