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Whats wrong with my 61XX?


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Hi

 

I've yet to build a layout to run anything on but over the past 18 months or so I have been purchasing loco's as and when I can and have putting them away for when I have been in a position to fit them with sound, weather and detail etc. So I purchased a 61xx round about this time last year when they were on a good offer price from a retailer. I tested it briefly backwards and forwards on a piece of tracking it all seemed to  work ok so it was packed away. Today having bought a suitable rolling road last week and purchased a sound decoder I thought I would make a start on it.

 

So I put it on the rolling road running from a Hornby controller , it was running ok then suddenly stopped! There was nothing obvious as to why it would stop nothing catching, rubbing or other noise to lead one to suspect what the cause was. Taking it off the rolling road and carefully jiggling the wheels and putting it back it works then after about 30 to 60 seconds again just stops? Any ideas what this might be? Do I return it to the retailer or Heljan if it is nothing obvious that is causing the issue ?

 

I'm unable to upload a video so I hope my description maybe sufficient for a diagnosis.

 

Mark

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I believe your contract is with the retailer, not the builder, so back to the retailer it will need to go if it isn't out of warranty.

 

Is the problem with it running on dc or (with the decoder fitted) dcc?

 

If it is dcc, then try running it under dc and see what happens.

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I have spoken to the retailer this morning who think that because I am using your average Hornby train set DC controller which is probably sufficient for Dapol O gauge, it is not sufficient for the Heljan locos and therefore is failing due to the controller current loss, so they have suggested I purchase a an O gauge controller and try that first. 

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Do you have a test meter or, perhaps, a car lamp?

 

The test meter would let you have a continuous check on the track voltage to tell you whether it is the controller shutting down or not.

 

A car headlamp connected to the track - without the loco on the track - might give you a similar idea in so far as the current draw by the bulb is probably greater than the loco so the bulb should go out after a while and if left connected would keep going on and off.

 

I'm not suggesting the retailer is wrong but several of us run dcc decoder equipped Dapol O gauge locos which are using OO decoders so unless the Hornby controller isn't designed to be too powerful, I wouldn't rush out to replace it.

 

Does the Hornby controller have a plate/label that tells you what the output voltage and current are? Do you get the same result if you run the loco at a constant slow speed as opposed to a greater speed?

 

Do you have a dcc system yet? The Hornby controller may be sufficient for testing locos on dc, there shouldn't be a need to buy a replacement if you're ultimately going to have an all dcc layout.

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Is it possible it’s the controller overheating and cutting out (and there’s nothing wrong with the loco)

 

While you checked the loco, the controller could have then cooled down so that it worked again only to overheat again and cut after running the loco again for 30 to 60 secs

 

Have had the same thing happen with large G scale locos when tested with a train set controller (because I couldn’t be bothered to get a more powerful one out!)

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi

Thank you for the replies and advice. I opted to buy an O gauge controller on the basis it will come in handy for testing other Heljan purchases no doubt.

 

Tried it out today and It all works OK !

 

Now the scary bit is fitting the decoder!

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Gosh, what a nightmare! I thought things would be easier moving up to O gauge but not as I thought. So despite the poor directions (poor picture quality) on the Heljan instructions I managed to get the body off. No room for a decent speaker unless I remove all the bits and re-wire like the Youchoos and Zimo version (not within my skillset), so I  plugged the decoder in, I thought there was a speaker fitted when I could see two wires soldered to the board but from the instructions not so. Turning it over one screw came out of the speaker housing easily the other one just spins around ho hum!

 

How do I get it out? Are there speakers wires inside ready to solder onto a speaker. Nothing in the instructions to say so.

 

Anyway I decided to put the body bak on which is when the problems started, whistle pipe fell off, cab handrail came off, internal part to the cab fell off, cab door fell off unbelievable ! Stress levels are through the roof.

 

So I have put it to one side now and will finish off tomorrow and will sleep on it or not,  thinking on how to remove the screw and speaker housing without damaging anything else.

 

 

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