if you think the Kadee couplers are causing the problem and they are mounted with metal 2-56 screws, try replacing the metal screws with plastic 2-56 screws. this should isolate the coulpers from the frame, removing any polarity issues.
I have them on five Athearn DC BB SD40-2's going on 8 yrs now.
Pulling a 50ft long Intermodal train. Don't really need all five...but I like the way it looks.
Just can't beat those ''growler's''.
http://www.kadee.com/htmbord/page28.htm
Take Care!
Frank
Is there such a thing as too many loco's????? Joe
No, there's no such thing as too many locos! This post has taken a turn of events. I have determined that some units act this way (erratic current pickup) all by themselves. The worst one stops and restarts several times in one long lap all by itself. I tried adding two additional capacitors in parallel with the original one, and that made no difference. Pressing down lightly on the loco after it stalls causes a restart. Of course the track and wheels are freshly cleaned, to rule that out. I don't have room for the new Soundtraxx "Keep Alive" unit, as these eight locos are already crammed with a large speaker enclosure in the rear, and added weights shoe-horned into any available spaces. I've decided that pickup problems between the metal truck frames and the axle bearing blocks are the next likely area to attack. The black coating had already been removed from the U-slots, and hard wiring soldered to the metal frames, but there's a lot of slop in the axle bearing fit into the plates. I figure I'll solder jumper wires directly to each bronze block, then connect that to the main truck feeder wires. Don't know how I'll get a soldering tip in there yet.
Thanks for all the good responses and suggestions. Too bad somebody doesn't offer a better, aftermarket truck design, if this turns out to be the solution.
Sounds like you covered most all the bases ! There's no lubrication on the axles is there ? Some lubricants make an excellent insulator .... although with that many axles, I wouldn't think that would be a problem. I've had a few engines where lubrication has leached out onto the axles and caused what you are experiencing. Giving the axles and bushings a good cleaning in solvent usually cures it.
Adding more capacitance to the factory installed capacitor won't do anything as that capacitor is strictly a "stay alive" for the sound circuit - it does not tie in to the motor circuit. It's there to prevent the sound from constantly restarting during small power outages.
Have you checked continuity between front and rear trucks ? No internally broken wires ? There's something you are missing - with that many wheels and additional weight added, you really should not be having any issues.
Mark.
¡ uʍop ǝpısdn sı ǝɹnʇɐuƃıs ʎɯ 'dlǝɥ
If this is an Athearn RTR loco, it probably has the same problem my RS-3 has. Best option seems to be using some fine flexible wire and solder wires directly from the pickup bushings to the truck feeds of the decoder. Bypass the bolster and frame path with known good wiring. This requires care, the bushings are small and much of a blob of solder will interfere with either the hole for the axle or the ability of the bushing to slide up and down in the truck frame. I guess another option would be to rig wheel wipers as an alternative power pickup path, attaching that while not interfering with the truck rotation might be even more tricky.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
You could add wheel wipers probably easier than soldering to the bronze journals. Solder short lengths of bronze wire to the metal plates on both sides of the trucks, bend them out with a curved end on them so they press against the back of the wheel face.
I still can't help feeling you're missing something. I've had many of these engines through my shop, and with a good cleaning to remove any errant lubrication and paint, I've never experienced any power drop-outs. Even my Atlas engines from the factory exhibited similar problems due to a light film of lubrication on the axle tips. A good cleaning fixes them every time.
zstripe It appears that some do not know that Kadee makes a plastic shank coupler, the knuckle is metal, the shank is plastic. The whole coupler is not plastic. #28, is the same as #5 and #148. Frank
It appears that some do not know that Kadee makes a plastic shank coupler, the knuckle is metal, the shank is plastic. The whole coupler is not plastic. #28, is the same as #5 and #148.
Our 20 and 30 series couplers have plastic shanks and heads with a metal knuckle (moving part of the head).Rich
Alton Junction
Rich,
That's what I said in the very beginning...the shank is plastic, the knuckle is metal. The shank looks exactly like a #5 and #148, that's for the #28. I have been using them for quite awhile now. I also use them with the flat copper spring, that a lot of people don't care for.
zstripe Rich, That's what I said in the very beginning...the shank is plastic, the knuckle is metal. The shank looks exactly like a #5 and #148, that's for the #28. I have been using them for quite awhile now. I also use them with the flat copper spring, that a lot of people don't care for. Take Care! Frank
Rich
There seems to be 2 different issues discussed here by different posters. Are we talking about a momentary short or loss of power due to a momentary open circuit. I am not running DCC so I admit that detecting a problem with lots of decoder equipped units may complicate detecting what the problem is. With DC power and a voltmeter and ammeter it is very easy to determine either a short or open even if it is momentary. I guess with DCC to do the same would require removing or isolating all units except the ones in question. Is this a practical means of finding such a problem?
Ron High
richhotrain zstripe It appears that some do not know that Kadee makes a plastic shank coupler, the knuckle is metal, the shank is plastic. The whole coupler is not plastic. #28, is the same as #5 and #148. Frank I didn't realize that. I had no reason to doubt it, but I had a look at one of my Kadee plastic couplers and I couldn't tell if the knuckle was metal or not So I wrote to Sam at Kadee. Here is his response: Our 20 and 30 series couplers have plastic shanks and heads with a metal knuckle (moving part of the head).Rich
I didn't realize that. I had no reason to doubt it, but I had a look at one of my Kadee plastic couplers and I couldn't tell if the knuckle was metal or not So I wrote to Sam at Kadee. Here is his response:
Well, you guys have managed to totally confuse me. I always thought that just the shank was plastic, and wondered how they attached that to the head. If I understand the Kadee answer correctly, only the moving part of the coupler is metal and the head is plastic. This actually makes more sense to me, but is that how the item is really made?
Same way the regular ones are made, there are two pieces (3 if you count the 'air hose') that get assembled in the manufacturing process. Assembling the components would be no different with a metal or plastic head.
rrinker Same way the regular ones are made, there are two pieces (3 if you count the 'air hose') that get assembled in the manufacturing process. Assembling the components would be no different with a metal or plastic head. --Randy
I wasn't asking how the parts are assembled. I was asking if the head and shank are a one piece plastic thing to which the movable parts are added.
Think of your left hand, your four fingers being connected to your hand in turn connected to your wrist (shank) all one piece (plastic) the large knuckle being your thumb attached to your wrist with a pin, the pin the moving knuckle and air hose, also spring are Metal...the rest one piece plastic:
maxman rrinker Same way the regular ones are made, there are two pieces (3 if you count the 'air hose') that get assembled in the manufacturing process. Assembling the components would be no different with a metal or plastic head. --Randy I wasn't asking how the parts are assembled. I was asking if the head and shank are a one piece plastic thing to which the movable parts are added.
wjstix Athearn Ready to Run and Genesis are basically two very different product lines. As noted, RTR are based on the old "blue box" Athearn engines, which had trouble just as the OP described.
Athearn Ready to Run and Genesis are basically two very different product lines. As noted, RTR are based on the old "blue box" Athearn engines, which had trouble just as the OP described.
While that is an important distinction, some of the blue box line such as the SD45T-2's and SD40T-2's are very nearly Genesis level in detail and a great bang for the buck.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983