Regular contributors to this column will know that i had similar problems (losing track power intermittently) with my ICE train and Stainz and i concluded that the power pick ups needed replacing.
I did just this and it fixed the ICE train up straight away but the result was not so clear cut with the Stainz; in fact it is still playing up. If you have a newly cleaned track and the power pick ups are clean it will work ok, sometimes for hours and hours. But after a while its power pickups get dirty with black gooy substance on their contact area, clean this off and it will run ok again for a limited time.
Has anyone any idea why it would do this; considering i have many other locos that do not have this same problem under the same circumstances. Also it has a powered tender running with it all the time and it does not have any trouble at all. It almost looks to me as though something electrical is missing inside of it and the build up may be to do with that; ie an electrical problem rather than a mechanical one.
This is my oldest and favourite loco.
Any ideas
rgds ian
I agree with Phil. it sounds like your plastic wheels are leaving residue on the track, switching to metal wheels will eliminate this buildup and will also greatly improve the rolling performance of your stock.
Ian, you live in a hot climate, running stock plastic wheels is not a good idea because of the heat that can build up in the brass rails can actually melt plastic used in the wheels, even LGB wheels, leaving a micro film of plastic residue on the rail head that eventually gets picked up by the loco's metal wheels and skates. Switching to metal wheels will eliminate the effects of residue damage to the plastic wheels and allows efficient contact between the rails and the pickups in the skates and wheels.
I switched out all mine and never had any problems on my outdoor layout, shortlived as it was, even on the hottest days.
Have fun with your trains
I had never thought about that and you all may have a point about plastic wheels but:-
1/ Why only the Stainz?
2/ Why hasn't it happened before this, it has been running on this same track on MTS for 3 years.
3/ If i run my track cleaning loco over it, it still does it but not as much if the track is slightly dirtier.
4/ Why doesnt the powered tender have the same problem, it has a very similar set up regarding power pick up; could it be that the loco comes first and takes the brunt ot the problem? What if i run it around backwards and see what happens?
5? Electrolysis is one of my hobbyhorses and i suspect a capacitor has gone inside the loco and the arcs around the power pick ups are not being absorbed, this would cause an electrolytic action causing goo to be deposited on the pick ups; one much more than the other. If i was running on DC it would be all on one pick up instead of DCC. what do others think?
Rgds Ian
Gentlemen;
A new piece of information has come to hand from LGB themselves no less. It would appear that they have had this problem with Stainz' previously and it is to do with ants. It seems that some types of small black ants walk along the rail and in so doing leave a small amount of acid behind them, the electricity flows through them and produces the black gunk i have been experiencing.
Why does it happen only to a few types of LGB locomotives and not to others? no one knows! Why has it happened now and not sooner; is to do with the fact that i have more ants now than previously.This is not the first mysterious problem i have had to do with ants, remember my 186 ohm connection in my track terminal block.
The answer is to get rid of the ants, which is easier said than done.Also their has been a mofication to more recent Stainz in that they have had a small choke connected to the power pick ups and this may well support my original thought about electrolysis. Even though the ants are to blame it is still an electrolysis problem.
Ian,
Wow..dang ants!? What about just changing it to battery?
William
I really do not want to go to battery for many reasons but i can tell you the main one is that i am rightinto DCC and am doing a lot of workto do with automating my layout and DCC is the only way for me at this stage, thanks for the suggestion.
PS I think there is a lesson in this for all of us; I havent worked out what it is though yet.
ElMik wrote:(to Mancini's Pink Panther theme) Dead Ant, Dead Ant, Deadand, Deadant, Deadant,Dead Aaaaant
ROFLMAO!!!!!
Modeling the Pennsylvania Railroad in N Scale.
www.prr-nscale.blogspot.com
Thank you gentlemen for all your help and i have taken all the advice on board and i will react to it in any way my wife lets me. My reason for mentioning these things is a self help thing and you never know when you will come up with the same problem.
As far as battery operation is concerned i have considered this and tried out a few units and have no real interest in this direction for many reasons. Don't forget i made a very good living selling batteries at the highest level for neqarly 20 years. My advice is not to have on if you don't have too.
I also think they are pretty limited in many ways and they are not for me; any small inconveniences you get with powered track pale into insignificance compared to the inconveniences of having to charge service and maintain any battery.
Rgds ian
Get the Garden Railways newsletter delivered to your inbox twice a month