Sputtering Locomotive


D

ddansie

New Member
I have laid over 30' of track, soldered my main wire to the track and my locomotive worked fine for the most part. I have read that I should solder my wire every three feet. I have started to do that, but now my locomotive sputters for the first 12 feet then it runs fine (after my last solder). What have I done wrong? I am daisy-chaining my wire.
 
Not only clean the track as waltr said, but clean the wheels on the locomotive too.

The dirt from the track probably got on them and they'll need a good cleaning.
 
Enola Yard Tim said:
Not only clean the track as waltr said, but clean the wheels on the locomotive too.

The dirt from the track probably got on them and they'll need a good cleaning.
Click to expand...

But the thing I don't understand is that the 12' that are daisy-chained together is the only part that the locomotive has issues, as soon as it gets past that part it runs fine.
 
As walter mentioned, if you soldered your wires to the track, flux might have gotten onto the top of the rails. Even if you didn't intentionally pre-apply any flux, many solders come with a rosin core. So you might want to re-examine the places where you soldered the track.
 
"The last thing I did..." is always the first place to look when trouble shooting. Keep us posted as to how you make out.
 
ddansie said:
now my locomotive sputters for the first 12 feet then it runs fine .
Click to expand...

The first 12 feet? Try placing the locomotive beyond that area by hand and then starting it. If it runs fine and then sputters as it runs over that same 12 feet it is a track / wiring related problem. If it starts off sputtering no matter where you begin then it is a problem with the engine, most likely dirty wheels. Run it slowly when doing this.
 
You may also double check the wiring and make sure that none of it was crossed wired. But I do agree with the guys, that more than likely there is a huge amount of dirt on the rails, as well as the loco's wheels.
 
I had the same thing happen when I added a few power feeds. I thought for sure that I had it wired correctly. Nope! I had somehow reversed a set of feeds to the track. Try double checking your wiring. If that's satisfactory, wipe the rail heads down with 70% alcohol. Good luck!
 
I'm dumb

OK shy of making myself look really dumb (I know, not hard to do), how do I get my wheels to turn on my locomotive to clean them? I have cleaned the part that I can get to, and I have gotten the q-tip nice and dirty so I am assuming that it is my wheels that are in need of cleaning.
 
Put a clean paper towel over the track, wet with alcohol, and run the train onto it. Hold it back so the drivers spin, and so long as some of the wheels still touch the rails, the others will spin against the cloth and clean themselves. :) Make sure it's a sturdy towel, though, or you may end up cleaning a bunch of fibers out of the mechanism.
 
Yeah that works great.

I cut up little 4X6 pieces of old T-shirts since they don't shred like paper towels did when I tried it.

Try to use 90-percent alcohol and avoid rubbing alcohol that is 30-percent water! Don't get the alcohol on the loco's paint either.
 
Sigh...

OK this is everything that I have tried.
1-) I have cleaned all of the track
2-) I have disconnected all of the daisy-chain so I just have my main line like I had original
3-) I have used the t-shirt and alcohol method (that was a chore)

And my locomotive still does the same, now the whole track :mad:
I guess I will take my locomotive to the hobby store and see if it works on their track (not even sure if they have a track I can do this with).

Does it matter that I have an "N" gauge?
 
Yes it matters. Is this the only engine you are having the problem with?? Do you have others that run fine??
Many N gauge engines have copper or brass strips that run alomg the side of the frame that are used to pick up current from the trucks. If these get dirty or out of position they can cause the problem you are having.
What type engine are you using?? Who made it??

Bob
 
It is a Bachmann 4-8-4 Santa Fe 3780 locomotive. It is the only locomotive I have. I am just starting out. It was running fine until I started adding all of the electrical feeds to the track. The only part that it had issues with at first was going into or out of a "Y".
 
Hmm... the Y is isolated, right?

Even if the wiring is totally buggered I can't imagine the loco sputtering because of it... either it'll run, or it won't. I'd check the electrical contacts. Make sure they're touching the wheels, make sure they're clean, etc.
 
Your second video is listed as private.

When you say your daisy chain wiring is disconnected, did you unsolder the wires or just disconnect from the power source? Though I haven't seen your second video, I feel like you cross wired something, somewhere. Even if there isn't separate power coming from the power pack, your added wiring could still be creating a short somewhere.
 
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