Williams G-1 2360 circa 1983- odd troubles

[Freddie C R]

I recently acquired a Williams GG-1 #2360 circa 1983- green 5-striper. Orig Williams box but no manual. Engine wrapped in 1983 newspaper. Engine clean and paint/sriping good.
- both wheel sets geared but only one roller set. No evidence of second roller set having been installed. Only headlight on roller end of engine lights. Motor runs good.

Problems:
- front roller pops up frequently on switches and crossovers and gets stuck to the bottom of motor housing - magnetic? Then engine slows and stops after about 10 feet of travel - appears to short out. Roller spring tension seems Ok.
 
- end trucks barely sit on track and jump around on switches, etc then derail. Were these originally sprung? Any suggestions?   

[phillyreading]

You may need to add another center rail roller to keep from losing power. I doubt that it is shorting out or it would set-off the circuit breaker on your transformer as well. Sounds like you are having an open circuit or loss of power.
Also check the wheels on the trucks, there may be a set of plastic wheels instead of metal wheels, and that too will help with power losses. I mention this because of having an older SD-45 that lost power on insulated track sections, had to replace the plastic wheel set on the inside of the three wheel truck assembly with metal wheels.

Lee F.

[Freddie C R]

Thank you, Lee F for the suggestions to try. All makes sense. 

           Freddie.

[phillyreading]

Freddie, this is more of an FYI, but I cut down some old wheels from an F-7 power upgrade, had four wheels with axles to use after the upgrade, swiped them from the old non-powered truck sets. I cut the flanges off the metal wheels on a freind's bench mounted grinding wheel.

Lee F.