I have a BLI Soo Line SD9 (The newest version with DCC and Sound) and it seems to have a lot of problems over switches. It keeps losing power around the switches on my layout, AND the club's large layout. None of my locomotives have this issue. The wheels are completely clean and the track on the club and my layout are clean also. Please help. Do any of you guys have this issue too?
-Khang Lu, University of Minnesota Railroad Club
I have no Broadway Limited SD9, but this problem sounds like there may not be electrical pickup from one of the trucks, or the wires from one truck are not making good contact with the decoder.
A way to test the locomotive is to pick one end up slightly and see if it still has power. If so, pick up the other end. If it dies when one of the ends is picked up, the opposite truck has faulty pickup, possibly because of a loose wire.
I'd contact BLI and send it back to them instead of risking an invalidated warranty by opening it up.
cacole I have no Broadway Limited SD9, but this problem sounds like there may not be electrical pickup from one of the trucks, or the wires from one truck are not making good contact with the decoder. A way to test the locomotive is to pick one end up slightly and see if it still has power. If so, pick up the other end. If it dies when one of the ends is picked up, the opposite truck has faulty pickup, possibly because of a loose wire. I'd contact BLI and send it back to them instead of risking an invalidated warranty by opening it up.
Found out the problem anyways, one of the connecting plugs that plugs into the board was not secured properly, now it runs great!