RailPro > RailPro Specific Help & Discussion
Loco stoping
Tom:
I would like to jump on this thread with a related problem that is very perplexing.
I have one turnout with the frog powered by an AR-1. One of five locomotives stops > 50% of the time in one direction on the turnout, but not the other. The AR-1 light changes dutifully each time the direction is changed indicating it is working – I think. This one locomotive does not stop anywhere else, including 3 Caboose 220S Sprung w/contacts, .165 ground throws.
Is there any possible explanation for this?
Tom
G8B4Life:
Josh and Tom,
Does the HC give any warnings when your loco's stop? If it does that could be a good clue of where to look for the problem.
Josh,
Your issue does sound like dirty track or wheels, or even not enough power reaching the locomotive (under voltage). If cleaning the track and wheels doesn't work I'd suggest taking a multimeter (voltmeter) to the track in the trouble spots and see if the track voltage is too low.
Tom,
Your issue sounds like an intermittent fault (touching wire or similar) that might be caused by track geometry but it's hard to tell. I think the AR-1 setup is fine as you've reported that only one loco has a problem, not all of them.
When the loco runs through the turnout in the direction it does stop, does it stop only on the straight route, curved route or both?
If you turn the loco around to face the other way does it still stop or does it run through?
Where does it stop? as soon as the loco touches the frog? As it's going through the point blades?
If it is a track geometry problem (eg, the turnout might not be perfectly flat or has a twist) that could potentially cause something like a loose wire inside the loco to stop making contact as the truck twists/lifts/turns over the defect. You haven't mentioned a dead short so I'm guessing that a loose wire or the wheels are not touching something else live as the truck twists/lifts/turns over the defect.
I'd see (for both Josh and Tom) if the HC gives any error/clues as to whats happening. Set your locomotives moving as you'd normally do and watch the Info screen for the locomotive as the locomotive enters the trouble spot(s). You might get something.
- Tim
jjwdadof4:
--- Quote from: G8B4Life on September 02, 2018, 09:37:54 PM ---Josh and Tom,
Does the HC give any warnings when your loco's stop? If it does that could be a good clue of where to look for the problem.
Josh,
Your issue does sound like dirty track or wheels, or even not enough power reaching the locomotive (under voltage). If cleaning the track and wheels doesn't work I'd suggest taking a multimeter (voltmeter) to the track in the trouble spots and see if the track voltage is too low.
Tom,
Your issue sounds like an intermittent fault (touching wire or similar) that might be caused by track geometry but it's hard to tell. I think the AR-1 setup is fine as you've reported that only one loco has a problem, not all of them.
When the loco runs through the turnout in the direction it does stop, does it stop only on the straight route, curved route or both?
If you turn the loco around to face the other way does it still stop or does it run through?
Where does it stop? as soon as the loco touches the frog? As it's going through the point blades?
If it is a track geometry problem (eg, the turnout might not be perfectly flat or has a twist) that could potentially cause something like a loose wire inside the loco to stop making contact as the truck twists/lifts/turns over the defect. You haven't mentioned a dead short so I'm guessing that a loose wire or the wheels are not touching something else live as the truck twists/lifts/turns over the defect.
I'd see (for both Josh and Tom) if the HC gives any error/clues as to whats happening. Set your locomotives moving as you'd normally do and watch the Info screen for the locomotive as the locomotive enters the trouble spot(s). You might get something.
- Tim
Tim it was dirty track and yes I do get the low voltage icon how can I fix the low voltage problem?
Thanks
Josh
--- End quote ---
jjwdadof4:
Whoops I didn't do that quote thing right Tim if you look in my last post I explained some more of my problems
MtRR75:
There are two main reasons for locos stopping: (1) A short, and (2) a loss of power to the loco.
There are two indicators to look at: (1) the LED on the power supply, and (2) the hand-held controller (HC). I don't recall exactly what message the HC gives, but it involves a red indicator on the screen. (My layout is down right now for a rebuild of my control panel.)
When the loco stops, the HC indicator will always be red. If the power supply LED is also red, then you have a short. If the power supply LED stays green, then you have a loss of power to the loco.
The most common reasons for a loss of power are (a) dirty track, (b) dirty pick-up wheels, (c) uneven track, causing a some pick-up wheels to lift off of the rail temporarily. All of these are more common at turnouts because when one of the pick-up wheels goes over the plastic frog, you are temporarily relying on fewer pick-up wheels.
The most common reason for a short is that the loco wheels are momentarily touching BOTH rails at the frog. The fastest way to diagnose if this is is the problem is to temporarily put a small piece of tape on the rail at the frog that the loco is NOT supposed to touch.
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