slow and getting slower

[db22]

I have a DCC Sound Equipped C&O® H-4 2-6-6-2 Articulated Locomotive w/Vandy VC12 Tender and it was never very fast. The E Z system was the fastest and then my Dynamis was slower but I'm still using my Dynamis and it is very slow. The sound is like it is going fast but when it is as fast as it will go my Decapod will beat it when the Decapod is set to 20% velocity. The wheels appear to turn about once every second whereas when new it was a blur to look at.
I have used the light oil on the rods etc and all seems like there is no friction. The loco does not get hot, like it was overcoming a lot of friction either.
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated - thanks.

[ABC]

You have have over oiled/lubed the engine, try thouroughly cleaning the wheels and other components that were oiled/lubed.

[richg]

You do not have to lube the side rods. My experiences with lub, is only the gears in the loco and more is not better. Lub is only a thin coating.
It sounds like there is another issue for slow running.
Try resetting the decoder to factory specs.

Rich

[Doneldon]

db-

That's good advice you're getting.  I'll add that you can use a little graphite on the rod bearings, but it really isn't necessary and probably won't make a lot of difference.  And I'll also add that you should use the least amount of grease you think you'll need and then use half of that.  Overlubing causes more problems than underlubing.  If nothing else, the excess grease attracts and holds dirt and grit which will eventually gum up the works and which will themselves cause accelerated wear in your moving parts.  And clean those wheels.  I'll just bet they're full of gunk from overlubing.
                                                                                                                               -- D

[db22]

I did not mean to imply that I had used a quart of oil, in fact, I have used very little and none inside. I do not believe that friction is the issue. Friction is a "load" and will cause the motor to draw more current and generate heat but it will run cool for hours pulling 10 cars. I did try the factory default values and I'm very curious as to why the EZ runs it significantly faster than the Dynamis. The velocity changes are evenly incremental so I do not suspect a bit missing in the word. I am operating 0 to 128 and the audio increments evenly in velocity too. The sound is fast but the loco is slow. Thanks for your responses.

[OldTimer]

When you say that the sound is fast you don't indicate how often the loco "chuffs."  A steam engine typically chuffs 4 times per wheel revolution.  Your 2-6-6-2 is a compound locomotive (steam first goes to  high pressure cylinders, then the exhaust goes to the low pressure cylinders to be re-used)  so it, too, should chuff 4 times per revolution.  The prototype for this model was not speedy.  25 or 30 mph would have been about tops. 

An HO scale mile is about 60 feet.  If your engine covers 60 feet in two minutes, it's going 30 scale miles per hour.  That may seem painfully slow until you get used to it, but if you try to operate at scale speeds, it will enhance your modelling experience and make your layout seem larger.

As for the difference in performance between the Dynamis and the EZ Command systems, I would expect it is due to the Dynamis being able to interact with the decoder in ways that the EZ Command can't.  Read your decoder manual and investigate configuration variables that affect speed  (speed table, maximum speed, etc.). 
OldTimer

[Jim Banner]

Over lubrication may cause problems if you run in a dusty environment or one with a lot of lint and/or pet hair floating around.  Running on a carpet can murder a locomotive as lint and hair wrap around the axles and jam up the works.  In a clean environment, over lubrication probably will cause no problems at all unless you use the wrong oil (not plastic compatible) or the oil gets into the motor (onto the brushes - oil in the bushings is fine.)  Dirty wheels and/or dirty rails will cause a locomotive to run slow and will usually cause the headlight to flicker as well.  Another possibility, particularly if this locomotive ran slower than its twins, is that the motor is faulty and is getting worse.

Why your locomotive runs faster on E-Z Command and slower on Dynamis is that the output voltage of the E-Z Command is higher.

Jim 

[captain1313]

I have the same problem, same loco, same Dynamis...........once you hit half throttle speed is maxed out but chuff keeps increasing all the way to full throttle.  This unit was brand new 2 weeks ago.  I don't find a CV to control Max speed just start.  Any suggestions?

Kevin

[Jim Banner]

Kevin,
According to the manual for that decoder, CV's 5 and 6 are not implemented.  Instead use the speed table.  What you might want to do is read back the values in the speed table (CV's 67 to 94) and see if the values keep rising or whether they half line around 50% throttle.

The decoder manual is online at:
http://soundtraxx.com/factory/OEM%20pages/Bachmann/ho_2-6-6-2_vandy_vc12tender.pdf

Jim

[captain1313]

Jim,
I did try some different speed tables but no change.  Now the loco's drive is locked up.  Started getting a little jerky in reverse and than stopped.  Turned off the sound and listened.  Sounds like something is skipping now again.  Worked in forward for a while, now won't go either direction.  Removed the boiler but can't see any of the gears.  Too many short and small wires in there for me to go any further.  Loco is only 2 weeks old so I called Backmann and left a message and asked for them to call me.  I'll call them again on Monday.  Just for reference I have an Atlas diesel with QSI with a voice readout for smph.  According to that the 2-6-6-2's top speed was 25smph (but sounded like 60)  I'll let you know what Backmann says.  Thanks for the reply.

Kevin

[railsider]

Call and leave messages and wait for them to call back ... your caboose!

For $15 and shipping one way, send the Bachmann loco to Philadelphia. And if it's only 2 weeks old, from a retail (not resale) source, enclose a copy of the purchase ticket instead of the $15 check.

The wizards will do the rest.

[captain1313]

Yup.....sent it to Bachmann.  They shipped a new one back to me the day after they received mine.  Got it over the weekend.  The new one pulls twice as many cars as the one I sent back.