Hesitant running of diesels

[Anonymous]

I have some LifeLike GP9 diesels with DCC decoders installed. One of them runs hesitatnly, that is, it starts and stops without reason. Is this caused by dirty electrical pickup contacts? If so, how do I get the sideframes off the trucks to check out all this? (removing sideframes on diesels scares me (am I breaking something?) and on maufacturer tell syou how to do this in the limited instructions

[dharmon]

DCC requires CLEAN tracks and wheels. Start there first. Our club uses 97-99 percent alcohol. Dampen a paper towel with it and plce it on the tracks and do one truck at a time.

[Anonymous]

Your electrical pick up is through the wheels, all eight of them.

Like dharmon said"CLEAN WHEELS" are mandatory plus clean track.

[ksax73]

That is a definate possibility (dirty pickups).

"Life LIke" is not that great with locomotives. My first few were from "Life Like" and it was a frustrating ordeal. Atlas, Bachmann-Spectrum, and Athearn are very good with thier locos. You should try to stick with them if you can.

I think Athearn has a model of the GP9

Hope this helps!

http://www.marylindsayrr.vze.com

[fec153]

L-L 2000's are great. Athearns growl. Bachmanns are speedsters but their Spectrum
series are a delight. Most Kato's are too expensive for me,the same with Atlas.
Concors and Walthers are also pretty good.

[dave9999]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ksax73

That is a definate possibility (dirty pickups).

"Life LIke" is not that great with locomotives. My first few were from "Life Like" and it was a frustrating ordeal. Atlas, Bachmann-Spectrum, and Athearn are very good with thier locos. You should try to stick with them if you can.

I think Athearn has a model of the GP9

Hope this helps!

http://www.marylindsayrr.vze.com

You obviously haven't tried the Proto 2000 loco's. The three most impotant words in DCC are:
CLEAN, CLEAN, CLEAN
Dave

[Anonymous]

I own four A-B sets of the P1K series F3. These are inexpensive, decent quality and good performers.

Also own the P2K E7s & PAs, good details, good performers and a step up in price.

Also own the LL plain junkers, F & FP40 that are good for display junk in my repair yard. These units are not worth running

[Nieuweboer]

I have a P2K GP18 that after it has been idle for some time-maybe 1-2 days-runs erratically. The first thing of course is cleaning the wheels and the track but I've been doing that so often with any influence on the performance that I'm now starting to wonder whether the trouble might not be a corroding and therefore sparking collector. This thoght is supported by the fact that after I run the engine at high speed for a minute or two it runs almost flawlessly.
Has anybody comparable experience or comment?