Sparking and Motor Growl

[Fred Bear]

Someone's advice about dry gears and axles payed off for me. I greased the gears, it no longer stops and the growling noise stopped.

    Are those of you that build blocks of insulated track areas for whatever purpose ( I have some to increase the juice when trains are climbing inclines and decrease on the decent) noticing sparking at the areas where the insulation of the blocks starts? I noticed on the I Love Toy Train episodes as well as the Tracks ahead and the DIY programs that those engines spark as well in certain areas. Is this natural? Does it hurt anything? Thanks for all the help on here, it sure is appreciated, Jake

[poppyl]

Sounds like too much voltage differential between the two sections with each roller being on a different section at the same time or if you are using separate power sources for each block, the sources could be out of phase.

Poppyl

[Fred Bear]

Yes, power source is coming from two different Lionel tranny's, one a ZW, the other the deal with the orange handle for the whistle. Should I try & get it all from the 2nd ZW I have? Would they then be in phase? Thanks much, Jake

[csxt30]

Jake, here is the best site for phasing in case you don't have it !! I believe you can have some different transformers & still be able to phase them, but you better check to be sure.

http://www.martye.com/TipsandTricks/TipsandTrick2.htm

Thanks, John 

[Fred Bear]

Thanks John, I'll check that out in the a.m. Much appreciated! Jake

[ChiefEagles]

New issue of CTT explains phasing.  Fred, you know how I knew about the lube thing?  Been there and done that.   Happens to us all.  Especially if they sit a long time.  Try to run all of mine once a month.  If not, I turn them over and check the lube.  Needle oiler down between those gears to get the shafts really helps.  Glad it worked out for you.  BTW: if you don't have a foam cradle, roll up two towels and place engine upside down between them.  Make you a set of long wires [one red and one black] with alligator clips on both ends.  That way you can clip on to any transformer or track section.  Then click one [I use the red one] to a center roller and the other [black, common] to the frame or something metal of the engine.  Give it juice.  You can find a lot of problems running one upside down.  I even test command engines that way.  Works great if you get a little piece of coal in a gear.  You can find it a lot easier and "pick it out".  Enjoy.

[Fred Bear]

Once again, thanks for all the help. Too bad world problems can't be handled the way train problems are handled! Jake

[lionelsoni]

When you connect together two transformers at different voltages, a fault current will flow.  That is what is causing your sparks.  Going to two outputs from the same ZW is even worse, since there is no protection from the circuit breaker and you could burn up your wiring and transformer if the train stops over the gap.

About the only way to do safely what you're doing is to put some voltage-dropping element in series with the center rail for the blocks where you want to go slower.  This can be a rheostat, such as Lionel made, or, for better voltage regulation, back-to-back diodes.

There is a way to use a bridge-rectifier module as a compact substitute for individual diodes.  Just short the + and - terminals together, then wire the other two terminals in series between the center rail and the transformer.  This gives you the equivalent of two pairs of diodes.  Use multiple modules like this in series for greater voltage drop.  Radio Shack 276-1181 6-ampere, 200-volt rectifiers are suitable, at $2.59.