Hi all,
I am having some major issues with most of my Walther's Proto 2000 geeps and Alcos. I've got three gp7's and an Alco S3, and lately I have had major issues with just these engines and conductivity on the rails. I make sure to give a thourough cleaning with a new BriteBoy every time I run somehing, and I'll also clean the contacts and wheels of each engine. To do this, I use a tip I saw in MR years ago, which recomends using those laundry cloth things to clean the wheels of a loco. I have even dissasembled the tracks and swabbed the contacts with electricle cleaner. Not progress at all. Everything just stalls and jurks along with a flickering headlight. Any thoughts?
Cheers
The problem is not with the rails. It's with the wheels and power transmission from the whees to the circuit board. I've had this issue with older P2K diesels. To correct it, I've done two things. First, I removed all the chemical blackening agent from the wheel treads. I did this using a wire wheel in my moto tool. This exposed the nickel silver tread which immediately improved operations. Second, I've soldered wires to each side of the metal truck frames and then attached the wires to the approriate terminals on the circuit board. That took care of any remaining issues. Good luck, Tom
Tom,
What gauge wire and what wire on a hardwired Soundtraxx (no board)? Thanks.
Bob
#30 flexible rubber covered wire is normal for wiring in DCC locos.
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.
Red and black wires are for track power to the decoder. Make sure wires from the same side go together. Joe
copeia Tom, What gauge wire and what wire on a hardwired Soundtraxx (no board)? Thanks. Bob
Get a dead mouse. Everybody had dead mice. Clip off the plug and clip off the mouse, open the cable and use the wires that were inside of the cable. They are perfect, and they are alroeady sitting in your junk box waiting for a new assignment.
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
With that many locomotives exhibiting the same problem, I would be more inclined to suspect the track, and more specifically the way power is fed to the track. Depending on rail joiners to carry power from section to section is not reliable. You really need to have a bus-and-feeder system, and preferably a feeder to every section of rail.
You haven't mentioned your power distribution system, but this is my guess from the symptoms you've described. I've got a pair of Proto geeps, and they are rock solid.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Indeed, I have 4 GP-7s and a pair of S-1's, outside of cracked gears in the Geeps, which I replaced as I placed them in service (only 1 was actually cracked, but the others would soon follow once I started running them), I've had no issues with them. The Geeps especially get run pretty hard, running for hours at a time pulling fairly heavy trains at club shows.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
MisterBeasley With that many locomotives exhibiting the same problem, I would be more inclined to suspect the track, and more specifically the way power is fed to the track. Depending on rail joiners to carry power from section to section is not reliable. You really need to have a bus-and-feeder system, and preferably a feeder to every section of rail. You haven't mentioned your power distribution system, but this is my guess from the symptoms you've described. I've got a pair of Proto geeps, and they are rock solid.
If you have adequately cleaned your loco wheels and your track, then that sounds like an electrical connectivity problem. Could be loose rail joiners, insufficient feeders, etc.
Alton Junction
I too would lean towards the track first. Each section of track needs a pair of feeder wires. I do not depend upon unsoldered track connectors to carry current from one piece of track to another.
work on getting your track rock solid in performance then focus on the locomotives. It will be time well spent.
good luck.
Are you using Model Power steel track? If so, get rid of it, it rusts - not good for conductivity!
Jay
C-415 Build: https://imageshack.com/a/tShC/1
Other builds: https://imageshack.com/my/albums
With all due respect to the posters so far, I don't think the OP has provided enough info to address his issues. Are all his engines exhibiting the same issues or do some run fine on the layout. He implies in the post that "most" of his Protos are the problem. Are there other brands on the layout the perform well? If so that would eliminate the track as a problem but we would need more feedback from the OP. I know we would all like to help so I would ask the OP to be a little more specific.
Again, I don't mean this as criticism of the other posters.
Marty C
Marty C With all due respect to the posters so far, I don't think the OP has provided enough info to address his issues.
With all due respect to the posters so far, I don't think the OP has provided enough info to address his issues.
Marty, I couldn't agree with you more. Unfortunately, this is too often the case with issues raised on this forum. Insufficient information from the OP, resulting in nothing more than speculative answers from those replying.
To make matters worse, we have not heard back from the OP since he first posted this thread 5 days ago.
So, to add to the speculation, I would suggest that, in the absence of any further information from the OP, it is likely an electrical problem with the track since so many locos exhibit the problems that the OP did describe. It could be an insufficient feeder problem, a connection problem between sections of track, or something like that.
Without further response from the OP, we can place this thread in the DTF (Dead Thread File).
No need for concern. I have been VERY busy this week. Thank you all very much for your help. I have been able to make some progress on the issue. I recently discovered some curious wiring under the layout, which may be the source of the problem. Insufficient solder joints may be as well. I find myself having to clean the contacts on my proto walthers units twice every operating session, other than that they are absolutely rock solid!