American Flyer lighted caboose arcs

[skippygp123]

I was given an American Flyer lighted caboose (Reading #630). 

When I put the car on the track and ran it with my locomotive, the caboose started arcing like crazy and the light didn't work. 

The wires to the track from the transformer also got very hot. 

I know that there are metal wheels on 1/2 of each axle, but I'm wondering if the wheel sets might have been installed wrong. 

Does anyone know how the wheel sets are supposed to be?  Are the metal wheels supposed to be on the same side of the trucks?  Or, are they supposed to alternate?  Are all 4 metal wheels supposed to be on the same side?  Or????

Any help you can give me would be great!

Thanks!

Ed

 

 

[TrainLarry]

Both metal wheels on each truck are to be on the same side of the truck.

The metal wheels on one truck are to be on one side of the caboose and contact one rail, and the metal wheels on the other truck are to be on the other side of the caboose and contact the other rail. The electricity comes in one set of wheels from one truck, goes through the light bulb, and exits out the other truck back to the other rail.

Larry

[AF53]

It is possible that someplace on the frame that wires are touching. Something, somewhere is causing a short?

[skippygp123]

Thanks, Larry, that's just the information I needed! 

I looked at the trucks and all of the metal wheels were on the same side of the caboose.  I turned two axles 180 degrees on one of the trucks and now the caboose works great.

Thanks so much!