Old Spectrum 2-8-0 runs poorly, need help.

[AlanC]

Hi,
   I have an early model Spectrum 2-8-0.  It never ran great like some I have seen but after 10 hours of breakin, it loosened up a good bit.  Lately it acts as if it has dirty wheels.  Unless it is run at half speed, it dies.  Also it had a Soundtrax sound unit installed several years ago, the one made for this loco.

   I have cleaned the wheels but no help.  I don't know what to expect looking at the wipers.  Most of them do not touch the back of the wheels.  Are they all supposed to?  If they don't and are supposed to, how do I fix that?

  Thanks

[lanny]

Alan,

There are DCC experts on this forum that can help you with the DCC part of your question. However, if your locomotive is running, but not with a 'jerky/stop-start' character, I don't think the tender pickups are a problem (though it would be good if all the brass pickups were making contact where they are supposed to ... generally, I think, on Spectrum tenders the brass pickups touch the axles, not the wheels. My Spectrum steam locomotives have pickups making contact with the drivers).

If your locomotive runs 'smoothly', but just needs lots more power than it used to use, then I think you have some other type of elecrical problem ... maybe a motor that is wearing out, if you have run it for lots of hours. I have a 'DCC ready' Spectrum 2-8-0 that runs great, but I use only DC power.

lanny nicolet

[SteamGene]

The wipers should touch the wheels.  I've found that getting them to do this can be a bit of a problem if they have wandered away.  However, with a thin pair of tweezers and a bit of patience, it can be done.
Gene

[Jim Banner]

While you are at it, check the pickkups under the tender.  With the locomotive and tender wired together, lift the locomotive off the rails but leave the tender on the track.  The locomotive should run this way when power is applied to the track, picking up on tender pickups alone.

If all your wheels, including the tender wheels are clean, and you track is clean, and all your pickups are clean and touching their wheels, your locomotive should work like a charm. 

[BillC]

Alan, I've experienced a problem with my relatively new 2-8-0.  It would run for awhile and suddenly stop, then pick up and start running again (under DCC control).  After spending much time cleaning wheels and pickups I discovered a broken connector.  I had the track power turned on with the tender light turned on.  I found if I lifted the tender off the track while the engine was still on the track I could make the light blink on and off by moving the tender around in the air.  The circuit board in the tender receives power from two places, the tender trucks and the engine wheels.  It turned out there was a cold/broken solder joint on the 2-pin male connector (the one on the little circuit board in the front of the tender).  I could actually wiggle the pin and break continuity looking at it with an ohmmeter.  I reheated and put fresh solder on this and the engine runs without hiccups.  You might take a look at this.  After I found this it made sense as the engine would always stop coming out of a curve or rumbling through a turnout.

[brad]

I'd have to say steamgene is probably your best bet. I've had to bend the wipers on 3 of the 5 of my 2-8-0's as they lost their ability to stay in contact with the wheels. I also cheated and soldered the wipers about have way up from where they come off the main bus. this greatly increased the side pressure and I haven't had any problems with tracking or stalling so far. Does this problem happen more on corners? If so your most likely looking at a wiper problem.

brad

[Jake]

The wipers should touch the wheels.  I've found that getting them to do this can be a bit of a problem if they have wandered away.  However, with a thin pair of tweezers and a bit of patience, it can be done.
Gene

Really? Mine touch the axels. But then again haven't there been like 3 or 4 productiuons of the spectrum 2-8-0? I'm pretty sure i have the latest production or something one that came with my explorer set. Purchased for christmas 2006.

[Jim Banner]

Jake, I believe all the Spectrum 2-8-0's used wipers on the backs of the locomotive wheels and axle pickkups under the tender.

The old Plus series 2-8-0 used axle pickup in the locomotive.

[msowsun]

Wipers on the axle doesn't make any sense. Only one side or half the wheels would pick up the track voltage.  The axle has to be insulated on at least one side so you don't have a short across the wheels.

Older steam engines and brass use the axles in a metal frame for pickup.  Plastic framed engines all have some sort of wiper that contacts the back of the driving wheels.

Jake, can you show us a photo of your loco?

[AlanC]

Hi,
   This is hard with so many people responding and  not always to me.

   Ok guys.  The tender has pickups on all axles and yes the axles are insulated at one end.  I have cleaned all of these.  One truck picks up one rail and the other picks up the other rail.  10 years ago the loco did one rail and the tender did the other but these days the tenders usually pick up both rails.

  Problem - the loco has wipers behind the wheels.  Most of these do not touch the wheels.  Are they supposed to?  How do I fix this? ?

  What I meant to say was not that the loco won't run below half throttle but that it would stall unless it had enough momentum.  I have other engines including a brand new one of these running on that track and they don't exhibit the problem. 

   I guess I need to make sure that all the wheel wipers do touch the wheels and also whether the backs of the wheels are dirty.

  I love this type of loco and intend to use it as my main road engine if I can solve this problem.

   Alan C.

[Jim Banner]

Alan, see if this helps (click on the link.)

http://members.shaw.ca/the.trainman/pesky-pickups/




For msowsun, a photo of the axle wiper pickups.  For the rest, a teaser from the above article.

[Thommo]

Hi Jim, I will use this old topic to say how good tips you put in this article. Recently I received my 2-8-0 (dual mode DCC used on DC for now), and noticed not all wipers are close to wheels. I opened it and made some tweaking, now it seems OK.

But, I have other minor issue: 
I am using sharp European R2 radius as my minimum - approx. 17'' (I live in Croatia, Europe), and after I connect tender with loco and run it few laps through sharp corners, because of "stiffness" of connecting wires headlamp starts to blink and occasionally loco stalls on turnouts.

Why? Because side motion in corners is enough to pull male connector from the tender socket a little bit, and loco and tender then lose el. connection.

Anybody have some idea how to take care of that?
Besides this, engine is great, drives well on both analog and DCC layouts!

Thanks!

[Jim Banner]

Thommo, thank you for your kind words!!

Usually the plugs are quite difficult to get out of their sockets.  This makes me wonder if yours are pushed in all the way.  When fully engaged, the tiny ridge at the rear of the plug is touching or almost touching the shell of the socket.  If you need a photo, let me know.

[Isambard]

Thank you Jim for the excellent photos and instructions.

I've been having problems with the bronze driver contact fingers on a 2-8-0, which became entangled in the driver spokes and too distorted to reshape properly. I'm considering replacing the entire bottom plate with its bronze conductor strips, contact fingers, wiring, connector and brake hangers, assuming I can obtain as a spare from Bachmann.

[Thommo]

Thommo, thank you for your kind words!!

Usually the plugs are quite difficult to get out of their sockets.  This makes me wonder if yours are pushed in all the way.  When fully engaged, the tiny ridge at the rear of the plug is touching or almost touching the shell of the socket.  If you need a photo, let me know.

Hmmm now you got me thinking... I didn't want to press the socket too hard.
If you can see something from this pic?



Sorry, do not have from better angle...