Engine Stops whenever it's near Lionel Operating Track

[melete26]

 Hi, I'm a Mom who knows little and am trying to get the hang of things.  Please forgive this potentially ridiculous question.

 We have a Lionel O scale Polar Express Fastrack set.  I've expanded the set with extra track and purchased a hobo freight car that operates with a Lionel operating track (it has remote switches for uncoupling and unloading).   The uncoupling action works great to make the door open and the hobo jump out of the car (when lined up over the magnet well).  The problem is that each time our locomotive passes over, approaches, or is even near the operating track it stops.  I can't start it again unless I move it away from the operating track.

Do I need insulating track on each side of the operating track?  Is it possible that my track is damaged?  Any suggestions would be very appreciated.  I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong.

 Thanks so much,

Denise

[Timboy]

 

[wyomingscout]

 I think the 'unload' button should operate the hobo; the uncouple button should work to uncouple cars.  Are you sure it is wired correctly?  Is the uncouple/unload track one made for fastrack, or is it connected with adapters?

wyomingscout

[melete26]

 The unload button doesn't do anything for the freight car.  But, the uncouple does work fine - and my trouble isn't with the freight car.  It's just that the engine stops when it's near the operating track.  And no buttons on the operating track switch are being pushed.  

The track is wired the way it came out of the box (bought new online) - and it is the fastrack version. Thanks. 

[dougdagrump]

It sounds as though you are encountering one of two problems, a bad contact on either the power or common rails.

By any chance do you have a short lighted car such as a caboose ? If you do try rolling the car forward to the un-coupling track with power on, if the light goes out that means their is a break in the continuity somewhere. I say a "short car" because you want the wheels and pick-up rollers on the same section of track, not overlapping the rail joints. If you don't have a short car an alternative would be if you have access to one of the push-in style Christmas bulbs without the base, just bend the wires out in oposing directions so they will bridge the gap between the center and outer rail. With a little power on. engine off the tracks, you can test for continuity.

Attached is a link that shows the wiring connections.

http://www.lionel.com/media/servicedocuments/71-2054-250.pdf

 Good luck.

[melete26]

 Thank you so much for taking time to reply.  I tried what you suggested using a trolley and a caboose.  I don't seem to have any breaks in continuity. The lights on the caboose work and the trolley keeps on rolling forward and backward. It's so strange when the engine is on that track. It's like the magnet is stopping it.  Is that possible?

[dougdagrump]

Does the engine stall out basically in the same spot all the time, relative to the direction of travel. In other words if you approach from your left it stalls pretty much the same spot, but approaching from your right it stalls repeatedly in a different spot. I am not personally familiar with this particular piece of track but in looking at the photo it appears like the center rail where the "operating magnet" is located might be electrically isolated.

On a straight portion of your tracks put about a one and a half inch piece of tape on the center rail. At a very low speed run the loco across the tape, if it stalls on the tape the pick-up roller that is on the rail, not the taped portion, is in need of checking for cleaning/repair. If one of the rollers is not functioning correctly and a portion of the center rail is isolated the engine will stall when the only functional roller engages the isolated rail.  

[Train-O]

Welcome melete26,

I too have a problem with certain short engines going over the FasTrack control section.

One reason has to do with the three center control section's rails being a little too high and causing an engine, or operating car to lift up and somewhat off of the control section's outer grounding rails and momentarily break electrical contact, which cause a particular electrical component to malfunction, or stop. I don't know how to remedy the condition, without causing damage to the control section-track's three center rails.

Also, the return springs of the 'Uncouple' and 'Unload' buttons are weak and will cause a short circuit. I had to bring one FasTrack control section back, due to this problem and even the replacement unit has weak button return springs, inside the button housing. The older tubular track control sections had stronger button return springs.

I guess, we'll have to live with these problems, until Lionel redesigns the FastTrack control sections and of course, we'll have to buy the redesigned unit(s).

Good luck,
Ralph

[melete26]

 Thanks so much for the tip to test.  I placed tape on the center rail and it had no effect.  The locomotive was able to pass forward and backward with no trouble (I tested from the very lowest to the highest speeds).

I guess that isn't the problem, but thanks for giving me something to try/ rule out.

[melete26]

 Thanks, Train-O.  This makes sense.  I did notice that the center of the operating track is high.  And our trolley has no trouble negotiating it because it has more clearance I guess.

 

Oh well.  Since we only have the one engine, can anyone think of another way I can use the operating track where an engine won't have to pass over it?  Maybe with a siding or something?  But I guess I'd have to get any action cars to the siding manually somehow since the engine can't travel over the operating track.

 

My son and I are having a wonderful time with this new hobby, but there is so much to learn and lionel provides so little information.  Thanks to everyone who has responded with some offer of help!  

[Hap]

Does the locomotive have rubber traction tires?

Sometimes factors such as the high rail section and intermittent grounding because of traction tire insulation combine to cause the engine to stall. 

 

[dougdagrump]

Denise,

Which "hobo car" do you have, either description or Lionel #, ?

[servoguy]

Are you getting any indication from the transformer when the engine stops that you have a short? Indicator light blinking? This sounds like a problem where the weight of the loco is either causing an open connection or a short. Try pushing down on the track with your finger and see if the engine stops. Or using the light that someone suggested, press down on the track. Put the light where the engine stops and also put it somewhere else on the layout and see where the track is losing power. Because there is internal wiring in the control section, it is most likely that something is shorting when the weight of the loco presses down on the control section or even near the control section. Bruce Baker

[servoguy]

BTW, the hobo box cars that I have are worked by the magnet and will operate when you use the uncouple button.

[rtraincollector]

You asked if theres another way to use the track and the engine don't run on it. well if you have a switch track you could put the piece on the sideing and the engine could back it down to the area and put the car over it and it will operate and the engine won't have to go over it.

[brianel027]

Denise, I think it's great you are doing this with your kids. Even us season train guys can encounter problems and have to figure out solutions.

I don't use FasTrack, but I use 027 tubular and have encountered the same problem with the modern made uncoupling tracks: the magnet part sticks up higher than the center rail causing some (not all) locos to stop. My Lionel Industrial switchers used to short on these tracks because the center rail roller on the loco would come in contact with the axle on the wheels. I made an long narrow insulator out of mylar plastic and slipped it into the loco frame just over the wheel axles, so that when the loco goes over an uneven or higher section of track like the U/C track, the pick ups hit the insulator and not the wheel axles. This worked just great.

Some of the early Lionel 4-4-2 steam locos had a problem with space for the roller pick ups causing the loco to "clunk" over U/C tracks. I made a modification to this space and that problem went away.

Another trick I have used is to use the "slide roller" used by Lionel MPC on some of their cheaper locomoties. This is not really a roller but more of a slide shoe, but it does not have the same thinkness of the normal Lionel roller pick up. And it is easily slipped from one loco to another, providing the loco uses the short "snap in" roller pick up as I believe yours also has. Some locos for me that had trouble with U/C track, I just swap out the roller pick up for the MPC slide shoes one and that problem went away.

This is just stuff I have figured out for myself from years of tinkering in the hobby. And I run mostly the lower end inexpensive sorts of trains. And I have a bin drawer of all sorts of various parts I like to keep on hand... basic train parts. The great thing about being a "budget" train operator is that many (not all, but most) basic parts will work from one loco or train car to another depending on the time-period the trains were made. I sometimes wonder why I have these extra parts but I always end up using them someplace.

I'm kind of surprised to hear you are having this trouble with FasTrack as all the reviews of the product have been very good indeed, especially the switches.