Intermittent Non Start

[Theakerr]

I have a Bachmann 3 car DMU unit the occasionally refuses to start. There are also no lights on in the interior or indicator panels. I can see no pattern and it does it anywhere on the layout. If I turn the power off, leave it for about 5 minutes and try again, it will almost always start. If it doesn't start, repeat process and so far it has started. Take it off the track and bench test it, it will start. Have cleaned the wheels and the track. Taken it apart and cannot see anything. Checked track voltage and there is power, so it is not shorting out the controller although the symptoms suggest a short. Put another loco on at the same spot and it runs. Strangely enough, a friend had Tudor Minstrel behave in an identical manner. We took the body off, the motor checked out, put the body back on and it hasn't done it again. I have a large automated fiddle yard and the non starting creates a number of trickle down issues. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[kevinlms]

Sounds like you have a broken/loose wire or a poorly soldered joint. These faults will cause an open circuit rather than a short.

 

Take the cover off & gently pull the wires. If a wire is loose, it will probably come adrift entirely. Time to get your soldering iron out & resolder it.

 

Or else the pick ups aren't making proper contact.

 

Kevin Martin

[Theakerr]

Good point Kevin. Will pull it apart in the next couple of days. Just to be frustrating, the problem hasn't occurred in the last six sessions! Go figure

[Chubber]

Many years ago, more than I care to remember I had this problem with a Hornby locomotive which was put down to oil on the commutator. A clean with fire extinguisher fluid [?] fixed it.

 

Doug