shottsj

I know this is an old post! But I have a solution because I had exactly the same problem with a Loksound 5. You need to set a couple of CVs to disable some protocols that you probably aren't using and don't need. Try setting CV28 = 3 and CV 47 = 1 I did this on advice from a chap on the ESU forum and my loco burst into life after 2 months of misery which even Charlie at DC Kits could not resolve for me!!!

Hi LBSC123! I am having this issue too, but it seems to apply to 'short' locos only, like Jinty 0-6-0s, but a really old Minitrix Boadicea trips the relay perfectly every time. Which is frustrating. The symptom is that the locos stall first time through on a 'new' points setting, but then once you push them through they relay appears to have been tripped and they run back the other way perfectly. Some of the other solutions here sound a bit drastic, and yours sound simple. Except that I don't understand exactly what you have done. What contacts did you put a wire between to get what to 'click'...?

A further update. Being impatient I decided not to wait for a replacement. So I put some superglue on the joint where the pin goes through the sliding rod and pushed it hard into place while the glue dried. It seems to have formed a good joint. No sign of spinning or twisting or any slack at all. Have now mounted the motor fully aligned and correctly operating including positive accurtate polarity switching. Now only time and operations will prove whether this is a good solution. Wish me luck! Cheers! Jeremy. (The replacement item came from Hattons today so now I have a spare in case it does come apart again with usage!)

Quick follow up. Just phoned Hattons and told them the sob story and they have very kindly agreed to send a replacement motor FOC even though I already soldered the faulty one. It's not their fault that Gaugemaster manufacture is deficient so it's quite nice of them really. I asked that they pass on our collective negative feedback to Gaugemaster but whether anything will come of it...? Good luck with your SEEPs everyone. From my viewpoint they are still a very good and well priced solution when they aren't out of whack! With 50+ motors to install Cobalts or Tortoises just weren't in my budget... Cheers! Jeremy

Just joined the 'unhappy party'! Have a layout where I have installed about 50 SEEPS and most of them work just fine. But as it is N gauge the alignment is absolutely critical, especially if the polarity switch is going to work correctly. I have a great methodology for installation worked out BUT when the pin spins, and when the pin itself is not perfectly straight there is NOTHING that will make them work. If anyone has an infallible long term proven way to lock the pin in place that might be OK but I've not managed it so far. Let Us Know!!! :-) Just got the second one from Hattons and it turns out also to be a 'spinner' so I am planning to send it back. Gaugemaster clearly need to get their manufacturing sorted out!!! Grrrr! Cheers. Jeremy

Hi Harold! Thanks for the suggestion! I think your idea might well work. To do this however realistically I would in any case need to remove the points from the layout which is what I was trying to avoid. (Lazy!!) The thing about this kind of repair is that it would perpetually be subjected to the 'whack' of a capacitor powered solenoid every time the points change in the 'out' direction. So it would need to be very robust indeed to survive for a significant period of usage. So I suspect the metal washer or bit of tubing might be a better option. Still very fiddly to do in N gauge. The point is now somewhat moot as I have now switched the points for new pair which was a bit of a faff but is now done and dusted - and the pin slotted in perfectly without adjustment and should be fine. So I now have a spare pair of points with one side's pin hole unavailable for use on the tie-bar. It could of course still be used perfectly with a motor displaced to the other side. So I suspect I will be giving up on the idea of a repair as I have lots more construction work to catch up with! But once again thanks for the additional suggestion. As ever I am absolutely delighted and continaully impressed with the enthusiastic and rapid repsonses one gets to solving problems from the RM community! Enjoy your Railway and have a Great Christmas and New Year! All the best. Jeremy

Hi Dave! Darn! Unfortunately that option is not available to me as in this case - and annoyingly in this case ONLY! - my track design placed these points above a brace in the baseboard and I already had to make a cutaway to place the motor. Moving it would be a lot more drastic than replacing the points. Very annoying as the hole at the other end is perfectly intact. Shame the tie-bar on the N scale points is so flimsy. The OO tie bar apart from being larger of course looks as though it benefits from bracing in the design! Ah well. Hattons are just going to get some more of my money and the soldering iron will be getting warmed up again!! Thanks for your reply anyway! All the best! Jeremy

Hi! I have encountered exactly the same problem and was just about to replace the entire set of points which is now well in place and wired in so it is going to be a completre pain in the neck! So before I do that my questions are.. Did you try the method suggested? (Which sound promising!) Did it work? If it did what 'washer' (or other bit of hardware?) did you use and where can I get one too? All the very best! Jeremy