I have never been able to solve this problem, I have two models actually, and both the headlights flicker when running, the engines themselves run fine otherwise (except for that the annoying wobbling that I can no longer ignore..), , but I don't even turn on the headlight anymore because it is so dim anyway, and I can't stand the flickering. My brother doesn't know what is causing it either.
Its not a major issue, these are beautiful engines by BLI as always, just on this parcticular model the light is not nearly as bright as it should be, as seen in this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXvmldNGbGc
See that? That is how it is supposed to run, even BLI photographs it this way with a bright shiny headlight, as seen in the photos of this model on their website. When I run both of mine, you can barely see the faded light that is so tiny to begin with. Why? Any ideas?
Also, the J1 is a unique, beautiful engine isn't it? I love the massive tender, but it requires more than BLI's suggested minimum radius of 22.
What radius would you recommend running the prr J1 2-10-4 on?
The room that I am using for the layout is about 15x15. I want my radius to be certainly above 22, even better, above 24. My brothers layout is small, its about 10x12, we use large radius over there 36 for the outer loop, 30 for the inner, but people have said the layout looks boring, and I think it needs improvement., its only two loops.
And should I go DCC for this small room, because I heard DC is a pain when working in such a small space.
Sorry, I have a lot of questions, some may be off topic. Again, I am really new to the hobby. Any help or suggestions would be much appreciated.
Thanks
Hi rjake4454,
is the light flickering all the time while running the loco ???
Or only on particular points of your tracks???
Keep in mind that dirty tracks and wheels cause also flickering!!
Do you have the Blueline decoder or the motor decoder run the lights? Try swapping the plug to the motor decoder and see if the lights are better. If you have it running off the motor decoder is there a resistor in the lighting unit? Some decoders have built in resistors that would make the LED dimmer. Make sure the plug under the cab is plugged in tight and none of the pins are bent.
Pete
I pray every day I break even, Cause I can really use the money!
I started with nothing and still have most of it left!
Flickering lights are usually a sign of ditry track. The track or wheels or pickups can be dirty enough to make the lights flicker but not affect the motor. WHen it REALLY gets dirty, then even the motor gets stopped.
You might also have inadvertantly set the light function to do one of the other effects, like a firebox flicker, or gyralight.
Or a wire could be loose. Or as mentioned above, the DCC decoder you used might have built in resistors for LED lights, and you've inadvertantly placed 2 reistors in the circuit, causing the LED to get too little current. That would maek it dim or not light up though, it'd have to be just the right combination to be right on the edge of the LED's minimum to get a flicker.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
To address your question about the radius, when I purchased my Paragon J1 the stated minimum radius (which was not a "recommendation"...they meant that the engine wouldn't perform as intended on anything less) was 24". When our hosts did a test, they found that it would run reasonably well, if not reliably or quickly, on 22" radii. I found the same thing, but just. It was the largest curve on my first layout, and the J1 would most often creep around it at a walk speed.
So, I think BLI knew what they were doing when they designed the engine. I would not want to run my J1 on anything less than a solid centerline 24" radius curve, and even then it would be at yard speeds. Once you squeeze another inch out of the stated minimum, you should be good for track speed.
-Crandell
Santa Claus Hi rjake4454, is the light flickering all the time while running the loco ??? Or only on particular points of your tracks??? Keep in mind that dirty tracks and wheels cause also flickering!!
When I first got it out of the box, for a few minutes it ran steady, no flickering, but it was quite dim. After a few times around the layout though it started flickering around mostly all of the track, not really at any points in particular. I really think it may be dirt on the track that may have accumulated on the wheels of my J1.
The problems is, at my brothers layout, I spent about a month painting the rails, then I had to sand down the tracks to get excess paint off, but I didn't know I had to clean up the track I just sanded down. I never wiped it off with a rag. So now, if you rub your fingers across any of the track, there is this black grimy 'soot' resting all over the freshly sanded track, and my brother says this is probably causing most trains to not get enough power. He says I might have to clean the wheels as well as the track.
Slowly but surely I am cleaning the track with a damp rag, its getting most of the black stuff up, but I am a little concerned about the wheels on most of our engines. Is there any way to clean the wheels on DC or DCC?
The light flickered before I put any paint on the rails though, so it might not be the problem, but I figure its worth a shot.
I tried switching decoders, but the same problem. Interesting though, because my blue line prr T1 has the brightest light you could ever imagine, out of the box, on DC, I am almost afraid to put a dcc decoder in it for fear of losing this and making it dimmer.
locoi1sa Do you have the Blueline decoder or the motor decoder run the lights? Try swapping the plug to the motor decoder and see if the lights are better. If you have it running off the motor decoder is there a resistor in the lighting unit? Some decoders have built in resistors that would make the LED dimmer. Make sure the plug under the cab is plugged in tight and none of the pins are bent. Pete
I have tried both the DCC decoder that I later installed, and I have put the original DC motor decoder that it came with back in. Light flickering is the same either way . There might be a built in resistor, I am not sure really what that is though, can you further clarify this? I think you may be getting warmer to the problem at hand.
Again, since it happend on two models both in DC and in DCC, I don't think its dirty track actually, or dirty wheels, and I think the decoders have been plugged in tightly, but I will try this again as well.
I also had a problem with my BRAWA BR94.1 DCC without sound with light flickering.
I installed an ESU LokPilot 21pin V3.0 DCC
After the manufacturer removed the capacitor C1 the light flickering was gone.
Now this is interesting, I just removed the DCC decoder and put the standard DC one it came with back in, this time, I plugged it in real tight, as tight as I could, and the light seems to be brighter, and its not flickering at all.
It could be a combination of issues, possibly in DCC, I have heard this system is much more prone to problems with dirty track. Well, at least I am getting it working, I don't know how, but apparently it works on DC for the time being..