James90012 Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 I don't suppose someone could help me locate the capacitors on this model? I'm having problems with the lights flickering in both directions on DCC and a possible solution seems to remove these. I'm also hoping it will improve its running characteristics. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzie Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 It sounds like you might have pickup problems if you are getting poor running and the lights are flickering. removing the capacitors might help the slow running, but it will not help with the flickering lights. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRman Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 I'm inclined to agree with Suzie. In fact, I have just been fiddling with the pickups on a Heljan 58 myself - in common with just about every Heljan locomotive I have bought, it was picking up on only four out of the eight wheels rigged with pickups. The 58s also seem to be particularly prone to flickering lights of the wheels get any dirt on them, although the 58s were amongst the first of the Heljan diesels to receive the new, improved wheels. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James90012 Posted August 31, 2012 Author Share Posted August 31, 2012 Well the lights in the forward direction remain fairly constant, so when going forward, the white lights are constant, however it is the opposite direction lights which are flickering on and off. So, heading forward, white constant lights with flickering red lights. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Dagworth Posted August 31, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 31, 2012 The capacitors in question in a Heljan class 58 are part of the lighting circuit and do indeed have all sorts of odd effects on the lights, flickering and the wrong lights lighting briefly being very common. They are NOT EMC suppression capacitors, please don't argue that point. They are the two black cylinders on the circuit board above the motor, they each have two wires from one end. All you need to do is cut any one wire on one capacitor to break the circuit. You can remove both completely if you wish, this leaves a bit more room for the decoder. They are only there to attempt to stop flicker of the LED lighting on DC usage (which they are not very effective at!) so removing them for DCC usage will have no ill effect. Andi Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRman Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 That's a bit odd, James. I would expect the lights to be behaving the same way at both ends. If they flicker travelling in one direction but not in the other then that would indicate the pickups being at fault, possibly misaligned so that they don't contact as well with the wheels rotating the opposite way. I did spot one capacitor on top of the pcb but there may be more attached to the brushes themselves on the motor - I didn't really bother as I haven't had a problem on this locomotive with DCC (I have a temporarily fitted Bachmann 21-pin decoder using a spare Hornby adaptor from one of their Sapphire decoders). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Dagworth Posted August 31, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 31, 2012 What James is saying is that the forward (white) lights will stay on, but the reverse (red) lights will flicker, the same will happen whichever way the loco is moving. It is the capacitors causing the problem, not pickups. This is an early Heljan 58 isn't it James? They stopped putting the caps in on later ones because of this problem IIRC. If you can get to the original Hj58 topic on the old forum there is pages of discussion on it there. Edit: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=14139&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=Heljan+58+caps&start=50#p221588 is the topic in question from 5 years ago. Andi Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James90012 Posted August 31, 2012 Author Share Posted August 31, 2012 Thanks I did try a search and it was through another site I first read the mention of capacitors. I think it is an earlier model yes. Thanks for all your advice. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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