Help !

[cameyer85]

My son has a Pacific Flyer ez track and also a Thouroughbred ez track. He has been using both until yesterday. We have one track set up and he can use either engine on the track however for some reason the engine of both no longer works...we have switched the controller and neither controller works. The red light does light up but the engines goes very very very slowly. Both controllers do seem to get warm and I dont know if thats normal either. I plugged each one in to a different outet as well with the same results. This is very frustrating needless to say and my son is very down over this because its the one hobby he really wants to continue to grow with  (he is ten) so i am hoping for some direction here short of buying a whole new set and or going with Lionel instead. Thanks in advance for any help here !

[Jerrys HO]

I would start by checking the voltage coming out of the controller then check the voltage at the track where the connection is made.
If you don't own a multimeter I would invest in one for now and future problems.
It may be the controller (doubt it) or the cable going to the track (possibly) or a bad connection at the rail joiner.
Let us know after you check the above.

Jerry

[jward]

since both controllers are getting warm, and both locomotives exhibit the same slow running. i'd look carefully at the track for anything which would cause a short circuit. is there any track which loops back on itself in such a way that the train can travel the same track in the opposite direction? if you remove certain cars from the train, does the problem go away? is the cable which connects the controller to the track frayed, with visible wires?

[cameyer85]

when it stopped I made the track into a simple circle for to see...the situtation still is the same....I also had a brand new controller and hooked it up and the same problem is happening...I even hooked up the controller just to the power track with no other tracks and put engines on it one at a time with same result for each engine...the whole thing is very puzzling and frustrating. 

[nfmisso]

Sounds like you are trying to run both engines at the same time on the same track.  The power pack that came with the train sets does not have sufficient power to do this; it will get hot, stinky and the overload protection will trip.

There are many choices for running multiple engines at the same time.  I would suggest that you look into DCC.  An alternate choice is called "block control", which has been around for more than 50 years.  DCC has been around for more than 20 years, and is a well established standard.

[jward]

have you checqued the power terminal track with an ohmmeter? you should read max ohms between the rails with this track completely disconnected from anything else.      you mentioned two separate train sets. each would have come with a power terminal track. try swapping them and see what happens. also try using the power cable from the other set in place of the one you are currently using.

[Doneldon]

cam-

You can also check to see if your locos work when you use wires applied directly to their wheels or if the power from a 9-v battery will make the locos run. Touch the battery directly to the wheels or to a track section on which the loco is placed. Let us know your results.

                                                                                                                                     -- D

[cameyer85]

Sounds like you are trying to run both engines at the same time on the same track.  The power pack that came with the train sets does not have sufficient power to do this; it will get hot, stinky and the overload protection will trip.

There are many choices for running multiple engines at the same time.  I would suggest that you look into DCC.  An alternate choice is called "block control", which has been around for more than 50 years.  DCC has been around for more than 20 years, and is a well established standard.

no no no he is only using one engine at a time and none are working suddenly.

[jward]

that's probably because you burned up the controllers trying to power a short circuit. this si why I asked the questions I did, trying to point you in the right direction. cheap power supplies often to not have a circuit breaker to protect themselves from a short, and the excess current they are being asked to supply will quickly cause components to fail.

something is causing a short in your track, or your wiring. and until you find and correct the problem you'll burn out whatever controller you use.