H-5 Headlight problem

[TERRYINTEXAS]

Both my friend and I have Bachman  C&O H-5s
With Tsunami Sound

When we first start operating both locos headlights work but after 10 to 20 min they go out
Has any one else experienced this
TIA
Terry

[OldTimer]

I want you to try something to humor an old guy.  When the headlight is working, turn it off.  Continue to run the engine for the 20 minutes or so that it would take for the problem to appear.  Try to turn on the headlight.  Report back.  My dime says the headlight will come on and work but turn itself off after another 10-20 minutes. 
Old Timer

[Jim Banner]

It sounds like a heating problem.  Either the headlights are drawing a bit too much current or the room temperature is a bit high or you boys have been racing your trains.  Pulling long trains or pulling trains up grades or running at high speed can each cause heating by itself and even more heating in combination.  And the heating is made worse if the locomotives are new and have never been run in properly.

OldTimer's suggested test would help sort this out.

Jim

p.s.  to OldTimer - Welcome to  Bach-Man's Board from another old timer.

J.

[OldTimer]

Jim, Thanks very much.  Nice to meet you guys.  The thing that I think is so interesting about this problem is that both locos exhibit exactly the same symptoms.  Heat was my first thought also, but sorting out the source could really be fun.
OT

[TERRYINTEXAS]

I can try your sugestion old timer but what will it prove ?

[OldTimer]

Problem solving is not always proving something...often times it involves eliminating things from the list of possible causes. 

I believe that if the headlight will not come back on after being off while the engine is running, that the problem lies in the decoder--perhaps heat is being trapped around the decoder, causing it to begin to fail. 

If the light comes on after the engine has run for awhile, and then goes out, that sort of directs our attention to the light assembly--could there be a cold solder joint, for example, that expands when hot and breaks the light circuit. 

Of course my assumptions could be entirely off base, but in cases like this, you have to start someplace.   It's much more difficult to TALK about fixing something than it is just to fix it.

Old Timer

[Jim Banner]

Fixing electronics is typically 90% trouble shooting and 10% making the repair.  But in an extreme case, you could spend a week or more pin pointing the problem and two minutes resoldering a faulty joint. 

Without testing, you are only guessing.  And when you are only guessing, you can spent 100% of your time making "repairs" and never fix the item.

Jim