I am a beginner at HO scale model railways and have set up a simple loop with two switches on it.anyway my HO scale train keeps stoping and starting on the track. although the track is kinda old. i put it on fine but it stops at some parts of the track. can anybody help me?!
first thing is clean the track with a brightboy (an abrasive erasor). You didn't specify the material the track is made out of (steel, brass, Nickle Silver, etc.) also run a second of feeder wires to the opposite side of the loop. to see if the electricity is being transmitted through the rails. Also if this is "permenant" loop solder the rail joiners and track together. If not make sure the railjoiners hold tightly onto the rails. this is how the electricity is conducted from rail to rail.
Get yourself a rag and some rubbing alcohol. Put some alcohol on the rag and scrub the tops of the rails good. Also clean the wheels of the locomotive. Place the rag across the rails, dampen it with some of the alcohol. Place the locomotive so that the rear wheels are on the track and the front wheels are on the rag. While holding the locomotive still with one hand turn up the power with the other so the locomotives wheels will spin. When the front wheels are clean turn the locomotive around and do the same thing for the rear wheels.
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
Do both switches lead to separate, dead end sidings?
Or are you using the switches as a reversing loop? If you have the track configured so that the two switches connect with each other so that the train will reverse direction, then you need to wire up a reversing section, since the connecting track will cause a short.
If you used the switches to make a passing siding, i.e. one that connects on both ends to your main track, if you only throw one of them, it will also likely cause a short.
Most power packs have a circuit breaker that will momentarily open and close when a short is detected. This will cause your locomotive to start and stop repeatedly, as you've described. Thus it sounds like you have uninetionally created a short in some way when you assembled the track in your current configuration.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
I would start with cleaning the track, you did say it was old, is it brass? I would start with the briteboy or an ink type eraser or some 600 grit emery cloth/sandpaper, vacum, then clean with the alcohol and make sure the rail joiners are making a snug connection, if not squeeze them with a pair of pliers.
Jay
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I would start by cleaning with alcohol; then if problem still persists, go with the brightboy--it is slightly abrasive. I had a layout in storage with no use for over a year, lots of dust, etc., and a simple cleaning with alcohol brought it back to life quickly.
Hmmm, seems like a common theme. Start by cleaning the track.
Springfield PA
Also be sure to check the wheels for dirt. Dirty wheels can cause a stopping/starting motion. What brand of train do you have?
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AS others have said, first clean the track. I would try a rag wet with solvent (alcohol, paint thinner or Googone) first. Every one has their favorite solvent, mine is Googone. Only if the solvent fails to get the rail heads bright and shiny would I use abrasives. Then clean the locomotive's wheels. Then clean the wheels on the rest of the rolling stock on the theory that dirt on wheels rubs off on track.
Then check for good electrical connections. Old worn or loose railjoiners won't pass electricity. Buy a couple of packs of new railjoiners (they are cheap) and replace any old railjoiners that look questionable. Replace any insulating (plastic) railjoiners with metal ones. Inspect each track joint to make sure the rail is INSIDE the rail joiner and not just resting on top of it. Add some feeder wires from your power pack to the far side of your track.
Does your locomotive have a working headlight? If so watch it when the train stops. If the head light goes out when the locomotive stops, it's a good bet you have electrical problems. If the trains always stops at the same place, it's a track problem.
Two rail track does not permit reverse loops, at least not without a good deal of extra wiring and reversing switches. If you have used the turnouts to create a reverse loop that will cause your trouble.
David Starr www.newsnorthwoods.blogspot.com
hotrainmaniac I am a beginner at HO scale model railways and have set up a simple loop with two switches on it.anyway my HO scale train keeps stoping and starting on the track. although the track is kinda old. i put it on fine but it stops at some parts of the track. can anybody help me?!
Sounds like a typical day at work, only there it's; "My computer is not working! HELP!"
You said that it "stops at some parts of the track". The question is does it always stop at the same parts of the track? If so, that would indicate a problem with the track itself. As others have already suggested; it's either too dirty to conduct electricity, or a loose or broken rail joiner is preventing the electricity from completing a circuit. If the train stops at random locations without any apparent pattern then the issue may be in the locomotive. You might have to pop the shell off to look for broken pickups or loose connections to the motor.
The first question we always ask in my business is "What were you doing with it when it stopped working?" If you already had the locomotive apart and you put it back together, you may have not quite aligned some gear correctly, and it's causing the locomotive to bind. That's a mechanical problem, not an electrical one. Steam locomotives are especially twitchy that way.
Good luck.
I have figured out what is wrong with my brain! On the left side nothing works right, and on the right side there is nothing left!
try relaying the track. if that dosen't work than clean the track
stp1000 try relaying the track. if that dosen't work than clean the track
If you do go this route, replace all the railjoiners with new, tight fitting ones.
The thread is five months old, fellas.
You reckon the OP has it fixed yet?
"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination."-Albert Einstein
http://gearedsteam.blogspot.com/
Hi Scott
Pay more attention to the dates when you get ready to post an answer. This post is a little old.
Unfortunately, many post do not seem to have a final answer because many people post a question, get an answer and never think of giving back to the forum by stating the/certain answer was correct.They bail until they have another question.
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.