Broadway Ltd problem with running

[peterjenkinson1956]

i recently purchased 3 x of the blue line steam locos with sound... i have fitted these with new lenz decoders    all the locos run for a short time then stop    the lenz decoders are getting hot   i changed the decoders   same problem      any idea why they stop running after 5  mins       

[selector]

I would guess that you are passing too much current (amperage) through the decoders, they get warm enough to trip their safety circuitry, and your engine stops dead.  What are you using to drive the trains?  Do you have the correct/recommended decoder for the can motors in those Blueline engines?

[tstage]

Peter,

Another issue sometimes is that certain decoders need to "breathe" to operate properly.  You may want to check your Lenz decoder manuals to see if they say how you should or shouldn't secure the decoder under the shell.  If a decoder has too much electrical tape surrounding it, it can get too warm, overheat, and fail.

With decoders of this kind, you can use some sort of foam tape for securing them in place.  I really like Kapton (Polymide) tape because it thin, clear (amber) but very strong.  I would think they would have something like that in Australia somewhere.

Also, be sure that the decoder is not touching any metal on the bottom side and shorting to the frame.  I usually place a strip of Kapton tape on that side so this doesn't happen.

Peter, keep us posted...

Tom

[peterjenkinson1956]

the decoders are mounted inside huge tenders    much larger than you would find inside a diesel loco  example gp38    the 2 - 10 - 4     locos have very large tenders so heat would not build up....     not covering the decoder with tape   ...  i tried sitting the decoder on top of some foam to give it some air around it     still gets hot     i have put the lenz decoders into approx 60 locomotives and no problem  until i tried the blue line steam locos

[locoi1sa]

 Hi Peter

   Check and see if they need lubrication first. Some BLI products are dry and some are dripping wet with oil.

  Can you shut off the BEMF on the decoder and see how they run?  They could be binding and the BEMF is working like mad to keep them going. Another issue is the current capacity of the lenz decoder. Which decoder is it?  Try putting the jumper plug back in and run them on DC and get an amp reading.

      Pete