Hey all!
New to the forum (and to DCC!), but I have been around trains for years! Now that I have kids, thought I'd upgrade to a DCC.
Last year--Chirstmas time--I purchased the EZ Command system. Everything--the engine that came with the system and my old DC engines--ran great for about a month, then I put it all away after the holidays. Over the summer I bought a DCC engine on eBay, and when we hooked things up this year (November), the eBay purchased engine had a pronounced stutter to it as it ran around the layout. I figured I got a bad engine/board and, after consultation with the local hobby store, have since sent it off for repair.
Just today, my other DCC engine, the one that came with the EZ Command, started having the exact same symptoms. It will run for about 10" - 12" at a time, then will stop. A light tap or push and it's off again for another short bit, then it dies. I'm wondering if I'm doing something wrong or if these things just go bad after a while? Could the engine/track be dirty? I doubt it's the wiring because my regular non-DCC engine still runs fine.
Thanks for any offered suggestions!
Danrapp- Welcome to Trains.com!
Darren (BLHS & CRRM Lifetime Member)
Delaware and Hudson Virtual Museum (DHVM), Railroad Adventures (RRAdventures)
My Blog
More than likely dirty wheels and or track.
Simon Modelling CB&Q and Wabash See my slowly evolving layout on my picturetrail site http://www.picturetrail.com/simontrains and our videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/MrCrispybake?feature=mhum
I second Simon and vote Dirty wheels and/or track.
Now that we are thinking dirt lets think clean.
Get some denatured or 90% rubbing alcohol and put some on a paper towel. Place the paper towel on the rails so that the wet with alcohol areas are over the rails and place the engine on the paper towel. While holding the engine run it at full throttle and move it back and forth. This should leave black streaks on the paper towel. Keep fresh clean paper towel under the wheels until they no longer leave black marks. You may have to do the front a little then switch to the rear and then go back to finish the fronts. After this is done time to clean the tracks. Use a Bright boy, or green scuff pad to polish the rail heads. DO NOT USE STEEL WHOOL!!! This will kill the train really quick. You can also use a paper towel or rag with alcohol but this can leave lint behind that will cause problems later.
On another note since your engine has been stored for a while it may need to be lubed. Use some light oil such as sewing machine oil on the bearings of the motor and a drop on the gears inside the trucks. A little goes a long way here.
Massey
A Veteran, whether active duty, retired, national guard, or reserve, is someone who, at one point in his or her life, wrote a blank check made payable to "The United States of America" for an amount of "up to and including my life."
Dan,
I agree with Simon. Check your wheels and track for dirt. Lacquer Thinner - albeit smelly - does a great job of degreasing your track. (Be careful when cleaning your locomotive wheels with it. It can remove the paint on the shell.)
You can pick up a can of lacquer thinner at your local home improvement or hardware store for ~$6/qt. If you don't have lacquer thinner, 91% rubbing or isopropyl alcohol will do a decent job, too.
If you were actually experiencing a short, your E-Z Command would flash and emit an audible and annoying buzz. Clean your track. That should take care of the problem.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
You guys are amazing...
The wheels all certainly looked clean to me. However, I cleaned everything (not fun), but it definitely worked! Silly how it all went from running well to ka-put in 24 hours time, though...
Just one thing I'm curious about: any ideas why the regular, non-DCC engine, continued to run fine? Are DCC engines more succeptible to grease/grime/dirt?
Many thanks, and Merry Christmas!
You are better off using alcohol for cleaning, track, wheels, pickups.
Also read the manual that came with the EZ Command.
DCC is quite sensitive to poor or intermittent pickup.
Many attempt to run DCC without reading the manual.
The Bachmann site has the EZ Command manuals also and EZ Command users in the Bachmann forums.
http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php
Rich
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
Yes DCC Engines are far more susceptible to dirt! DC is way more forgiving! But DCC is the only way to go!