I can certainly see the value of a decoder tester, in this case though, the issue was that I actually could not FIND the contacts. it wasn't a question of identifying them, I just couldn't find any contacts. I did eventually figure it out though.

As for hardwiring, I prefer the board if only for ease of use but i do see the reasons why some would prefer to take it out.

Quote from: brokenrail on April 17, 2016, 09:55:17 PM
Seems like the guy that commented on your video nailed the diag .

how so? Unless I am misinterpreting what he said, he suggested the drivers being out of quarter, which they are not.

Edit: Is the poster of that comment one of you? The video was unlisted so I'm a but confused how a comment was made.

Well everyone, Thank you for your help. I made several adjustments but I think the one that did it was putting a precision screwdriver in and very slightly bending the main rod out. I spent a while just moving it to the stall point, then looking at it for bind spots.  What I believe was happening was that the pin that holds the side rods onto the number 2 axle was colliding with the left-hand main rod. I've had it doing laps for about 15 minutes and no binds yet (some brief power loss once but that's likely my track).

Incidentally, I don't normally run it that fast, but when run at lower speeds it would bind after 1 or 2 clicks so to make the video I sped it up.

And yes, it was once per revolution. Much more accurate than the chuff rate in it's old decoder!

No problem. I haven't checked the drive belt because, tbh, I cannot figure out how to disassemble the 2-10-0. I also suspected track issues but no other loco does this. That said, the fact that the problem only happens there means that something about that stretch IS different enough to trigger the issue. all I know is that the back of my table is slightly higher than the front, however that wouldn't explain why it doesn't do it on the inner loop. This is definatly a tough one.

Hello, so I'd like your help diagnosing this. First of all, a video of the problem:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCZCgfwwues&feature=youtu.be

the problem is that clicking noise and the visible rock. sometimes the loco will actually stall and I have to kinda wiggle it around to get it moving

Now, some testing has revealed:
It only happens going fowards, never in reverse
It only happens going counter-clockwise
it only happens on the outer loop, and only on the section I filmed it on (not on the other side of the loop)
it always happens at the same point on the driver revolution.

Also, just to say, this is the later spectrum release with sound, though I took the sound decoder out because for some reason it kept loosing power.

Any ideas?

Glad to help!

Before bothering to open it up, is it an early black box 2-10-0? One of my earlier runs had a problem apparently common with the earlier runs. The copper plate on the plastic piece that screws into the bottom and forms the driver pickups will be slightly too long making it flex. This causes it to short against the loco frame. Take off that bottom piece and look at if the copper plate is bent upwards.

Quote from: bapguy on April 15, 2016, 03:41:29 PM
http://estore.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=popup_image&pID=1283
how about the above or buy a frame w motor
http://estore.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=popup_image&pID=5930
Joe

the top image you posted is the motor. I'll have to search the store but if they have it, there. That said, if the cost of the motor plus the 30-35 it will be for a decoder is higher than 50 bucks, its not worth it since, with very little patience, you can find new one w/ DCC at that price.

Quote from: bapguy on April 13, 2016, 02:27:10 PM
http://estore.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=66_68_183&products_id=1267

Will this work?   Joe

I'm afraid mine is an even older version. The motor used in mine is larger with two flywheels. I've not yet decided what to do with it so, for now, it sits in my "shops" The other one I purchased was a DCC equipped version. It wouldn't move once I tried to run it in reverse but opening that one revealed that some excess grease apeared to have congealed on the worm in one truck. Seems to be running again so hopefully the little bit I got out will do the trick

Thanks anyway! If only it was possible to get just the tiny spring, to get this motor back.

one day the gear binding will get bad enough that I might just send it in to Bachmann for reapair, but I'd rather not as they would probably just sub in a 2-8-0 and all of the standard line (not spectrum) 2-8-0's I've run have been poor runners that developed worse problems as time went on, with  heavy wobble & the need for very high power to get them moving (we're talking 30-40 speed steps on a 128). My SY mikado will start at Speed step 2. They really ought to re-release the 2-10-0 but that seems unlikely.

I wish I knew why the sound decoder stalls more often, not that I particularly love the sound. Its nice but I cannot get the chuff rate to match all the way though, my table isn't perfectly level so, while it isn't visible to the naked eye, there is a slight grade and it slows locos down a lot, this means that the chuffs don't match and I cannot stand that. I can't afford it right now but one day I"ll buy a new decoder and replace the sound one.

never found the second spring. Oh well, at least I only payed 30 bucks. I'll just keep it aside for a while. I'll monitor ebay, maybe someday somebody will sell one "for parts" that I could use. I know cracked-gear diesels show up from time to time.

Quote from: rogertra on April 13, 2016, 12:34:46 AM
Connections on the 2-10-0 are, sadly, notorious for coming loose.


Cheers


Roger T.

Thats all well and good, but what i'm wondering is where to solder the wires back to. The rear headlight wires simply came off the board, and I do not know where to reattach. Thats what I'm trying to find out. A picture of the main board might help.

I'd probably leave out the sound decoder if I had a spare decoder. For some reason I cannot fathom, it stalls less often with a regular decoder in it. One of two problem it has is the stalls, the other is that sometimes a gear inside binds and I need to kinda wiggle the loco to get it running again.

I tell you, the 2-10-0 is my favorite Bachmann steamer (aside from the SY mikado), I love how it looks. But I've never had one w/o mechanical problems. This is the first one that kinda worked. I really wish Bachmann would do a new run of them with the Mechanical issues sorted out. I'd buy 2.

I found a spring where I disasemled it. I never even noticed it. Wow, I've disasembled a lot of steamers, never saw this. I'm kind of curious what the spring is for, may have to look into that one. Oh well, maybe I'll find the tiny springs. if not, I MIGHT have a spare motor in an old parts box somewhere, but I think I threw it out after using it for a project a few years back. This is a shame.

Edit: I did actually grab two (though they are different roadnames). If I cannot find a motor/the springs, I could always convert this one to a dummy loco, though it will pain me to do so

thanks, i'll give this a try once I can secure a new decoder (unless I can figure out how to re-attach the wires to the one I salvaged). I did have one oddity though, upon dissasembly, unless I'm crazy, there were no "brush caps", in fact, no springs either. Is this a problem? I do not know enough about DC motors to know.

The wires used to be soldered to the board, they came loose during the uninstall of sound.