Bad powerpack?


J

jerryl

Member
Just got involved in an old large HO layout at a camp. There are 3 "loops" with 3 power packs. The engines on 2 of the loops seem to lose power & act as if the wheels or track are dirty. After cleaning they run ok for a while but soon slall. Is it possible that the packs are heating up & losing power? The packs are old & have wire wound rehostats. Various engines do the same thing on these tracks. Yes, I'm going to bring some newer packs the next time, but would like your input. thanks...Jerry
 
It's certainly possible that the old powerpacks are failing. If adding new powerpacks solves the problem, no further troubleshooting is needed. If they don't, the next thing to check is the wiring and how much power is getting to those two loops. You'll need a multimeter to check that. Assuming the power getting to the tracks looks OK, I'll bet your main problem is still dirty track. Giving the track a good wipe down with rubbing alcohol and then using a a brite boy abrasive block (I'm assuming these are brass tracks) should restore things to normal.
 
also the rail joints can get dirty and have bad contact. if the engine runs good on some parts but sputters in others check the joints..
 
Thanks for the reply. Yes we cleaned the track both by hand & a Centerline track cleaning car. Yes it could be bad joints altho they are soldered. I will go prepared next time to test everything. Jerry
 
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