Need Some American Flyer Help

[Bruzilla]

I grew up with an American Flyer Frontiersman train running around the Christmas tree, and I just bought that same train to run under mine. The folks I bought if from say they bought it in 1960. I put the train up last night, and it's not running correctly and I was hoping someone could give me some advice. I am using an American Flyer 12B transformer.

The engine runs, but slowly, when I set the transformer to about 20-30 MPH, and the engine stops running if I move the power level up any higher. The guy I bought it from said he had to do some work to it to get it running at all, and looking at the wires in the coal car it looks like there is some new soldering in there, so I'm guessing he's got the wiring wrong. Anyway, the engine will move slowly when the transformer is on low power, but dies completely once the power is moved up beyond the 40 MPH setting. The track has been cleaned or is brand new, and I've cleaned the contact wheels.

Any ideas?

 

[Trucula]

1st thing I'd do is "process of elimination"....Are you 100% sure its the engine?....If you can try another engine....If the same thing happens, its the power pack. Sounds like its not the track. If the same thing happens, then try a power pack.

 

[Bruzilla]

Thanks for the info Tracula. I tried a different transformer and didn't experience the same problem. I then ran a meter on the 12B and found that at some point between 1941 and last month, someone had apparently taken the transformer apart and reassembled it with the constant 16V and variable voltage leads reversed. I corrected that problem and that old Franklin whistled around the Christmas tree liike new.