Guy's,
I am adding a LokSound to my Athearn RTR RS-3. This loco will stop and lose sound over some track spots (Clean) and over my DCC friendly Walther's number 6 turn outs. What have you done to improve this pick up? My ATLAS units do not stall here at the same spots. It is discouraging.
Thanks, Chris
Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running BearSpace Mouse for president!15 year veteran fire fighterCollector of Apple //e'sRunning Bear EnterprisesHistory Channel Club life member.beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam
David and Jeffrey,
Thanks for the input, I may consider NWSL wheels and axles as well.
Chris
I have found that most electrical pickups and contacts are dry, and when they are, it causes these types of intermittent pick-up problems. What I am going to recommend may sound crazy, but you may want to try it before you do anything drastic. I am a retired electronics technician, and when working with barrier type terminal strips at my former job, we used to spray them once a year with a silicon compound similar to WD-40. What I have learned from this is that a very light weight silicone oil actually improves electrical contact. So, on my loco pickups, I apply a very small amount of WD-40. Don't spray it directly from the can on your loco. Spray some in a small plastic cup, then pick up some with a small metal or plastic pick of some sort and apply it to the areas that are used for transmitting the electrical current. For instance, I apply my standard light weight loco oil to the wheel bearings, then apply the WD-40 to the outside of the bearing blocks where they sit in the metal frame. I also apply some to the rails after I clean them and the loco wheels. I dip the end of my finger into the WD-40 and rub it on the tops of the rails for about a foot. I then run my loco through it and around the layout. This application is similar to using Rail-Zip, but without the big mess that usually results from constant use. In my trains, I try and run at least one boxcar that has a masonite track wiper pad. This is a perpetual track cleaning process. When the pad gets dirty, I sand it off with a medium grit sandpaper, blow off the resulting dust and put it back on the track. I repeat this WD-40 application process only when I clean my loco wheels and track with either a bright-boy or cleaning chemicals.
Elmer.
The above is my opinion, from an active and experienced Model Railroader in N scale and HO since 1961.
(Modeling Freelance, Eastern US, HO scale, in 1962, with NCE DCC for locomotive control and a stand alone LocoNet for block detection and signals.) http://waynes-trains.com/ at home, and N scale at the Club.
Chris -- while I don't have this loco, I have observed some interesting interplay of walthers dcc friendly turnouts at the frogs and diesel engine 3 axle trucks (such as the atlas RSD 4/5). The one wheel set that floats (ie non geared) has enough 'slop' in it to cause intermittent shorting at some frogs. I have found that flangeway depth and flangeway width's at the problem turnouts had to be adjusted carefully - mostly shimming was needed in the frog to get consistent flangeway depths through the frog. I had to run locos very slowly through the problem areas and get my eyes at the wheel level to see what going on.
Also, using a very light application (1 drop) of conductive lubricant on any contact surface on the engine helps as well.
Charles
gandydancer19 wrote: I have found that most electrical pickups and contacts are dry, and when they are, it causes these types of intermittent pick-up problems. What I am going to recommend may sound crazy, but you may want to try it before you do anything drastic. I am a retired electronics technician, and when working with barrier type terminal strips at my former job, we used to spray them once a year with a silicon compound similar to WD-40. What I have learned from this is that a very light weight silicone oil actually improves electrical contact. So, on my loco pickups, I apply a very small amount of WD-40. Don't spray it directly from the can on your loco. Spray some in a small plastic cup, then pick up some with a small metal or plastic pick of some sort and apply it to the areas that are used for transmitting the electrical current. For instance, I apply my standard light weight loco oil to the wheel bearings, then apply the WD-40 to the outside of the bearing blocks where they sit in the metal frame. I also apply some to the rails after I clean them and the loco wheels. I dip the end of my finger into the WD-40 and rub it on the tops of the rails for about a foot. I then run my loco through it and around the layout. This application is similar to using Rail-Zip, but without the big mess that usually results from constant use. In my trains, I try and run at least one boxcar that has a masonite track wiper pad. This is a perpetual track cleaning process. When the pad gets dirty, I sand it off with a medium grit sandpaper, blow off the resulting dust and put it back on the track. I repeat this WD-40 application process only when I clean my loco wheels and track with either a bright-boy or cleaning chemicals.Elmer.
alco's forever!!!!! Majoring in HO scale Minorig in O scale:)
How old is this loco? You do state RTR, not BB.
I have a RTR RS3 also. After installing a decoder and sound, it ran pretty well for a while, then I started noticing the sound cutting out and the loco hesitating through some turnouts.
The RTR I have has 2 wires coming from each truck. I happened to notice that one of them had BROKEN where it was attached to the terminal on the truck. Actually, I ended up fixing both trucks, when I checked the second one and barely touched the wire, it broke right off. Fixed the wires, problem solved.
I have 2 RTRs, the RS3 and a Tunnel motor. Both run fine. I could understand if this was an older BB loco where you might need to tear the trucks apart and clean everthing and maybe change wheelsets, but a newer RTR?
steve58 wrote:I have 2 RTRs, the RS3 and a Tunnel motor. Both run fine. I could understand if this was an older BB loco where you might need to tear the trucks apart and clean everthing and maybe change wheelsets, but a newer RTR?