Question about Bachmann Locomotives...thank you

[ColsDavid]

Hello,
I was given a New Train set.  "Bachmann Explorer SPECTRUM :  Union Pacific.
When I put the oval trainset together and plugged in the power supply....very simple...and placed the 2-8-0 Consolidation Locomotive and Tender on the track they didn't run at all.  NOTHING!
The POWER SUPPLY was plugged in and receiving it's 110-vac from the wall socket.
The TRACK was receiving it's required 16vdc voltage just fine in it's attachment to the track.  The transformer was turned up enough to, for sure, run the train.   
NOTHING.   The Locomotive's wheels were on the charged track.  The tender was coupled and correctly plugged in with it's two electrical plugs to the loco and it's wheels were on the track.
IT WAS DEAD!   There was NO HEADLIGHT lit.  NO GEARS TURNING OR MOTOR SOUND AT ALL! 
I tried also the reverse direction for track voltage and still NO TRAIN MOVEMENT!!

WOW!!!   I am going to send the loco and tender into service, I guess.

However...I am curious! 


QUESTION:
I noticed that when I held the locomotive in my hand my fingers wouldn't turn the drive wheels.  IS THAT NORMAL?  Old trainsets I could easily turn the wheels with my fingers. I called my local train store and one person said they SHOULD hand turn and another employee said the modern locomotive's drive wheels should NOT HAND TURN BUT THAT THEY NEED VOLTAGE TO SPIN AT ALL?

I am confused..thank you!

[ACY]

Do not try to move the wheels by hand as this could further damage it. Check to make sure the jumper or decoder is in the loco and that no internal wires are loose.

[richg]

Don't ever try to move the wheels by hand. Locomotives have quite a bit of gear reduction is why you cannot turn the wheels. The motor can easily turn the heels but not the reverse. You could damage the gears.
I could do that with my old Lionel but not this newer stuff.
Take your multimeter and put it on DC volts and connect the test leads to the track. You should see increasing DC voltage as you turn up the control.

You can use a a tester from a auto parts store that looks like a ice pick and it has a light bulb in it. Touch one part to one track, the wire with clip lead to the other track. You probably can get this simple tool at Walmart in the auto section. I have had one for many years and many auto mechanics I know still use this simple voltage tester made for 12 volt auto electrical systems.
Auto Zone auto parts store should have it also.
DC train controllers are 12 volts DC max.
The brightness you see is the same when I check the track DCC voltage from my NCE Power Cab.
Many mechanics call it a GO/NO GO tester. If it is dimmer, I know I am not getting full voltage. Yes, no voltage readings but many times that is not an issue.
Below is the tool I sometimes use for a quick check.



Rich

[jward]

the gear reduction does not prevent you from manually turning the wheels. the worm gear, that connects to the motor shaft prevents hand turning. remove the worm and the wheels should spin freely......

the older locomotive where you were able turn the wheels by hand was most likely one of the pancake motored jobs. the motor was geared directly to the wheels on one truck, or had a minimal number of idler gears. there was no worm gear in these locomotives and usually only one truck was powered.

[ryeguyisme]

i would say it sounds like you're used to lionel which uses AC power make sure your track is connected to DC POWER

[GRZ]

 Hi. should there be 16 v going to the track?? I thought  we were 12 volt to track with trans full on and 16 v to run accs.. some one please correct me..grz

[Doneldon]

CD-

There are a few, very few, high-end locomotives which alllow you to turn the drive wheels without harming the loco. No Spectrum (or any Bachmann for that matter) will permit this. The rule of thumb is to never attempt to move locomotive wheels by hand or by rolling them on rails or other surface.

You could have a minor problem which you can easily correct. Try touching the leads from your power pack directly to the wheels of the loco. You might try several combination of contacts just to see if you can get some light or reaction from the motor. Also, touch the leads to both sides of the tender wheels, and to loco wheels and tender wheels (opposite sides) to see if you can find a combination which works. My best guess is that you have a broken wire or connection. Possibly the plugs between the tender and loco have a broken wire. A multimeter can help you determine if the tender wheels are in fact connected to the plugs, or if the loco plugs and wheels are connected. You can also use a multimeter to see if you have continuity at all. Last, ensure that you didn't somehow end up with a DCC loco but a DC control system. That's quite unlikely but I suppose it could happen.

In any event, I hope you are able to get your train operating without the frustration and delay of sending things back to Bachmann.
                                                                  -- D