Item 62108 DCC Centennial DD40AX Power Issue

[nperraglia]

Hi everyone, apologize in advance if this topic has been discussed. My son and I are new to the hobby and there is a lot to learn.

I recently purchased a new old stock Centennial engine (item no. 62018) which has DCC onboard. We are running the engine on bachmann ez track using the bachmann dc power pack. The engine was working well for the 1st couple of runs. However, the wheels have recently started locking up. Sometimes the front set other times the rear wheels depending on the direction on the dc controller. The engine powers on with lights and I hear the motor humming. The train can not make it around our small layout without coming to a complete stop. It's a small layout (4x8) and I'm using 22 degree curves. Doesn't seem to be a traction issue as when I press slightly down on the engine it still doesn't go forward. Also doesn't seem to be a track power issue as my voltage tester lights up strongly around the engine.

I assume I am doing something wrong. Do I need to upgrade to a dcc controller to use this engine? Or could this be an issue with the motor itself not getting enough power.

Any tips/ help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.
Nick

[trainman203]

Two things of note for new model Railroaders.

1.  Beware, verily, I say unto thee, beware of the pig in a poke known as "used engines."  You don't know their history, and they are more likely as not to have been abused. Unopened Shrinkwrapping doesn't mean anything. they can be re-wrapped and look like new.

2. If you're going to go DCC, go all the way and get a real DCC power supply. And get all the actual benefits and pleasure that comes with being able to actually use the DCC functions. This forum repeatedly tells of people trying to force a square peg in a round hole, which is what running a DCC engine on DC amounts to. A Bachmann EZ command is a quick and easy door into the wonderful world of DCC.

Now, with my pontificating done, let's talk about that engine and why it starts and stops.  That engine has probably sat idle for years. People don't expect automobiles to function after idle years but they expect Model Trains to.  I put good money on that every point of electrical contact in that locomotive is oxidized and dirty. From the wheels to any wipers that may pick up power, to the commutator on the motor.  It certainly needs a thorough cleaning.  You can start by propping the engine on blocks so that the wheel spin freely when powered and run it for 15 or 20 minutes to clean the motor brushes. Then, I bet the wheels are completely caked with oxide look up videos on YouTube how to clean locomotive wheels.

Plus, you didn't say that you cleaned the track.  It is probably guilty too.  There are 1000 experts with thousands of opinions on how to clean track. YouTube is overrun with them. Pick one and clean your track. 

HO scale trains do not have the weight to overcome dirty track and wheels like the old Lionel and American Flyer Trains did.  Periodic cleaning will be a fact of life from now on.

With an electrically clean locomotive and clean track, you will probably have success in running your train.

[trainman203]

Also, on all engines that have been idle for a very long time, the lubricant on the gear train can congeal. You may have had a hard lump of it break loose and get into the gear teeth, accordingly jamming things up randomly as it breaks loose, then jams up again. To fix that you have to get things apart and tooth by tooth clean all of the gunk out of the gears with a wood toothpick and reapply new light grease like offered by LaBelle.

I really hate to see new model Railroaders find frustration at the very outset by events like this. Buying old or unknowingly defective used equipment at a bargain price is very often the culprit.  I hate to see you spend more money, but for you to get immediate pleasure out of model railroading, I believe you should buy a new DCC locomotive and an EZ  command. Then you can immediately run your railroad and work upon the centennial repair at leisure. There's nothing wrong with having more than one locomotive. I lost count a while back, but I believe I have around 70.😱😱😂😂.

[nperraglia]

I really appreciate you taking the time to provide such a thoughtful response. I'll go through all of your points and incorporate them.

Your last point about frustration is especially astute. I'm 40 myself and was not involved in this hobby until my train obsessed son found this passion. He has accumulated quite a collection in a short amount of time but finds himself frustrated when something isn't working as it should. We're trying to learn patience as we get going with this.

Thanks again.

[trainman203]

I would underscore getting a brand new DCC engine and EZ command to be able to run a train RIGHT NOW.  And learn some model railroading skills by repairing the Centennial if you can.  At leisure while your Railroad is in operation. You may fail.  No big loss. It happens. I have four unrepairable dead soldiers right now that I'm using as parts reservoirs.

I have particular sympathy for you, because I went through basically the same thing when I was 12 and had one engine but unlike you I had unsympathetic parents.  My one locomotive failed, and it would've been so easy to get a second one to be able to run while the other one was under repair.  We had to send it to a hobby shop in Houston who, after two or three tries, still couldn't get it working. I went through a whole summer without an engine, just looking at the five or six cars I had at the time.  Their response was, you already have an engine, you don't need another.  If I would have my wits about me, I would've said real Railroads stay running by having working engines, while others are being fixed.

Good luck to you and your son and welcome to this adventure called Model Railroading. It's been over 60 years since I took those first steps and I'm still in it.  I and a bunch of other tenured veterans are always here if you have any other questions, which you will. It's a never ending learning curve. After all these years, I still find out new things.

[nperraglia]

Wonderful words. Thanks again.

[trainman203]

 😎

[rbturner]

It sounds to me like it has cracked gears. They are repairable most times.

[jward]

I have experienced the locking up issue with other Bachmann diesels with factory DCC decoders. In my case, they usually would lock up on a downgrade while hauling a train. The solution is simple but it requires an adjustment of the deceleration rate (CV4.) By increasing the value programmed here, the locomotive will get a momentum effect that eliminates the lockup. You'll have to experiment to find out what value will elimnate the problem without making the locomotive take forever to stop.

Please note that CV4 cannot be reprogrammed with a DC controller, nor can it be done with EZ Command. You must have a full featured DCC system to do this. Also note that I've only observed this lockup in locomotives equipped with the DCC Onboard decoders, it doesn't seem to happen in SOund Value units or ones equipped with an aftermarket decoder.

[trainman203]

Hadn't thought of the cracked gear.  Good point.  You still have to disassemble the engine though. Some people are successfully able to reglue gears back together. Myself, I don't see how you can get it all off enough for glue to stick.

Good points about the downgrade train bucking. I have a pretty good grade out on my main line but I've never had an issue with bucking since I've always run with an NCE DCC system, and I have always had momentum as part of my programming.

Hope We're not confusing the OP too much.  DCC is definitely the route to go if you are interested in realistic operation beyond the train set.

[nperraglia]

Thanks all. As an update, based on the many useful suggestions provided I was able to get the engine moving. As suggested, I thoroughly cleaned the tracks, propped the loco up to allow the wheels to move and also purchased and am using the bachmann dcc controller.

The engine is moving at a pretty good speed but maybe related to jward's point, it still does not want to pull any type of cars behind it. The engine powers up but the wheels don't want to pull forward. Then when I decouple I have to just everything down and restart for the engine to move indepently by itself.

Without knowing anything, maybe it's the same issue jward described. Thanks again all for the discussion and suggestions on the topic. 

[trainman203]

I'm not familiar with that locomotive at all, but it could be too light. There are more than a few model locomotives that were made too light to begin with, this could be one. 

Get the number of cars behind it that make it stall and power up while you lightly push down on the engine on your finger as a test. If that works and it pulls the train, you need to take the shell off and try to add some weight inside.

If that is not successful, I'm sure there's some other people reading those who have that engine, are familiar with it, and can make a suggestion.

Something else I just thought about is that the magnet in the motor may have weakened with age since this appears to be a pretty old model. If that turns out to be the issue, you have to replace the motor, probably more work than you want to do..... even if you can even get a replacement motor, since in today's world, spare Model Railroad parts can be quite hard to find.

[Desert Rose]

1.) clean your track, they have a hard time getting power on curves due to the D-D trucks(8 wheels per truck).Ues a Mr. Clean MagicEraser(found in your kittchen) with denatured alcohol.
2.) clean your wheel sets, denatured alcohol and a Q-tip.DD40AX's are twin engine power hungry, and are sensitive to dirty track.
3.) if cleaning is not working, remove the shell and check power train for proper movement.(do not remove wires, hold shell of to the side during this check).
4.) check gearboxes for split gears (pop the tab on the back and remove two littel scews in the center).




5.) for split gear repair see.

https://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,38101.msg278975.html#msg278975

6.) Weight and running see.

https://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,38127.msg279155.html#msg279155

https://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,37929.msg278006.html#msg278006

[trainman203]

Now there's what you need. Experience with the actual engine.