Out of steam

[pharro]

hi everyone its has been awhile since i have posted on here but i need some opinions and advice. I manage to have a good go on my layout after a clean. But it seems that none of my steams run well they stop when running slow and when I stop them they some times need a little push to move again. My diesels however rub perfectly there lights dont go off or stop.

 

my layout is an dcc n guage layout with an nce power cab. I have given both the locos and the track a really good clean. All pieces of track have feeders to them. I can send pictures If needed.

 

If anyone can help I would be very greatfull for any help. I am thinking of 2 options if I carnt get it to work, one is change my erra to the 80,s which would mean selling all my rolling stock or starting the hole thing again as I now know alot more than i did. I would like to avoid both of these,

 

Thank you for looking.

[10800]

I am thinking of 2 options if I carnt get it to work, one is change my erra to the 80,s which would mean selling all my rolling stock or starting the hole thing again as I now know alot more than i did. I would like to avoid both of these,

 

Both of those seem a bit drastic.

 

You might want to change the title of the topic because it seems your only issue is poor running of your steam locos. Have you checked to see if the pickups have got out of line after cleaning?

[sapper_pat]

_{silly qeustion but are the steam engines older than the diesel stock, and what condition are the wheels ( ie nice new locos, or all the steam locos are a few years old) could be cruddy wheel sets that need a good clean, if you say were having 20 diesel and 20 steam on your layout, and only the steam was having the issue, then somthing very odd could be happeneing.}

 

_{I had a similar issue with a secoind hand loco that i picked up cheap, that would'nt play ball, until i looked at the underside and saw traction tyres fitted to all the driving wheels ( the loco never had them at all new).These were huge bubbers and they were lifting the wheels right off the track lol.}

[richard hines]

My layout is set in the "transition" period around 1960.It is oo gauge dcc with droppers from every section down to a power bus.I do find that my diesils are much more reliable than my steamers.I put this down to a number of factors,The diesils are heavier,have a much better spread of weight over their length and have more pick ups.

This is only my second layout and i am probable still learning the finer points of track laying,but i too find it flustrating not to be able to run the steamers which are my first love with the same degree of sucess.

[pharro]

Thanks richard its good to know I'm not the only one.I wondered if that diesels run better and its something I'm going to have to live with . Intreasting that it happens in 00.

 

Sapper_pat I have 2 diesels and about 4 steams that I tested some steams are newer and some old.none are that old and they are all receant model whith dcc sockets in them.

 

10800 I changed the title I didn't know what to call it. I have check the pick ups and there doesn't seem to be out of place. I know agin seems abitstarting but stopping steam engins arnt its only problem. I will put some pics up it would be nice to have some feed back.

[Boris]

Have the steamers recently been oiled?

[pharro]

Yes with some Dapol oil

[Boris]

Yes with some Dapol oil

 

Ok, this sounds a bit daft, but has any excess oil collected in/around the motor, as any dust inside the loco will stick the oil and can result in performance problems similar to this described.

[pharro]

I don't know I'm not able to check untill tomorrow but if this is so would I just clean the motor.

[sapper_pat]

hmmm very strange, i would have thought that if it was controller,track or train, it would happen to all, or a single loco,maybe 2 at a streatch, but to have 4 steams not playing ball, and 2 diesels are ok is weird, you would think there has to be a constant issue to knock off 4 locos

 

.When you think about it they all pickup in a fairly similar way (ie power in on left, out on right) on diesels & steam, the only difference on diesels being extra weight and flywheels, but even the you would see some movement or noise.

 

i'd be tempted to see what has been done to the streamers, that you didn't do to the diesels (cleaing methods, wheel condition,decoder install / type if done, set up on the dcc controller etc).If no luck there, maybe see if your local hobbie shop has a test track or rolling road to try to run one. If the loco/s work, then it could highlight a layout / controller issue.

[Stubby47]

Could it be due to the CV settings you have for the steam locos not being compatible with the motors ?

Do you have a rolling road or small oval of track where you can test/alter these ?

Stu

[richard hines]

On my layout i run 4 Bachmann dcc fitted diesils,a peak,a class 24 ,a class25 and a brand new Derby lightweight dmu.All run perfectly through pointwork and i think this may be what you are talking about.All my steamers are newish but all of them at one time have stalled on points.As i said before,there is an art to laying track which i may have not yet completely mastered but i do think that perhaps because of the reasons i have already mentioned diesils seem to be more forgiving.

[pharro]

I have tested my Dapol 9f which is the most problematic one on the good peoples at trains 4 u test track and it runs fine. This was dc and my layout is dcc.

 

I didn't do anything to the diesels but I cleaned and oiled the steams. Oh yeah I swaped chips over from one of the diesels.

 

Would a power boost help or does this work by only sending enough power that each loco needs and not sending more power down the bus making a stronger circuit. So you can run more trains without power lag.