In another post I mentioned that I have two locos which run fine in the Woodland Scenics Tidy Track wheel cleaning system, but not at all on tracks.
It was suggested that I create a video so people can see the actual problem. Hopefully that will work here.
It shoukd be noted that other locos work just fine in this same track.
I am using DCC on Kato N scale Unitrack.
That is straight out strange.
.
My only guess would be that it is not picking up power on but a couple of axles, and it will make contact with the tidy track, but not the flat rails with the pick up axle(s).
Have you tried touching powered probes to the wheels and see if all pick up power?
Very strange indeed.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
There is much about electricity that is magic, but this is not that.
We know 100% that there is electricity at the tidy track, which means we have adequate power at the rail.
It's not a problem that happens sometimes with the track and sometimes with the tidy track. Meaning it's not a loose wire between the wheel pickup, the decoder or the motor.
Therefore the flow of electrons must stop between the loco wheels and whatever picks up power from the loco wheels. The tidy track must be pushing the wheels so they make contact with the power pick up in a way that placing it on the track does not. Since the track is the critical part of model railroading, that's what you need to fix.
You need to pull the trucks and examine the power routing from the wheels.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Looks to Me that when on the tidy track,it is getting it's power from the inside face of the wheels.....where as on the track it is supposed to be getting it's power from the wheel threads. Which leads Me to believe that the pick-up wipers are not touching the wheels when on the track. The tidy track is pushing against the wipers when in the tidy track. It's quite possible that You are only picking up power from one truck. I would go over both trucks and check how they are picking up power from the wheels. I'm not familiar with how that engine gets it's power from the rails.......but that is where I would start.....
Good Luck!
Frank