American Flyer Steam Engine - Running Cold

[richhotrain]

Banks

I run Flyer HO engines and have the same problem some times. I attribute it to thick lubricants that thin down as they warm up. Use a mild cleaner to remove all lubricant and add new. (I use rubbing alcohol)  Don't for get the axles. They seem to cause the problem the worst

Banks,

Wow, I did as you said and it is running better already.

Next, I am going to clean the field windings and the armature.

Thanks again.

Rich

[richhotrain]

lionelsoni

You did do it right; and It tells you that the track is okay, in fact, very good.  You should probably repeat the test at a few other spots; but I think the track can be ruled out as a problem.

Bob,

Thanks.  That is good to know.  I appreciate your advice.

Rich

[lionelsoni]

You did do it right; and It tells you that the track is okay, in fact, very good.  You should probably repeat the test at a few other spots; but I think the track can be ruled out as a problem.

[richhotrain]

lionelsoni

Unfortunately, not.  The track may be fine, or not.  If the train is moving and drawing current at the track section that you are measuring, any track resistance will be apparent from a drop in the voltage.  That drop will almost certainly be different at different spots around the layout.  That's why I said I was suspicious when you reported the same voltage to such resolution.  I suspected that you didn't have the train moving.

You will have such a short time to make each measurement (as the train goes by) that you might find it easier with an analog meter.

Well, I am not sure that I did this right, and from the results I am not sure that I did, but I wedged the two probes of an analog meter across from each other under the rails of a piece of track.   With the transformer at max speed and the engine on the tracks, I got  a steady reading of 12.5 volts (weird that the digital meter read 16.58 volts the other day).  When the engine passed over the rails where the probes were wedged, there was absolutely no movement of the dial on the meter face away from 12.5 volts.  What does this tell me?

Rich

[lionelsoni]

Unfortunately, not.  The track may be fine, or not.  If the train is moving and drawing current at the track section that you are measuring, any track resistance will be apparent from a drop in the voltage.  That drop will almost certainly be different at different spots around the layout.  That's why I said I was suspicious when you reported the same voltage to such resolution.  I suspected that you didn't have the train moving.

You will have such a short time to make each measurement (as the train goes by) that you might find it easier with an analog meter.

[richhotrain]

lionelsoni

Are you measuring the voltage as the train passes the measurement location?  Without an electrical load, even track with high resistance will measure exactly the same everywhere.  I'm suspicious that you report exactly the same voltage everywhere, to a resolution of .01 volts.

LOL.  Suspicious of my report or suspicious of the accuracy of the readings?

I used a Radio Shack digital multimeter with the transformer (AF #8B) at full speed without any engine on the tracks.  Every one of the 32 tracks read 16.58 volts.  I have the 7' x 10' layout wired at either end of the oval.  Not the way to measure it ?

Rich

[Banks]

I run Flyer HO engines and have the same problem some times. I attribute it to thick lubricants that thin down as they warm up. Use a mild cleaner to remove all lubricant and add new. (I use rubbing alcohol)  Don't for get the axles. They seem to cause the problem the worst

[lionelsoni]

Are you measuring the voltage as the train passes the measurement location?  Without an electrical load, even track with high resistance will measure exactly the same everywhere.  I'm suspicious that you report exactly the same voltage everywhere, to a resolution of .01 volts.

[arkady]

First thing I'd check would be the armature and brushes.  I've never had that problem with Lionel or Flyer. But when I was scale modeling, I'd sometimes see it on HO or N scale locomotives, and it was always the result of dirt or oxidation somewhere in the electrical path.

Check the electrical pick-up wheels and their followers, too.

 

 

[richhotrain]

Last January, I pulled my old American Flyer steam engine out of storage and got it up and running. I lubed the gears and oiled the felt pad at the end of the motor.

Since then, I haven't done much with it, but with the Holidays coming up, I am going to set up a small layout for the grandkids to enjoy.

The engine still has the original open frame motor, but I replaced the reversing unit in the tender with a Dallee reversing unit.

After sitting idle for a few days or weeks, the motor is cold and the engine stalls and jerks repeatedly as it makes its way around the small oval layout (7' x 11').  As the motor warms up, the performance comes back up until the engine runs without any stalls or jerking movements.  It does seem to me that even when the engine warms up, it does not really run at top speed, although the speed is acceptable, certainly not crawling.

I have measured the voltage on every piece of track, and it is a constant 16.58 volts, running on my old American Flyer #8B transformer.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

Rich