Trains.com

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

"WELL, MISS KATY HAS A PROBLEM"

3128 views
20 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    December 2005
  • From: west of Portland Oreg.( the city of Roses
  • 599 posts
"WELL, MISS KATY HAS A PROBLEM"
Posted by TrainsRMe1 on Sunday, November 3, 2013 11:36 AM

After a few runs Miss Katy, decides to stop running, she thorttles up as if she ready 

to run but NO movement, my lights are on fine, it's made by KATO, so before I do want I did in my 

science class in High school, years ago, could someone please help me, she is analog but will have a decoder inserted soon.

        

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • 3,312 posts
Posted by locoi1sa on Sunday, November 3, 2013 2:35 PM

Are you already running it on DCC?  When you say throttle up does it have sound already?

       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!

  • Member since
    December 2005
  • From: west of Portland Oreg.( the city of Roses
  • 599 posts
Posted by TrainsRMe1 on Sunday, November 3, 2013 4:07 PM

Yes I"am running it on DCC,  and she has the whining sound as if shes ready to roll, but no movement!!! 

                                   Trainsrme1Cool

  • Member since
    January 2010
  • From: Chi-Town
  • 7,712 posts
Posted by zstripe on Sunday, November 3, 2013 4:19 PM

'' She is Analog,but will have a decoder inserted soon'' So you are saying,it is a DC Engine and you are trying to run it with DCC, is that correct ?

Cheers, Drinks

Frank

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,281 posts
Posted by richhotrain on Sunday, November 3, 2013 4:23 PM

Oh boy, I smell trouble.  Surprise

Rich

Alton Junction

  • Member since
    October 2013
  • 104 posts
Posted by ggnlars on Sunday, November 3, 2013 5:04 PM

What DCC system are you using?  Some have a feature that will allow one DC loco to run.  I have not tried it myself, but others have indicated that it does not always work.  If you can I would try to run it on straight DC.  That will give you confidence that it is a good runner.  If it doesn't run in DC, it won't run in DCC.  If it passes that test then you can add the decoder.  If not, then you should take it back to where you got it.  Kato usually is very good, but there are always exceptions.

Larry

So many trains, so little time,

Larry

www.llxlocomotives.com

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • 3,312 posts
Posted by locoi1sa on Sunday, November 3, 2013 6:10 PM

Sounds like another casualty of zero stretching a DC motor on DCC. You can do it but is not good for the motor windings. Either that or the drive shafts fell out of the U joints. My bet is a cooked motor.

      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!

  • Member since
    October 2005
  • From: Detroit, Michigan
  • 2,284 posts
Posted by Soo Line fan on Sunday, November 3, 2013 6:16 PM

TrainsRMe1

After a few runs Miss Katy, decides to stop running, she thorttles up as if she ready 

to run but NO movement, my lights are on fine,

So take the body off and duplicate the problem. Then see what is making noise when you have no movement.

Jim

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Sunday, November 3, 2013 7:22 PM

 If it ran at first, and now doesn't, you probably left it sitting still or running slowly too long on the DCC track and burned up the motor. I use address 00 to test run things, but I'm in HO. Haven't burnt anything out yet, but you absolutely cannot just leave the loco sitting there not moving, N scale would be even more prone to burnouts with their smaller motors.

                --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

  • Member since
    September 2003
  • From: Southeast Texas
  • 5,449 posts
Posted by mobilman44 on Tuesday, November 5, 2013 9:54 AM

Yikes, it sounds like another example of how DC locos should remain on DC layouts, and DCC locos on DCC layouts.   While some may work, it just seems like looking for trouble to me.

To the OP..........  put the loco in a DC environment and see if it runs - or smokes.

ENJOY  !

 

Mobilman44

 

Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central 

  • Member since
    April 2004
  • From: Ontario Canada
  • 3,574 posts
Posted by Mark R. on Tuesday, November 5, 2013 4:08 PM

Something is confusing .... if it's got sound, it HAS a decoder in it. (?)

I can sense another five pager in the making ....

Mark.

¡ uʍop ǝpısdn sı ǝɹnʇɐuƃıs ʎɯ 'dlǝɥ

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Tuesday, November 5, 2013 5:02 PM

 No, the OP said it is analog. The 'sound' is the changing pitch of the 'singing' you get as you change speed on address 00.

              --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,281 posts
Posted by richhotrain on Tuesday, November 5, 2013 5:15 PM

The OP is certainly not being cooperative here.

A lot of good suggestions, apparently going unheeded.

If the loco is still making a whining sound, there may be some hope for the motor.

Take the shell off the frame, run in on a stretch of DC track, and see what the problem is.

Is there mechanical binding, has the drive shaft come unconnected?

Huh, huh, huh???

Rich

Alton Junction

  • Member since
    January 2010
  • From: Chi-Town
  • 7,712 posts
Posted by zstripe on Wednesday, November 6, 2013 12:16 AM

I Tink, The Motor,went, Bye,Bye. Hopefully not though.

Cheers, Drinks Drinks Drinks

Frank

  • Member since
    March 2013
  • 450 posts
Posted by EMD.Don on Wednesday, November 6, 2013 9:49 AM

My Son and I have a few Kato N Scale Sd70 ACe's that we run on his N Scale layout in DC. They do not come DCC equipped, only DCC ready and require a decoder to be installed. In DC mode these locomotives are awesome! Smooth running, strong, reliable, quiet...typical Kato. I personally would be very wary about placing them on a DCC wired layout without a DCC decoder installed lest you damage the engine or fry the existing electronics. 

I hope it all works out Tongue Tied...

Happy modeling all!

Don.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I have some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that both engines have failed, and we will be stuck here for some time. The good news is that you decided to take the train and not fly."

N Scale Railroader.
  • Member since
    March 2013
  • 450 posts
Posted by EMD.Don on Sunday, November 10, 2013 9:41 AM

I am curious...how did this end up? Seeing as how I own a few of these (see post above) I was wondering what the diagnosis enevitably ended up being? 

Happy modeling all!

Don.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I have some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that both engines have failed, and we will be stuck here for some time. The good news is that you decided to take the train and not fly."

N Scale Railroader.
  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,281 posts
Posted by richhotrain on Sunday, November 10, 2013 9:50 AM

We haven't heard from the OP for exactly one week now.

I think we are getting the Silent Treatment.   Laugh

Rich

Alton Junction

  • Member since
    March 2013
  • 450 posts
Posted by EMD.Don on Sunday, November 10, 2013 10:48 AM

I hate the silent treatmentAngry! But there are times when silence is golden too...Wink

Laugh

Don.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I have some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that both engines have failed, and we will be stuck here for some time. The good news is that you decided to take the train and not fly."

N Scale Railroader.
  • Member since
    December 2005
  • From: west of Portland Oreg.( the city of Roses
  • 599 posts
Posted by TrainsRMe1 on Saturday, November 23, 2013 5:20 PM

Hey gang,

      Sorry to leave you haging off the cliff like that, but I hurt my back so I've been laid up for a while, what I have done is take the shell off the frame checked it to make sure it was not fried!!! it's not. I have a friend that is really good with fixing these kinds of problems, So "Miss Katy' will be on her way back rollin; down the track!!! stay tuned for the latest!!!!!!

  • Member since
    September 2003
  • From: Southeast Texas
  • 5,449 posts
Posted by mobilman44 on Saturday, November 23, 2013 7:49 PM

Ok folks, I'll just go ahead and say it..............

Unless one knows what they are doing, DC locos should stick with DC operating layouts, and DCC locos should stay on DCC layouts.   There is just too much of a chance to screw things up if they are mixed.  

I'm not saying it can't be done, I'm only saying that the propensity for a problem is pretty high when it is done.

ENJOY  !

 

Mobilman44

 

Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central 

  • Member since
    January 2013
  • 9 posts
Posted by Ohio Central on Sunday, November 24, 2013 11:01 PM
I would take shell off and test if you have power and ground going to motor when it should be moving. If it does then you have a motor or drive train problem. If no power and ground its a bad decoder or bad decoder programming. My athearn genesis did this once except no engine revving noise. Turned out it was stuck in a consist that malfunctioned so I cleared consist and it was back to running.

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Users Online

There are no community member online

Search the Community

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Model Railroader Newsletter See all
Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox!