Track Power Problem

[Virginian]

It's a bad connection. Probably a rail joiner from what you describe.

[trainnut57]

Thanks to all. Most of the common sense steps mentioned, clean track, clean wheels, I have already checked and double checked and cleaned even if it didn't appear dirty. THe loose joiner sounds like something worth looking into, as does (although it will take a great deal of work) soldering all the connections execept for afew for expansion.

P.S. Anybody know a good Excorcist?

[Train 284]

QUOTE: Originally posted by oleirish

Trainnut
Dirty tracks,and possable bad joint in panel wireing,I do analog as well and found this on my layout in the power panel,Lose wire.allso maybe a bad joint on your track that reacts to weather changes??
JIM

I would go with the above statement!

[grayfox1119]

Flextrack ( Ni/Silver) expands or contracts at the rate of 0.0033 iches per 3 foot section for every 10F change. So leaving a dremel tool cutting blade width will take care of this issue. Of greater concern is the pywood base. This can absorb a great deal of water in high humidity conditions, so make sure you seal the plywood.
I suspect you have connection problems because when you start to make measurement with your meter leads, things start to happen sometimes, this hints of connection problems.

[Don Gibson]

Gremlins?

(quote)"I will get out the old testor, and sometimes as soon as I check the rails for power making contact with both rails via the tester, the unit starts up and runs; other times it starts again when it feels like it. "

(reply)There is nothing in your 'tester' to start up your engine. I suspect it is just your 'electric personality' - or pressure on the track from your hand's.
You have an electrical INTERMTITTANT condition. The power from your power pak is not getting to the motor. Your electricity does not 'runneth over'.

What's in-between? - Track (and wheels).

Track: ONE loose track-joiner will cause your problem - but WHERE?
Next time your engine stops running, go around your track with a pencil and tap each rail-joiner with the the eraser end until you find the offending spot. Both tracks.

Wheels: pick up dirt , oil, and carbon from the track, , which prevent's electricity from being transmitted to the motor. Clean with a cotton Q tip and alcohol. CLUE: Dirty wheel's cause erratic behavior.
Some steam engine's tender's pick up electricity. Ditto - plus the connection to the engine can cause the same problem.

Dirty track: CLUE: Engine stops in same spot's. Can remedied with thorough cleaning by a rag and alcohol.

YOUR PROBLEM will be solved with Detective work followed by elbow grease. There are many 'cleaner's which work, but none better than cheap alcohol, and avoid any oils. They may clean, but will attract dust. Just spill a drop somewhere.

[selector]

Bruce has the one possiblity that immediately came to my mind- loco wheels, or bad/loose/dirty pickups. If track were the problem, the loco would stop at the same places. That it stops at a whim, as you say, means that there is a bad connectivity issue with the loco. Maybe the motor heats to a point and then opens a contact.

[Blind Bruce]

All of the above PLUS really clean those wheels/tires. The grunge that builds up on them is a great insulator and only takes a couple of hours running to build up. Try electronic contact cleaner from Radio shack or other source. Isopropyl alcohol does not clean this goop as well as a dedicated cleaner.
BB

[Anonymous]

All of the above:
1) clean the track
2) solder the track joints, except for two or three for expansion/contraction
3) feed the track between each unsoldered joint

After 50+ years - no problems following this advise

[Anonymous]

Sounds like you need a good "Track Thumper"! The source of the problem may well be a group of gremlins ranging from track oxidation, through bad routing switches ( again oxidation on the contacts), dirty pickup wheels, to cold solder joints within equipment or track wiring that go intermitent on you. I think you may need the services of an exocist! Locating the source of this problem I know is very frustrating, principlly because of its "random" nature. Good luck. I am sure that ther will be others who respond to your post to rid this problem for your sanity"s sake.

[oleirish]

Trainnut
Dirty tracks,and possable bad joint in panel wireing,I do analog as well and found this on my layout in the power panel,Lose wire.allso maybe a bad joint on your track that reacts to weather changes??
JIM

[Seamonster]

Gremlins. I would suspect dirty track. Try giving it a good cleaning.

[trainnut57]

I run an analog system using Tech II and 4 power packs, one on the inner track and one for the outer, and both tracks are a minimum of 50 feet total length-including curves. Lately, without warning the train will go about three quarters of the way around the track and then stop dead-powerless. I will get out the old testor, and sometimes as soon as I check the rails for power making contact with both rails via the tester, the unit starts up and runs; other times it starts again when it feels like it. Most of the track is brand new, what isn't new is not very old (less than three years), and all the same brand (Atlas code 100.) To add to the confusion, this doesn't always happen in the same spot, and all of locomoties, steam and diesel, BLI and Bachmann are affected. Both tracks are isolated into blocks and according to tests, the power goes into and OUT OF the controller. All connections for extensions of electrical power wires to track terminals are soldered and insulated. Any suggestions? Remember, this does not happen all the time. I am trying to rule out poltergeists-need help.
Thanks