Lionel HO polar express Loco not running

[Penn Central]

Hi all. Last year I purchased a complete Lionel ho polar express set. Been really pleased with it. All the sudden it halts when it try to run it. It's a Lionel chief. I'm running it using DC power and the hand held Lionel controller. Worked like a charm last year and again this year up until today. 

I apply power to the rails as directed. 16 volts. The unit (tender) makes noises and flashed. The engine flashes. Then I power on the Lionel hand held controller. It connects and makes all sounds and light indications correctly. Same drill I've done all the times before. 

However this time when I turn the dial on the Lionel hand held the engine starts to move a few inches then halts completely. It even makes some sort of click. Not unlike the sound you heard when there's a short. I don't see any spark or smell anything. Same thing happens in forward and reverse. Just conks out. 

Only thing I'll add is last year I removed the front wheel set right under the cow catcher / plow bc it kept getting stick at switches. Never seemed to matter one bit. Never had any issues with this until now. Oh and the last thing I did do before the problem started is clean the wheels by running over a paper towel wetted with rubbing alcohol. As directed. 

Any ideas? Could it be the front wheel set i removed? It had no wiring connections I could see. 

 

Here's the set

 

https://www.lionelstore.com/The-Polar-Express-HO-Set?gclid=Cj0KCQiAweaNBhDEARIsAJ5hwbdc5ULzcXNCpCgygzg3x9KPSoJ5IZ01DhGRa2XFrEB7cjiQFoWbF6saAhwYEALw_wcB

 

[Trainman440]

Can you hear the motor still spinning/humming? Does it barely pull if you held it down gently?

If so you got a gear issue, likely a cracked gear. 

Send a video/audio recording of the sound your engine is making. Try to either mute the speaker sounds or put the microphone close to the engine, taking a listen to the motor (and the odd sound you mentioned) would be useful. I dont know anything about these engines in particular but I am very familiar with non-running steam locos, I restore them as a side hustle. 

Charles

[snjroy]

Hi there. If the engine stops and the sounds continue, it sounds like a mechanical issue (such as a broken gear). If ALL stops, then it's probably an electrical contact issue. Make sure the track is clean. You said you cleaned the wheels - which ones and how did you do this?

Simon

[Billwiz]

Does this unit have bluetooth control as well?  If so, can you try running it on the app?  This might rule out the hand held controller.  

 

[selector]

Intermittent function often means dirt/corrosion in the train hobby.  Rails dusty, joiners contaminated or splayed and not making great contact any longer, engine/tender pickups not making contact or are dirty, or the backs of the wheels are dirty if that's where they wipe...that kind of thing.  Could be a tether problem, broken wires inside perfectly good insulation, power cord that moves a bit and broken wire loses contact with the other end. I mean a tether between loco and tender, but also a corkscrew tether such as found on some hande-held paddle type throttles.

The jacks at either end of tethers, or receptacles, they can get sloppy, pins bent, plastic housing cracked and deformed.

[rbturner]

Any chance you installed the lead truck upside down after your repair?

[Overmod]

rbturner

Any chance you installed the lead truck upside down after your repair?

That would be difficult - the locomotive is a 2-8-4 with outside-frame lead truck.

He might have the axle in that truck installed backward on 2-rail power, and should check, but that shouldn't matter if the lead truck is electrically isolated from the axle.  I am tempted to note that he ought to be able to run it with the lead truck physically removed...