EZ Track Turnout Problems with Athearn GP9

[DanMan]

Greetings

I have a 4 year old 4 x 8 layout with Bachmann EZTRACK "remote" turnouts.  the layout is very similar to the Worlds Greatest Hobby model.

I just bought a new Athearn GP9,  DCC and sound, ( A GREAT little unit by the way) which stops-briefly or resets -losing power- most times when traversing any of my turnouts; both the ones i activate remotely and the ones i do by hand.

My Proto switcher, Bachmann Decapod and Roundhouse 2-8-0 have none of these issues.

I drove to Athearn in Long Beach and Dave there was nice enough to run my loco on their Atlas test track without being able to duplicate the problem.

Seems to happens when the GP's trucks are over either the frogs or the points or both

Thanks for any advice or ideas

Dan

[Jerrys HO]

Dan

That is a rare problem as every geep I own and have seen does not have this problem.
Make sure all the drive wheels are powered. I know the model you have has all wheel drive but just make sure they are all connected. Just a guess. The only other thing I can suggest is to power the frog as long as the turnouts you have are not the standard ones.

Jerry

[DanMan]

Thanks Jerry

I know it's the turnout and not the loco because Athearn let me have another one and the same problem persists.

How would I "power the frog" on EZTRACK?

(sounds fun somehow)

regards

Dan

[Jerrys HO]

If you have metal frogs turn the turnout over and there is a wire I believe it is black and connect it to the tab coming from the underside of the frog. If the frog is plastic upgrade to a numbered turnout it will benifit you later.

Jerry

[DanMan]

Thanks Jerry; it appears I'm out of luck since the turnouts are permanently on the layout now; i'm belatedly finding out i should have used the numbered turnouts instead of "remote" turnouts.

Now i have to figure a way to power them without the benefit of turning them over...

I guess the moral to the story is get powered turnouts; i think, and....leave the EZTRACK in the hobby shop next time i do a layout!

Thanks again!

Dan

[DanMan]

We may have an AH HA moment!

I found this thread on MRR discussing the same "pickup" problem i was experiencing;  i am beginning to believe this is NOT an EZTRACK issue,  but an issue with electrical pickups which are not soldered.http://cs.trains.com/TRCCS/forums/t/199280.aspx

These are really cool locos;  i am not looking forward to "major surgery" though

Regards

Dan