RMweb Premium Chimer Posted November 18, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted November 18, 2015 I hardly know where to start ...... OK, there is a 2 foot approx length of Code 100 Streamline, curved to about 2'6" radius, forming part of my small roundy-roundy layout. It happens to be one of the pieces of track to which I've soldered droppers - I don't do this to every piece, but it so happens I have here. And it's one of only two pieces of track which together form a separate section on my DC cab control setup. I have a fairly ancient tender-drive Hornby Black 5. When running forwards and anti-clockwise, it gets over the section break onto this piece of track, carries on for about six inches, and stops. When the hand of god pushes it onwards, onto the other piece of track in the section (that, note, is the one without droppers) it pulls itself together and carries on perfectly happily unaided. Now then - when running tender first, it proceeds through this track section perfectly happily in either direction. And it also goes through perfectly running forwards and clockwise. And none of my other locos have any problems here. And the gremlin only arrived this morning - the layout has been working for about 4 years now.. All yours, chaps and others ..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliff park Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 I would suggest checking the pickups rather than suspecting the track Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
34theletterbetweenB&D Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 I share 'Cliff Parks' opinion. There's must be power on the rails, and conduction is good enough, since 'everything else' runs; including the loco with the trouble, in the other direction and alternative orientation. Most likely either: there is only one wheel one side that is really effective for pick up, and somehow that wheel loses contact when the trouble occurs; or, if the old loco to tender 'power coupling' is in use then that isn't functioning wholly reliably, and supply from the tender is lost at the trouble location, either by going open circuit or short circuit. Reading the track supply current when the loco stops will be informative: it will either be no current - stopped open circuit - or plenty of current - stopped short circuit. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete the Elaner Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 I would also check the back-to-backs. I have found a lot of Hornby stock has with the wheels set too close together (even as recent as my Class 60). This creates some slop between the wheels which can't be ideal for electrical continuity. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bike2steam Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 ; or, if the old loco to tender 'power coupling' is in use then that isn't functioning wholly reliably, and supply from the tender is lost at the trouble location, either by going open circuit or short circuit. Reading the track supply current when the loco stops will be informative: it will either be no current - stopped open circuit - or plenty of current - stopped short circuit. Yep, that's what would be my first thing to check. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCB Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 1st check is it shorting or not picking up? Put a second loco on the same track a few inches away from the Black Five, if both stop its probably shorting, if the Black Five stops and the other keeps going or speeds up it is not picking up. If it is really ancient the old silver seal with 6 wheel loco pickup and 4 traction tyres check the wires from loco to tender they love to snap where they flex. On the medium ancient version the tender contact(s) might be playing up, obviously they work better going backwards but sometimes the axle bearings in the loco chassis don't make proper contact, I have forced thin fuse wire around the bearings on a Tender drive King in the past to cure this. As it is Flexi track it could be a bit tight to gauge and/ or a bit tight to radius causing a short on the loco, bogie to frame or bogie wheel to valve gear are favourites. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Chimer Posted November 19, 2015 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted November 19, 2015 Thanks all, will follow through your suggestions tomorrow (excellent night out tonight ) and report back - it's the (only) 1 failure out of 4 combinations, and the fact that it's been OK until today (oops make that yesterday) that puzzles me. Agree it's got to be the loco not the track, I just put in the track details to confirm nobody thought otherwise. Thanks again Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Chimer Posted November 20, 2015 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted November 20, 2015 OK, I said I'd report back, so I will, even though it will make me look sooooo dumb ...... Engine put on track in front takes off, runs round circuit up to buffers of tender and churns away trying (unsuccessfully) to bank it. Lots of current everywhere, ahead of stalled loco, behind stalled loco, across its driving wheels etc. Oooh that's strange, touch offside tender wheel with multimeter probe and off it goes ..... Oh no - about 12" of track (outside rail only) is b****y filthy as is one of the tender wheels - 2 minutes with acetone and problem gone away - doh!! But amazed other locos managed without faltering. Probably still some scope for improving pickup on Black 5 - its only got traction tyres on one side btw, so I think that makes it "medium ancient" under the DCB classification. Note to self - put on reading glasses more often when looking at layout, can see dirt on track then! Thanks again to all contributors, mea culpa now complete. Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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