Problems with electricity flow through track??

[BLACK KNIGHT]

Okay, so I have 2 oval tracks, there's a pic of my layout in the Showin Off area. It's a DC layout so I have 2 controllers. The outer track has recently started 'acting up'. As in certain areas the train loses power and even stops occasionally. I tried replacing the sections of track with new track thinking the track had gone bad? Is that even possible? But it doesn't seem to have solved the problem. I tried a different engine and it had the same issues, eliminating the engine as being the problem. So any ideas on what the issue is? It's very frustrating!

 

[Motley]

Sounds like your railjoiners have come loose. You need to add power feeders on a few sections of your track, connecting to the dc controller.

Also make sure your track and loco wheels are clean. Use some paint thinner or nail polish remover to clean the rails.

 

[Cjcrescent]

Sounds like your railjoiners have come loose. You need to add power feeders on a few sections of your track, connecting to the dc controller.

Also make sure your track and loco wheels are clean. Use some paint thinner or nail polish remover to clean the rails.

Couple of things to add, is place some paint thinner, such as Mineral Spirits, Lacquer Thinner, etc on a rag, like a piece torn from an old sheet, and wipe down the rails. You could also use a paper towel. I wouldn't use an old washcloth or material that was similar. I would also clean the wheels of the locos as well using a pipe cleaner soaked in the thinner.

To add some additional power feeders, I would get some of Atlas's wired rail joiners. They are simply rail joiners with a wire attached to them, to connect to the powerpack. Since we don't know your soldering skill level, this would be easiest to do. You will have to get additional wire as well because these leads probably won't be long enough to run from the powerpack to the feeder site. Lastly make sure that the additional feeders match with your original wire to the track. IE, new feeder to outer rail is attached to the side the original feeder to the outer rail.

 

[BLACK KNIGHT]

Thanks for the advice! I'll order the Atlas rail joiners. I hate soldering, I do it occasionally on my RC trucks but they're much bigger than these little HO scale trains.

Also do you think 99% isopropyl alchohol and cue tips would work okay for cleaning? Simply because I already have those for cleaning my other electronics.

 

[Cjcrescent]

I wouldn't use the Q-tips at all. The small fibers of the cotton will come off and hang on things, and then get sucked into motors and bearings, which will cause all kinds of problems.

The only thing I use Q-tips on are decals.

 

[Selector]

Lacquer thinner on a clean, lint-free rag should work. Old bed sheets are good for that. You don't need anything dripping, not the rag and not the rails. Dip, wipe, dip, wipe, dip.... Patience because you don't want to damage your hand or the rag or the tracks. It will take a few long minutes, yes, but the result, if your joiners are clean and not so badly worn or splayed that they simply don't do their jobs anymore, will be weeks or months of trouble-free running.

Pay attention to the locomotive, too. Dirty metal tires on pickup wheels, dirty wipers, dirty friction surfaces for the wipers where they get power...they all need a look now and then.

Also, check the wires from power supply/controller to the tracks. Often the metals are not the same, so you get oxidation between them over time when you have the power on, and even when the power is off!

 

[BLACK KNIGHT]

Thanks guys! I cleaned the track as suggested and tightened some rail joiners. It made a huge improvement!! There are still one or two sections that I think I need to tighten rail joiners, but I went ahead and ordered some wired rail joiners and will fix the issue with those.