It's weird, I feel model trains have as much of a personality as their full size counter parts. Take for example this gorgeous Broadway Limited, Paragon 2, AT&SF 4-8-4 I purchased used from a hobby shop recently Had it demo'ed in the hobby shop on their test track, ran *beautifully.* I was sold. Kinda surprised it was only $375, but did not question it. Got it home, tried it on my DC layout. Had enough power for the sounds to start, no movement. Weird. Moved it to on the feeder track. Sounds started, but it was until i got the throttle to 80% (sounds start at 50%) that it lurched forward at full speed, then stopped on its own about 12 inches down the track. Weird again. Kept nudging it, and it very reluctantly, with lots of start and stopping and drive wheel derailing on turns did it finally complete a circuit. Well that was disappointing. But it ran so well at the hobby shop. Maybe it just finicky on DC vs DCC. Connected my new DCC system and tried it out. Same thing. Slight derailment on curves, studdery running. Had a brain wave. My layout is a rough loop, and everything runs turning to the left, counter clockwise. So I turn the engine around to run it clockwise, turning to the right. Runs perfectly now with no connectivity problems and no derailments whatsoever. Model trains are funny creatures. Maybe that's why it was so cheap lol What kind of odd fixes have you guys had to get your engines running? I know I cannot be the only one whose had weird operating moments like this. I'm also minorly amused to know what other odd fixes people might have done to their engines.
They're a bit like cats. Each has their own quirks. But when they're contented, they purr happily along. A shame model trains can't be motivated by shaking a package of cat food...
For the record, I did find the true culprit: bad connection between the tender and locomotive. Clicked it together properly and now she doesn't care what direction she goes. Still find it hilarious that it always jostled in such a way to make it appear that it was directionally sensitive. Head light is strong and doesn't flicker. I tell ya, this engine has been a roller coaster of, "it works!" "it doesn't work..." "I got it working!" "It doesn't work anymore" "It finally works properly now!"
That makes sense. By turning right (CW) the strain is put on connections that are more secure and the other way, it strains the shaky connections. Wacky.
I and a fellow club member both have Athearn SD38’s that when going forward thru one turnout always derails but in the reverse direction have no problem. Unless the trucks are warped we can find no answer to the problem. Rick Jesionowski
I used an Athearn SD40-2 and a Kato SD45 to de-snag my layout while under construction. Big 6-axle power brings out the bugs. Most of the derailments were: * badly aligned track joints - common during construction; * one or more of those little cubes that hold the axles that were out of their slots. * often - a piece of loose ballast that kept the turnout points from properly engaging; * even without ballast sabotage, derailments on turnouts happened. I fixed that eventually with ground throws. And when one has a derailment near the edge of the layout, one gets a good appreciation for fascia...
I use a couple of my "badass" locomotives just for this reason: The first in a 2-10-2 German steamer (Br45) which has a very long wheelbase, the second is an Italian 4-B+B-4 Rivarossi electric locomotive which is more forgiving but is helpful in some situations where the 45 can't, and therefore does not have to go.
It is funny that it is only the Athearn SD38's that have a problem and only in the forward direction, we run Kato SD40's and 45's, Athearn SDP 45's, SD45's, SD45-2's, and SD39's with no problems, same with Scaletrains SD40-2's and C39-8's and even my Rapido PA's which required a new front truck as the original one was warped runs over the entire layout without a problem. Rick Jesionowski
