Help with my train

[divapvj01]

Recently purchased a Large Scale 7th Avenue Holiday Express.  After assembling, it worked for maybe 20 minutes.  Checked and rechecked everything according to the DVD and it still is not moving.  When we turned the dial on the speed controller, the light comes on, but the train does not move.  Please help.

[the Bach-man]

Dear Diva,
Check to make sure all the connections are firmly in place. If they are, put a current tester across the rails. If it registers, the problem is with the loco. Check the lead truck; if it has rotated 180 degrees it will short out. If all else fails, contact service.
Good luck!
the Bach-man

[divapvj01]

Thank you for responding so quickly.  Lead truck has not turned.  What else may cause the loco not to move, but the light to work with no problems?

[the Bach-man]

Dear Diva,
Go through the other checks I listed. How recent is "recently"?  Was it run by a younger person?
Have fun!
the Bach-man

[ABC]

Did you use a multimeter to check that the track is providing current yet? Also if the tender trucks have electrical pick-up and got turned 180 degrees, that could also be a problem. Is the track dirty or are the wheels on the loco dirty?

[Jim Banner]

I am not familiar with the Large Scale 7th Avenue Holiday Express and could not find a catalogue listing for it.  However, lets see what we can figure out.

When you say the light is on, I assume you mean normal brightness for the speed setting, not just a dim glow at full throttle.  In my opinion, this shows that the power pack, wiring to the track, track connections, wheel and track cleanliness, and power pickups within the locomotive must all be fine.  Otherwise there would be no power to operate the light. 

A dim light at full throttle, particularly one that goes on and off, usually indicates a short circuit somewhere along the line, but if the light is bright at full throttle, this is not the case.

When power is reaching the locomotive and it does not run, there are two possibilities - electrical or mechanical.  Possible electrical problems would include a broken or poorly soldered wire, a burned out motor or one with a dead pole, and possibly a switch incorrectly set.  Some 4-6-0 locomotives had two switches on the back, one for motor, one for sound.  And some locomotives may have a polarity switch, allowing you to choose between NMRA standard and everybody else's standard.

Possible mechanical problems would include a jammed motor, a loose, broken or jammed gear or the connecting rods out of quarter.  The rods that connect the wheels together on each side of the locomotive have to be synchronized ("in quarter") or the wheels jam up.

You cannot turn the wheels by hand so do not try to force them to turn.  But you can try to turn them gently.  They should turn easily for a small fraction of a turn.  This is the normal clearance in the pins that hold the rods to the wheels.  If they do not turn that small fraction of a turn, it is most likely a quartering problem - a wheel has slipped on its axle.  If they turn a large amount (DO NOT FORCE THEM) then you are most likely looking at a broken gear.  To confirm a jammed motor or broken wiring, you have to remove the bottom cover of the locomotive (assuming a 4-6-0 locomotive) and see if you can turn the motor by hand.  To check for a shorted or open motor, you need a DMM (Digital Multi Meter) available for as little as $10.  If you have such a meter, any one of a number of us who visit this forum would be willing to walk you through using it to test the motor.

Jim