I can't win for losing .. ughh

pulled out my proto 2000 2-8-8-2 , i love this loco , no its not a big boy or challanger when it comes to glamor but i bought it new in 1999 i think but it would run , with dirty wheels & has great low speed capabilities ,& over all my best running loco. but i digress anyways i hadnt run it in about 2 years ,i pull it out & plugged the loco & tender together & put it on the track ,with a big smile and............................................... ...........................

NOTHING i made sure it was securely plugged in i hate those plugs by the way couldnt they come up with a better more rugged way ..... so i cleaned the wheels & put it back on , nothing , just to be sure i threw on my MTH SD70ace &that came run on & move while the proto just sat there dead as a doornail ...... uggh will it ever run & i also pulled out my EM-1 with a tusnumi decoder in it and put it on my dc track & got nothing outta that .......grrrrrr

 

Maybe you need to learn how to maintain your locos and they will give good service. Could be the power supply also. Good luck with all that.

Woodie

 

lol yea rite , anyways ahhh i have had layouts over the years & maintaince wasnt an issue ,i just got this EM-1 so the im not maintaining my stuff is out

2 the proto 2-8-8-2 i have had for 14 years & yes you are right i need to open that one up

3.it is a small test powerpack but my MTH BIG BOY operates on it & my MTH 4-12-2 runs fine on that also , guess i have maintained those lol

 

So when you say nothing, do you mean NOTHING?? Or can you detect a hum? Does the light work?

If it's '90s era and has not been run much, it could be something as simple as the gear lubricant. That old factory lube had a tendency to solidify over time. It will require you to do a little minor surgery to disassemble, clean and relube with a good gear grease like Labelle 106, but be patient, study the parts diagram that came with it, and ..... be very patient...... and you will learn how to service your loco's drivetrain.

 

yes just a tech 11 powerpack & yes tsunami does work with that, my MTH BIG BOY runs on it as well as my athearn big boy so , something has to be up with the em-1 & the proto 2-8-8-2, heres a few of the articulates that i have

 

thanks for the advice ,but i still should get lights or hum or something, but nothing strange since this used to be my best running loco

 

Yep...if you're not getting a hum or lights there are issues there beyond me.

 

Does your 2-8-8-2 have a decoder in it? Most decoders are capable of DC operation if the DC power pack doesn't put out pulse power, which can trick the decoder into thinking it's getting DCC. MRC power packs use pulse power for improved low speed control, if the pack you are using has a Pulse switch, be sure it's set to "off". MTH locos may be less sensitive to pulsed DC power, so it might work when the others won't. Most Dual-Mode decoders have an optional setting in their programming to turn off the DC (Analog) capability to prevent runaways when running on DCC. It is possible that this setting could become corrupted either over time or due to the pulse power causing a problem

The previous suggestion about solidified lubricant and cleaning is a good one. Also, motors that have not run in a while can develop oxidation between the motor brushes and commutator segments which can prevent the motor from getting any power. Sometimes just turning the armature by hand can break through the oxidation enough so that it will run.

I just recently had an early BLI loco with original QSI sound that ran fine when I tested it on a friend's layout well over 5 years ago, but when I put it on the test track last week there was no response at all. I tested it with my SPROG II programming track and interface connected to my laptop running JMRI's DecoderPro, and while it was recognized as a BLI DCC loco by the system, nothing worked, no lights, motor or sound. Using DecoderPro's option to "Write full sheet" brought it back to life. After I got it working, I installed the QSI upgrade chip to the decoder and tested it again. This time it was recognized as the upgraded version 7 of the decoder and it worked just fine after that. Apparently, the data stored in the decoder had become corrupted while it sat in it's box for over 5 years.

You already have at least two locos with DCC. Before buying any more locos to sit on the shelf for two years between runs, I would recommend getting yourself a SPROG II (or the newer & more powerful SPROG 3) interface and DecoderPro hooked up to your computer so that you can at least run your locos on a test track using DCC rather than DC, and be able to troubleshoot and diagnose things when there's a problem. See <http://www.bbmgroup.com/sprog/sprog.html> for more information.

Bill in FtL

 

thanks for the write up but the 2-8-8-2 doesnt have a decoder in it , but yes i have heard of decoders going stupid while sitting lol

 

Could a wire have come loose in the tender ? Much of the time the tender is the sole other polarity in the wheel pickup arrangement...Or a wire to motor broken off under engine shell ? ...

 

i fixed the wire coming from the tender but didnt change anything same sounds but no movment

 

thats my next plan of attack

 

Have you tried cleaning the wheels? If it's been awhile since it was last run, the wheels may be dirty and oxidized. Use denatured alcohol and a cotton swab to remove dirt from the wheels. Also, verify any contact wipers are making contact with the wheels that pick up from the rails.

 

thanks for the tip but they are clean & if it wasnt getting electric contact the sound & smoke unit wouldnt be operating so its getting juice , i think im going have to open it up to check the drivetrain or its the DCS BOARD :crying: