4-6-0 Power Problem

[cruelcracker]

Hey guys,

I have a new HO NYC 4-6-0 with DCC product code 84907.  I'm having trouble with the tender losing power.  It's not the track work because I have an identical 4-6-0 that works just fine and the problem occurs right next to a power feed as well.  This problem has been happening right out of the box since day 1.

I've disconnected the loco from the tender just to troubleshoot and the problem happens with the tender as you push it along it will just stop emitting sound and recycle itself.  I have cleaned the wheels thoroughly and they look clean.  I've also taken the copper power pickups off and bent them down to make sure they are getting full contact with the wheels.  I've also loosened the screws a bit that hold the trucks on in order to hopefully get better contact.  Still, I'm having this problem. 

The problem seems very intermittent.  Sometimes it will work fine and then no apparent reason it will just stop.  I can not seem to establish a pattern like when you do X then it stops working.

Any other recommendations I can try before I send it in for service?

Thanks!

[Jim Banner]

Did you clean the power pickups as well as bend them?  Did you oil them as well as clean them?  These pickups are typically a phosphor bronze alloy and can oxidize  where they do not get rubbed clean by the axles.  Bending them is a good idea (in moderation) but it often results in the axles touching oxidized parts of the pickup.  Best solution is to remove them, clean them shiny bright with 600 grit wet and dry paper, wipe them off to remove any stray grit then reinstall them.  Once in place, put a tiny drop of conductive oil right at the places where the pickup touches the axle.  Now you will have good pickup from the axles to the power pickups.  One small drop of conductive oil on each of the wheels can help as well.

If the problem still exists, take a close look at the connections from the power pickups to the circuit board inside the tender.  Loosening the screws might give you better contact with the power pickups but it is equally likely to make it worse between the screws and the wiring lugs inside the tender.  You may want to remove the nuts that holds the lugs to the screw then remove the screws completely.  When they are out, they are easy to inspect and clean as required.  When you put the trucks back on, be sure the pickup wheels are on the same side as when you took the trucks off.  And add a drop of conductive oil just where the pickup touches the screw.

So just what is this "conductive oil?"  It is a very light, plastic compatible, non-oxidizing oil.  In bulk, it does not conduct electricity.  Put the probes of an ohmmeter into a vat of it and you will have an open circuit.  But put that same oil under enough pressure and it will squeeze down to a very thin layer which will conduct.  Touch the ohmmeter probes together in the same vat of this oil and you will get a very low resistance contact, even though you know there is a microscopic layer of oil between them.  Plastic compatible means it will not attack the plastic parts of your models even if some gets on them.  Nothing will ruin your day faster than the plastic of a prize model becoming soft and gummy because you used the wrong oil a few years earlier.  And non-oxidizing means it will not react with the oxygen in air to form a sort of non-conductive, hard to remove varnish.  Various brands of conductive oil are available from hobby shops.  Bachmann's E-Z Lube Conductive Contact Lubricant is an excellent choice.  Click on this link for more information:

http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/products.php?act=viewProd&productId=1086

Jim

[cruelcracker]

Great, thanks Jim for the quick response!  I'll give it a shot and let you know how it goes.

[cruelcracker]

Jim,

Thanks so much for your help, the conductive oil and the 600 grit paper did the trick!  Awesome, I've been having trouble with this engine for months.  You made my week!!

[Jim Banner]

Jim,

Thanks so much for your help, the conductive oil and the 600 grit paper did the trick!  Awesome, I've been having trouble with this engine for months.  You made my week!!

And thank you for letting me know.  You just made my week too.

Jimi