I have a Polar Express 0-8-0 #25, Was part of a beginners set but the local hobby shop was taking sets apart and selling items individually. Anyhow, I bought it for about a $100 bucks. My layout is traditional O-31 tubular track with O-22 switches. When running at speed on the mainline she runs OK. But when switching at slow speeds she looses electrical contact and stalls out on the switches. If I remove the traction tire she runs much better at slow speed through the switches by herself. But when trying to pull a few cars without the traction tire the drivers slip and spin on the rails.
Cleaning the track and cleaning the wheels and center rail pick-up did not do much to solve the problem. I have a Wabash 2337 GP-7 and a Santa Fe 2383 F-3 and they both run through the track work at slow speed with no problem. Also a 1666 Steamer and she too can work through the track work just fine.
Is this something I just have to put up with. Anybody have the same problem ? Are these locomotives just cheap beginner set Locos and that all you get ? Were these Locos designed for Fast-Track ?
Steve
I think it's a pretty safe assumption that current Lionel steamers, the 0-8-0's in particular, are designed for Fastrack. After all, that's what the starter sets come with.
Sounds like you need a jumper wire for the outside rail power as you are losing the outside rail power because of working better without the traction tire. Run an 18 gauge wire from the tender or other car behind the engine's frame and see if that helps, don't make a more permanant connection until you know that solves the problem.
I'm going to assume the problem is with power to the center rail. Lionel locomotives are designed so that the center rail rollers can span any track breaks. Both should not be on a break at the same time.
Run the engine through the switch slowly until it stalls then carefully examine the positions of the center rail rollers. I'm guessing one will be on a break point. The other center rail roller should be on the track. Take a jumper wire and touch it from a good center rail to the suspect rail or roller. If the engine springs to life when you short power to it you have either a connection problem with the center rail or a bad roller.
It's not uncommom for the connections to the rails to break internally in an 022 switch. Take the bottom off and see whats going on.
It's most likely a ground problem. That's why with traction tire removed it's ok.
Both wheels may be on one of the multiple dead spots found in the 022's.
And the traction tires are insulating ground contact.
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