locomotive wont move

[Topherisme]

With two separate tracks another loco and controller is not a terrible thing to have…. These other guys have much more experience than I do, but from what you are telling us it sounds to me like controller throttle has gone awry. Loco still wants to work, but throttle is not responding when you turn it…

 

[segsig6]

Start disconnecting things.

UPDATE - Omg. I feel like an idiot that I didn’t see this before - can this cause a short circuit or create an issue with controller and/ or loco and/ or track if I tried to run loco ????? I also just attached the turnouts from new upper track and it blew the power distribution module I was using - I don’t believe in coincidences.

 

[Selector]

No, not a short, but as the train passes close to, or over, the joint, it might flex things open enough to break the circuit, in which case the train obviously will stop....or it won't respond to commands if it is stopped over the joint and you want the loco to move.

 

[Smudge617]

Have you tried removing the decoder and fitting a blanking plate, and running it in DC mode, if it runs, the decoder's probably fried

 

[Topherisme]

UPDATE - Omg. I feel like an idiot that I didn’t see this before - can this cause a short circuit or create an issue with controller and/ or loco and/ or track if I tried to run loco ????? I also just attached the turnouts from new upper track and it blew the power distribution module I was using - I don’t believe in coincidences.

Really shouldn’t be anything but a bumpy track, but could cause a stop in electrical flow, but electricity is flowing both ways so if it’s a loop track shouldn’t matter, point to point would be different… And that’s only 1 track of two, why does it not run on either track?

 

[timlange3]

Well if the frame of the loco touches the rail, it may cause a short, but I would think any short caused by this would not affect the DCC unit.

 

[Smudge617]

Remove the decoder before you try this remove the shell, get two fly leads (wires) connect one end to each side of your track, and apply the other ends to the two wires that lead to your motor don't try touching the wire to the truck, unless you re-install the blanking plate first, make sure your controller is in Analogue mode (then lay the loco on it's side if you can) If the motor runs then the problem is with the decoder. which by what your saying it probably is. if it doesn't check that the flywheels rotate freely and are not binding, if their ok the issue might well be with the controller itself.