I know, another stupid Cuda Ken question.
Reason I ask, I have had bad luck with old Blue Box Engines that I have added decoders to. With the chassis being hot, when I clean the wheels I get shorts from the truck hitting the frame. I feel that will shorten the decodes life with me having a 5 amp power supply.
I still have my Bachmann E-Z with only 1 amp. I thinking about using it for a cleaning track. With only 1 amp, could it damage a Digitrax DH 123 or 163 when there is a quick short?
I have a pair of the Athearn Super Weight F7's I like to get back on the rails but don't want to eat a decoder from cleaning the wheels. They don't seem to pull much power, guess they are about 6 years old.
Thanks for the coming answers.
Cuda Ken
I hate Rust
Ken.
It takes one of the motor leads to touch a wheel pickup to fry a decoder. Shorting a hot frame to the other wheel will short the system but should not do considerable harm to the decoder. Sometimes a short will scramble a decoders memory and need a reset.
Pete
I pray every day I break even, Cause I can really use the money!
I started with nothing and still have most of it left!
Short answer, yes, you can. The 2 amp rating refers tot he peak current the motor drive portion of the circuit can withstand. The rest of the decoder, not so much. Think of it as the 98 pound weakling tellign the strong man what to do. The strong man can easily handle a 400 pound weight, but put the 400 pound weight on the 98 pound weakling and it will crush him. The other comparison could be Achilles. Invulnerable except for that heel. Capable of handling 2 amps when it's going from the decoder to the motor, but apply power from the wrong side and it's weaker than a baby.
As Pete noted, shorting the wheels to the frame won't do anythign but short out the syste, assuming the motor is properly isolated. A properly installed AThearn decoder will be fine. An exampel fo one NOT done right is the Proto 2000 Alco switchers, theyhave the wheel pickups isolated from the chassis but the motor is conencted to the chassis. Withotu modifications, if you press the wheel against the chassis, you WILL be connecting the track power to the motor outputs.
For wheel cleaning at the clu we have a sort piece of track and drape a handi-wipe over it soaked in alcohol or goo-gone. Goo-gone cuts thicker dirt better, but I would follow it up with a spin on the alcohol to remove the Goo-Gone residue. It's really hard to cause a short with this method, vs holding the loco upside down and pushing against the wheels. You hold the truck to be cleaned, turn ont he power, and hold it over the cloth. No need to press down hard. When one end is clean, slide the towel a little to put a clean spot on the railhead, and flip the loco around to clean the other truck. Quick and easy.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
I have that wheel cleaning brush also, Guess what? I refuse to use it any more. Though I havn't freid a decoder with it, trying to hold the brush, locomotive and truck still is a pain in the behind. And if you miss you short out he system.
I prefer the method Randy suggested, I just do it on the main line.
The advantages, no shorts, Clean wheels.
And on locos with traction tires if you are not paying attention, you can damage a tire with the brush.
Hey guys, thanks for the answers.
Ken