Train does not run

[Chavez11]

I bough an used Sante fe complete train, lay out the tracks, plugged it and did not work, the light in the engine goes on but engine does not run any body knows whats happening??

[simkon]

Try cleaning the track and locomotive, this should fix it, but you can apply power directly to the motor to make sure it works.

[jonathan]

Sometimes, when the light comes on and the motor doesn't run, it means you connected the track to the AC poles on the transformer (power pack).  The track should be connected to the DC poles on your transformer.

Just another thing to check...

Regards,

Jonathan

[Jim Banner]

Try cleaning the track and locomotive, this should fix it, but you can apply power directly to the motor to make sure it works.

Cleaning the track and the locomotive (more specifically, the wheels of the locomotive) will not fix the problem when power is already reaching the insides of the the locomotive.  This is clearly evidenced by the light in the locomotive turning on.  But Jonathan may well have put his finger on the problem.

If the trainset were new and had been purchased from a Bachmann dealer, you could send it back for warranty repairs.   But a used train is not covered by warranty.  If you purchased it used from a local hobby shop they might be willing to look at it for you or to arrange for it to be repaired.  Or you could send it to Bachmann for a non-warranty repair.  If there is a model railroad club in the area where you live, one of the members may be able to help you.  If you would like to try repairing it yourself, the more knowledgeable people who frequent this site can probably help you.  First, however, they will need to know a bit more about the locomotive in your train set.

Santa Fe is the the name of a real railroad.  A number of manufacturers have made models of Santa Fe trains.  Who made your model?  And if there is a product number on the set or the box it came in, that would help too.  If you know anything about the background of the set please let us know.  What you need to look for can be quite different in a set that was bought ten years ago, used briefly, then put in storage for a decade, compared to a set that was bought new last month but quit working a week after it was purchased.  There are many possible reasons why your set does not run and while simkon guessed at a fairly common one, we have already seen how far guessing gets us.  So let us know what you can, and we can get started on solving your problem.

Jim