The dreaded flicker

[Bill Baker]

Joe,

I finally had the chance to get out to my train shed and check on the model names and numbers you requested.  In my consist is number 2429 - Livingston, 2423 - Hillside and 2421- Maplewood.  While out there I ran them for a few revolutions and the "dreaded flicker" has returned to two of them.  One car, the 2423 - Hillside, still seems to illuminate ok with only slight flicker.  Now why on this earth would all three work somewhat satisfactory about 2 weeks ago, but now two have returned to their flicker?  My track is near new without any corrosion or rust.  I am just as perplexed as I was before.

I await your advice.

Thanks, Bill

[Joe Satnik]

Hey, Bill,

Sorry to hear about the returned flicker.

I looked up the 2400 series and found that it takes #51 lamps.

Please put a passenger car alone near the end of a track (no bumper) and put power enough to see the light bulbs glow. 

What happens to the lighting when you roll one truck off the end so there is only one truck touching the track?

Thanks.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

[Bill Baker]

Joe,

I may have discovered the problem. But first let me address your suggestion.  Since my layout is a multiple continuous loop with one segregated block,  I set up a 9 foot section of straight track to conduct your experiment.  When all cars are pushed by hand, all lights stayed on and no flicker.  I pushed each car truck off the end of the track then reversed the car and did the same thing.  In other words, power was conveyed through one truck.  Then I put one of my engines on the track to do the same thing, and guess what......the flicker returned.  The problem lies with the engine.  There were the typical sparks emitting from the engine rollers.  There,  I think, lies the problem.  Looking at all of my engines, they need a through cleaning and two need the rollers replaced.  I have a Lionel F-3, two Alcos a SW-2 (I think) and a Lionel 4-6-2 Pacific.  So my next project will be to rehabilitate my powere units.  Unless you might have another suggestion I'll start my project but it will take some time.  I'll let you know of my progress as time goes by.

Thanks again for your help and suggestions. If you remember in the earlier parts of this post, my LHS said it was just typical of Lionel and offered no other suggestions.  That's why I love this Bachmann web site.

Thanks, Bill

[Joe Satnik]

Hey Bill,

Did your loco stumble as you saw the passenger car(s) flicker?

Good on you for taking the initiative to turn the passenger car around and test the other direction.

What I was trying to find out is if the 2400 series cars had 2 lamps, each wired to its own truck. 

So, did both lamps stay lit, or did one go out when one of the trucks was off the track?

Another quick and dirty way to test pickup rollers without having to roll them off the track would be to put a 3" long piece of

electrical tape over a spot on your oval's center rail and run the trains over it. 

If an engine stumbles, the pickup not on the tape is the bad one. 

If you wanted a more robust tinplate dead-section test track, you could make one with a small straight section

(smaller than the distance between any unit's pick-up rollers) with an insulative pin on each end. 

The live tracks on both sides of the dead section would have to be fed power, unless you have good electrical connections all the way around your oval.

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik



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