Oxford Rail Dean Goods - improving running?

[No.8_Bear]

Hi all - i have returned to the hobby after a long break and have built a modest DCC tail-chaser layout. I've been learning a lot from online discussions and videos and things have been going pretty well  - but I have one problem I don't seem to be able to solve. I purchased an Oxford Rail Dean Goods with sound and its a terrible runner. Painfully slow, it stops for no reason and if you get it going at all it kind of 'lurches' along - it has done this from the outset.  I emailed Oxford and asked about this - they were nice enough to reply but didn't offer any advice. I've cleaned every wheel, pick up etc til its gleaming - and its correctly lubricated. Is there anything anyone can suggest (I was going to send it back but I managed to snag one of the tender handbrakes on its first outing!) - any advice would be gratefully rec'd! Cheers 

 

    

[Bernard Lamb]

You do not say where you bought it. I would suggest you contact them. If it was a reputable dealer then they might take pity on you. But as from what you say you are not a regular purchaser they probably will not be too interested in helping. If you bought it from a private source then you are on you own as you own up to bad handling of the model. There are people, some on here, who do repairs. I suggest you look up and contact one of them. My sympathies on your re-start in the hobby not getting off too well. Oxford models are usually good runners so if it was bought new then that is amazingly bad luck.

Bernard

[No.8_Bear]

Thanks Bernard will - tbh this is the only problem I've had and I'm enjoying thing pretty much (well it took me about a 10 attempts to work out how to wire a double slip - but that's another story!) - I've built up a small collection of RTR - Bachmann and Hornby engines and I'm amazed at how much the hobby has changed in the intervening time - but this one reminds me of the Triang Lord of the Isles I once had! 

[john dew]

Neither of mine were much good out of the box ...in fact one went back and forth across the Atlantic before I got it sorted.

 

I added a lot of weight to mine .....otherwise they dont haul much.....and that may well have helped with the electrical contacts.....but the game changer for me was fitting stay alives. That transformed their performance. They dont stall, are super reliable and can meander along at speed step 3.
 

Usual disclaimer but my preferred set up is a Zimo chip and Youchoos Lifelink + 6700 u/f Supercap. With a bit of carving/modification they can be squeezed into the tender 
 

HTH

 

John

 

 

 

 

 

[No.8_Bear]

thanks John - I did wonder about a stay alive - I'll give that careful consideration 

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

3 hours ago, No.8_Bear said:

... Painfully slow, it stops for no reason and if you get it going at all it kind of 'lurches' along - it has done this from the outset...

The symptoms suggest most likely a poor/intermittent connection between the pick ups and the decoder. If there is no prospect of return for rectification or replacement by the retailer, then I would suggest disconnecting the decoder, and inserting a blanking plug, then trying how it runs on DC (a 9V PP9 block battery is good if you don't have a DC controller available).

 

If the motor runs reliably and the speed is adequate, then the connection problem is most likely on the decoder, including any of its wiring. If it is still unreliable try powering the motor by direct connection to the brush terminal. If that's good, then it's a fault in the wiring and connections on the loco that has to be tracked down.

 

Stay alive should be last resort: fix the problem rather than mask it.

[No.8_Bear]

OK thanks - I'll give that a go

[Chrisr40]

Hi, I had similar issues and tried the usual track cleaning etc. I wont guarantee you a fix but I fiddled around with the dcc settings to get rid of an audible buzzing ( disabled back emf and dc running). I also removed the capacitor in the tender. It's still not perfect but it's better than woeful which it was. Good luck.

 

I seem to remember it was something thought attributable to the loco using a different motor to what was envisaged and the sound chip having issues with this.

Edited June 15, 2020 by Chrisr40
Brain fart

[No.8_Bear]

So quick update just in case it helps anyone else - I did as suggested above put the blanking plate and ran it as good old DC and it shot round the layout like crazy with hardly any juice at all - so then I connected up a Hornby decoder from another loco and again it ran OK as well - clearly there is something wrong with the decoder should have done this at the outset!  

Edited June 16, 2020 by No.8_Bear

[Chrisr40]

 

Lots of detail in the dean goods thread about your problem around page 80 onwards. It is unlikely to be the chip. Have you put the sound chip in anything else to test that ?

Edited June 16, 2020 by Chrisr40

[No.8_Bear]

I din't because obviously I'd need to detach the speaker - OK I'll check out the thread 

[No.8_Bear]

Chris - thank you! - the penny has dropped - removed the capacitor (bit unnerving for a newbie like me) but its done it! - The running speed is now fine. I think I'll try adding some extra weight to improve the pulling power - but otherwise all good   

[Chrisr40]

Well  done. Glad it got a result.