Engine running strange

[Anonymous]

OK, I put the Chessie Super Freight back on the track tonight (only been packed up for 2 weeks) and now the Engine (TMMC Berk) is running strange, it kind of shimmies along the track as the wheels are turning, or rocks back and forth.

It isn't obvious, I caught it out of the corner of my eye and watched very closely for a few minutes.  Then I shut it down gave the joints a drop of oil and ran it a couple more times around the track with no change.

Do I need to open it up and lube it?  I would hate to take this to the LHS as I just dumped over $120.00 for repairs to the 2020, 681, and the two tenders!

[dougdagrump]

Take a look at the traction tires, maybe one is breaking or already broken.

[daan]

May be a bent siderod? try to find out if the wobble corresponds with the motion of the wheels or with an arrangement of the siderods. Does it infect the speed? If not, see if the wheels are still quartered right and if the axles are straight. Also, as mentioned above, check the traction tyres.

[Anonymous]

May be a bent siderod? try to find out if the wobble corresponds with the motion of the wheels or with an arrangement of the siderods. Does it infect the speed? If not, see if the wheels are still quartered right and if the axles are straight. Also, as mentioned above, check the traction tyres.

Will do when I return home tonight... that would seem strange to me that it would be a bent siderod because all I have done is take it out of the box, set it on the track, and run it.  No derailments, do dropages, nothing that you would think would cause a bent siderod, heck I don't even pick my steamers up by the siderods, I grasp the flanges between the boiler and undercarriage.

The wheels are interesting, what do you mean by 'quartered right'?

Again, can't see bent axles due to 1st paragraph.

Tractions tires could be an issue since the track was rather dirty after Christmas this year.  I'll have to give the track a good cleaning and the wheels as well then give her a go.  I'll check the traction tires again for good measure!

[thor]

My guess is its a traction tyre, they come proud of the wheel rim, mine did, so that one wheel is higher than the others, I dont know if its possible to trim it I decided I could live with it. Besides it'll wear down soon enough. I tethered my loco and ran it up to full power hoping to wear the tyre down that way, didnt work.

[Anonymous]

Thor,
That would make sense, if the traction tires are a bit higher than the other wheels.

Thanks, I'll check this all when I get home.

Brent

[RR Redneck]

Take a look at the traction tires, maybe one is breaking or already broken.

I have had that problem with several locomotives. It has to be your traction tires.

[Anonymous]

Hey all,
Thanks for the replies.

The Good News: it isn't the siderods, they are straight as arrows.  The traction tires are fine as well...

The Bad News: it appears I have a bigger problem.  When I took the engine out of the box there was a bit of moisture under the front wheels, looks like I overfilled the smoke unit?  It isn't smoking either... it is still doing the wobble as well... I disconnected the tender and I hear a 'tick' 'tick' 'tick', not sure if this is the siderods or the motor... since this is still under warranty I am going to call the LHS and see if I can take it in for warranty repairs... I don't know what I will do if it can't be repaired as I think my wife bought this via one of the biggies and I think it may have been my favorite people at CharlesRo...

FUN!  LOADS OF FUN!

[fifedog]

88 - before doing all that, try taking the boiler off of the chassis.  The whole thing should be held on with about 4 phillips-head screws.  Blot away the spilled smoke fluid, and look to see if any got around the battery connections or wire harnesses.  That fluid should evaporate eventually, and a few passes with a hair dryer might help.

In the future, you may want to make sure that your motive power is packed away up-right.  I've got that t-shirt.

[Anonymous]

88 - before doing all that, try taking the boiler off of the chassis.  The whole thing should be held on with about 4 phillips-head screws.  Blot away the spilled smoke fluid, and look to see if any got around the battery connections or wire harnesses.  That fluid should evaporate eventually, and a few passes with a hair dryer might help.

In the future, you may want to make sure that your motive power is packed away up-right.  I've got that t-shirt.

fife,
Yeah I thought about storing the engines upright, and plan to start doing that... it makes sense too.

I will open it up tonight and dry everything off... what about the ticking and the whobbling, that is what I am most concerned about now.

[fifedog]

88 - that's why we need to get that shell off.  If the side rods are straight and the traction tires are true, the electronics is "hiccuping" and a little "short" is occuring.  Also, check the linkage rails coming from the steamchests on both sides.  You may have picked up a piece of packaging material like styrofoam (remember, she was running just fine prior to packing her up).  Also, read up on how to reset to factory settings, and try that as well.

[Anonymous]

alrighty then!  Now I wish I worked closer to home... I could drive home during lunch and try it out... but seeing that my house is 40 miles away that would make it difficult...

I can't wait for the house to be built, finish the train room, then get these puppies set up and running!  I'm think of scrapping the whole scenery bit and just go with bare benchwork!  LOL!

[Anonymous]

OK, I opened the engine, dried it off, and even used a hair dryer as well.  The smoker is working fine!  But the clicking seems to be natural?  Even the tender clicks as it rolls along... very odd.

The whobbling seems to be due to the normal operation of the engine... anyone else notice this?

[fifedog]

88 - well, here is an epiphany for ya.  While running my layout last night I noticed my son's Premier GP38-2 had a slight wobble.  Then I noticed some of the freight cars had developed a little shimmy too...wherever I had fastened the track too snuggily to the plywood subroadbed.  Sometimes it is too simple.

[Buckeye Riveter]

88 - well, here is an epiphany for ya.  While running my layout last night I noticed my son's Premier GP38-2 had a slight wobble.  Then I noticed some of the freight cars had developed a little shimmy too...wherever I had fastened the track too snuggily to the plywood subroadbed.  Sometimes it is too simple.

Wow, that is interesting because although I have never seen the engine shimmy on my O gague layout with MTH Realtrax, the Garden Rail Road will shimmy if the track gauge is not perfect.  The gauge of the track can be affected by weather and/or  too tight of connection to the roadbed.  With the bigger engines it is even more noticable. 

[JeffPo]

My Lionel Hudson, from a Hobo Riding the Rails set, has a shake to it.

[Buckeye Riveter]

My Lionel Hudson, from a Hobo Riding the Rails set, has a shake to it.

And the track can't be blamed in this case.

[Anonymous]

lionelroar88,

                     Have you tried placing the locomotive on its back and running it by touching one wire to a roller, and another to the frame or a wheel?  If you ran it this way, it will help determine the source of the trouble.  While it is running, watch the wheels turn.  If they don't turn true to the frame, that could mean a bent axle, which will cause the trouble you described.  If they do turn true to the frame, than the trouble is most likely caused by a tracrion tire.  The tire might not be seated on the wheel fully, or there could be something between the tire and the wheel that prevents the tire from laying flat on the wheel.  The tire may also be twisted.

[Anonymous]

lionelroar88,
Have you tried placing the locomotive on its back and running it by touching one wire to a roller, and another to the frame or a wheel? If you ran it this way, it will help determine the source of the trouble. While it is running, watch the wheels turn. If they don't turn true to the frame, that could mean a bent axle, which will cause the trouble you described. If they do turn true to the frame, than the trouble is most likely caused by a tracrion tire. The tire might not be seated on the wheel fully, or there could be something between the tire and the wheel that prevents the tire from laying flat on the wheel. The tire may also be twisted.

I don't have a means to do that yet... I was thinking about this on the way to work this morning and I think it is time for a padded work cradle... I also need to fabricate a wire with alligator clips so I can hold the engine with one hand, clip the wires to the engine and control the test transformer.

I checked the traction tires last night and they are fine, no twists or anything like that...

As far as track being too tight, I'm not sure that is the problem either as the engine still does this when running on the elevated track which is only secured to the supports, not to the ply base...

Once I get home and have everything set up for testing and run some tests, I will post the results!

Thanks one and all for all the help on this!  The EOB board for this puppy should be here today or tomorrow, so I want to get this figgered out quick!

[Anonymous]

lionelroar88,

                       You don't need a cradle.  You can just lean the loco against something, just be sure the wheels and rods up aren't against it.  I sometimes use a few books to help hold a loco.  Sometimes, the loco is stable enough that it can rest upside down without any help.  I have worked on locos this way for years.