bachmann great northern 316A PLEASE HELP

[lightbread48]

hey....i am new to this site. I have been looking for answers everywhere but keep hitting dead ends. Hopefully someone here can help me. I have a bachmann silver series e-z track system pioneer HO scale train set. it has been in the box for sometime now and when i set it up, the engine isnt working like it should. I dont know too much about model trains, but i have set this one up before and had no problems with it. Now when i put the engine on the track and turn the power on, the engine budges forward a tiny bit but then stops. i can hear the moter humming like it wants to go but cant. my busband took the plastic shell off and everything inside LOOKS ok. when i put the engine on the track with out the shell on it and turn it on, i can see the (forgive me for this... i dont know what the parts are called) little brass weight looking things trying to turn. i cant figure out why it wont keep going. the brass piece turns easily when i spin it with my finger, so its not stuck on anything. the light on the front shines bright too.  im sure most everyone here knows more about this than i do. i reallly love this set and would love to see it running. ANY AND ALL help and advice is genuinely appreciated

[bapguy]

Pull off the shell again. Turn the chasis-the part with the motor in it- and turn the brass part( flywheel) with your fingers while looking at the wheels. The wheels should turn as well. If the wheels aren't turning, the drive mechanism is loose.. If the wheels turn, you could have dirt on the wheels or dirty track.Take a good paper towel and fold it several times. Put some rubbing alchahol on the towel and rub the track rails. If the towel is dirty, clean the track and try again. Cleanig the wheels on the loco can be dificult if they wont turn. You may have to take the frame apart and soak the wheeels in alchhol. You could have bad grease in the truck mechanism as well. Try the easy parts first. If you get the track cleaned, try running the engine again. If it runs better, get a paper towel with alchahol on it. put it on the rails put the engine on the track, rais one end up and put the wheels on the paper towel.Hold the loco and have some one turn on the power to the tracks,the wheels spinning on the paper towel will get cleaned. turn the loco around to clean the other truck.   Joe

[lightbread48]

Ok... i tried that. I  cleaned the track earlier today trying to make it work. I think its something within the moter maybe. The wheels only turn when i spin the flywheel whit my finger. Do you think its possible that the moter is just weak and cant spin the wheels?  I havent run this train but a few times in fear of messing it up. But it seems that keeping it in the box for so long has done the same   

[bapguy]

One more thing to try is put the loco on the track with the shell off. Hold the flywheel between your fingers and have some one turn on the power. If the motor spins the problem is the flywheels are too loose on the motor shaft.  You may have to take the trucks apart to see if there is any thing broken or gummed up inside.   Joe

[jward]

if the flywheels turn easily with no binding by hand, then the trucks are logically not the problem. if the motor won't turn the flywheel, then it could be a weak motor.

[lightbread48]

Im really starting to think thats the problem.  I have messed with it for days now. It wants to go so badly, but seems that it just doesnt have enough strength .   It cant be that hard to change the moter ... right? i havent taken it out yet but Its magnetic so im guessing it sticks to the walls and floor of the car. And  the only other things i can see holding it are the 2 drive shafts and the tiny wires that power it . I looked the moter up . Does $20.00 sound about right? I have never tried to fix a model locomotive before so i really dont have a clue what im doing lol  thank you guys for helping me out

[jonathan]

Occam's Razor suggests the simplest answer is usually the right one.

Is it possible that you have accidentally attached the track wires to the the accessories output of the power pack?  This is an ez track set (DC), not an ez command set (DCC).

The AC accessories output would cause the headlight to come on and the motor may even hum, as though it want to move.  The motor will even heat up and cause damage if left on long enough.

Check your connections and make sure the track wires are connected to the track output of the power pack.

Just a suggestion from one who has done this before.

Regards,

Jonathan

[lightbread48]

Aww....       Jonathan you may be right. I looked at the power pack and i did have them on the accessories post. So i changed it over to the variable dc side. Now nothing at all happens.  I guess i have killed it   

[Jhanecker2]

That may unfortunately be so , running  DC motors on AC tends to  destroy the  motors by neutralizing the permanent magnets  in the DC  Motor  .  Sort of like  a bulk  eraser to  blank magnetic tape . You may have to replace the motor . J2

[richg]

Putting about 16 VAC on the motor would most probably burn it out. That is about the limit of most model railroad motors.

Rich

[lightbread48]

THE SOLUTION!  Its the power pack that's messed up. I bought a whole new set and put it on the table with my old one. After i run the new one for a little bit i got curious.  I put the old engine on the new track ... taa-daa!  So then i started trying different things. I finally tested the power pack. Ac works dc does not

[richg]

Do yourself a great favor, get a cheap multimeter. This will many times solve electrical problems.

http://www.trainelectronics.com/Meter_Workshop/index.htm

http://www.trainelectronics.com/Meter_HF/index.htm

The meter is about $4.00 at Harbor Freight. No good reason any model railroader should not have at least one. I have had three for quite some time.

Rich

[Jhanecker2]

Glad your old loco didn't get fried . The advice about the multimeter is very good advice. You are dealing with electrical & electronic equipment  and  knowing what the equipment is doing or not is invaluable , it also prevents ulcers & hair-pulling. J2.

[richg]

Glad your old loco didn't get fried . The advice about the multimeter is very good advice. You are dealing with electrical & electronic equipment  and  knowing what the equipment is doing or not is invaluable , it also prevents ulcers & hair-pulling. J2.

I belong to about twenty MRR forums and I see quite a few get frustrated because they do not have a meter. which most of the times would have helped them solve the issue. At least they would have info for those in the forum who are trying to help them. Maybe they enjoy pain. lol
If people can learn to drive a car, use a PC, surf the Internet, use forums, they can learn to use a meter.

Everyone, think of how fast this issue would have been solved with a meter.

Rich