newbie - help please

[sfromsf]

Hello all,

I'm new to the hobbie.   I bought a "Pacific Flyer" set.
I set up the track, set the loco.   

The problem is that the car won't move.   

I'm digging through posts here as well as searching the bachmann site for tips on where to start.

The store I bought this from won't do returns or exchanges (I'll find a diff place to buy from now on out) so I'll be handling this through warranty if it is defective, but I want to rule out operator error first..

I tested the track and it's got juice running through it, so the electrical bits appear to be working fine..

How can I test the loco?  should the wheels roll freely?  they seem "stuck" as in they won't move, on the track or out of it...

I understand this is a totally newb thing to ask, and for that I apologize... I'll try to pick this up as quickly as I can :-)

[ACY]

How can I test the loco?  should the wheels roll freely?  they seem "stuck" as in they won't move, on the track or out of it..

No they should not roll freely and doing what it sounds like you did could have easily damaged your locomotive. Use a multimeter to help ascertain if it is an electrical problem.

[jward]

after you determined that you had power to the track, and you set the locomotive on it, did it hum? did the headlight work?

[Doneldon]

frisco-

Driven wheels (those which are physically connected to the motor) will neither roll freely on the track nor in your hands. Non-driven wheels should roll easily which is why you can give a boxcar or a coach a little push and it will go down the track. Your 0-6-0 has all driven wheels so none of them should turn easily. You can damage the locomotive if you force the wheels to turn but I'm sure you didn't do that.

You proved that you got power to your track but you don't know if it's getting to your motor. One thing you can do is see if the headlight works. If so, you know that your loco is getting juice. If not, there may be a problem with dirty track, dirty loco wheels, incorrectly assembled track or faulty wheel wipers which are supposed to permit the electricity to flow from the wheels up into the engine. Let's take things one at a time.

Dirty track and/or wheels: Okay, on this one we'll do one-and-a-half at a time. I don't know which kind of track comes with your set but whatever it is, you can look at it closely to determine its condition. It should be smooth looking and with a distinct gleam from the railheads. If it is dull, blotchy, corroded or oxydized you probably have a problem. You can clean the track with an ink eraser-like block called a Brite Boy. Most hobby shops have them. You can also use an actual ink eraser, Scotchbrite polishing pads or extremely fine sandpaper (at least 600 grit). Do NOT under any circumstances use steel wool. And your wheels? Inspect them for the same appearance. I know that you just got this set but that doesn't mean the track or wheels can't be dirty. These surfaces get dirty from natural chemical processes in the environment. Your set may have been manufactured months or even years ago. Since it was made and packaged, it has sat on loading docks, ridden in possibly hot containers, and resided in warehouses and waited on shelves at your LHS. It may have been exposed to any number of environmental factors including moisture, temperature changes, salt air or fumes from cleaning or pest control products. I hope your track and wheels are clean but you can't assume that they are.

Now, track connections: It's not at all hard to put your track together with a few joints not being correctly aligned. Look very closely to make sure that the bottoms of all of your rails are inside the metal rail joiners, not sitting on top of them. This is a low likelihood problem, especially since you have a circle of track, but it's worth checking.

The last thing to learn is whether the electricity which is getting to your wheels is also getting inside of your locomotive: The headlight is one piece of evidence on this issue but you also need to inspect the little metal fingers which contact the backs of your wheels. A visual inspection will do, together with realigning poorly situated wipers and increasing the springiness of wipers which are in the right location but not actually touching the wheels. It's best to do this with your loco upside down on a protective surface like a towel which is rolled from both ends so it looks like a model train cradle. While the loco is upside down, use wires from your power pack to touch the wheels to see if that makes the motor start. Test all three wheels on each side but always touch wheels on both sides of the loco, not the same side. Touching same side wheels will cause a dead short. This won't actually cause any damage because your power pack has a circuit breaker, but you don't want to do it repeatedly because it could harm your power pack over time. (Essentially, circuit breakers eventually wear out and you don't want to speed that proces along.) If the loco is dead when you contact the wheels, try touching the wipers. You'll need to touch a wiper on each side, just like with the wheels. If the motor runs when you touch the wipers you'll know the wipers are the problem and you can adjust them. If you get sparks while touching either wheels or wipers on opposite sides you have a short somewhere in the mechanism. In that case, return the loco to Bachmann's for repair. Also, watch your headlight while you're doing these tests because it might tell you that power is getting into the loco but not to the motor. That's not necessarily a big issue but, especially as a newcomer to the hobby, you're better off leaving the repair to the manufacturer.

I'm assuming from your screen name that you're in the US. It's a whole different story if you are overseas as the shipping could easily cost more than a new loco. In any case, good luck with your investigation. I'm sorry that you're having a frustrating experience while so new to model railroading but I assure you that it won't all be like that. Good luck and welcome aboard.
                                                                                                         -- D

[sfromsf]

Thanks All.

I actually get nothing from loco.  Not any sound from the engine, not any headlights working...

I'll test the wheels in and wipers in the morning..

I appreciate the feedback... and it's under warranty so I can always ship it back.

The tracks are the e-z track.  I looked it one part of track was dirty and looked scratched.   I'll also try removing this piece of track from the circle..  hopefully its as easy as that...

[ACY]

and it's under warranty so I can always ship it back.

Not necessarily, it sounds as if you could have damaged the loco from trying to move the wheels, which would void the warranty.

[jerryl]

 You would REALLY have to force the wheels to damage anything.  My bet is that if anything is wrong, it's not your fault.  The store you bought it from should have a test track. take it back & see if it runs on his track. If not, he should take it back seeing that it never ran in the first place. 
   I can see his point if it stopped running after a while, but if it never ran he sold you a defective engine & he MAY have known it.

[Pacific Northern]

You would REALLY have to force the wheels to damage anything.  My bet is that if anything is wrong, it's not your fault.  The store you bought it from should have a test track. take it back & see if it runs on his track. If not, he should take it back seeing that it never ran in the first place. 
   I can see his point if it stopped running after a while, but if it never ran he sold you a defective engine & he MAY have known it.

Bachmann products that are found to be defective are to be returned to Bachmann.

If you are really lucky the LHS that sold you the item may take it back and give you a replacement. My LHS will not. T

heir response was to pull out the warranty which states that the item has to be returned to Bachmann.

[Doneldon]

PacNo-

You're right that defective items are supposed to go back to Bachmann but, IMHO, a DOA unit should be replaced by the seller and the seller should take care of the return to Bachmann. It's just good customer relations when few or no LHSs can match online sellers' prices. What's the incentive for buying locally if the seller doesn't know who we are when there's a problem? I'm not arguing that a LHS should handle every problem, but they should be willing to help when there are immediate issues.
                                                                                                                                                                                                         -- D

[timhar47]

My Word - for any store to sell a product that doesnt work, and not take it back is a just not a kind thing to do - period. I would either never go back, or, at the very least, demand a full test of the product before purchase.
I guess I am lucky to live in an area where my LHS stores would take it back, including my primary mail-order place in MD - MB Klein, who even paid the return postage.

Tim

[thetycoman]

sounds like your engine is locked up try oiling it and MAKE SURE that ALL the track pieces have connecters to them and your transformer is hooked up to DC not AC also if you done all of these things them turn on the transformer and put your ear and hand on the loco and if it hums than that means you need to send it in using your lifetime warranty and if you bought it as is without a warranty than you my friend are a newb and screwed sorry but we learn from our mistakes trust me.  

[ACY]

and if it hums than that means you need to send it in using your lifetime warranty and if you bought it as is without a warranty than you my friend are a newb and screwed sorry but we learn from our mistakes trust me.  

That was nice of you to say to him.
Also Bachmann locomotives are under a limited warranty, so it is serviced for free one year from the purchase date, but damage or misshandling by the user void the warranty.

[sfromsf]

Thought I'd close the loop on this.   It was in fact DOA.
Took it back to the store where I purchased it, ran it on their track and it didn't run.     Luckily a different rep was there and he swapped the loco for me.   This one ran without a hitch...

In the future I'll be sure to test anything in the store before purchasing.   I never forced the wheels to turn, just noticed they didn't roll freely.

I've purchased some additional tracking and have it setup on a large sheet of plywood.   

Now onto layout and landscape design...