Question Regarding PIckups/Contact Points on Bachmann HO Steam Locomotives

[ferroequinologist]

Hello,
I've been working on my HO scale layout now that I have the benchwork built, and my track plan includes two reversing loops in a figure-8 configuration. I also plan on primarily running three Bachmann steam locomotives: a Spectrum 4-6-2 Pacific, a DCC/WowSound 2-8-0 Consolidation, and an 0-6-0 switcher. I've noticed, however, that while I have the reversing loops insulated from the rest of the layout, my locomotives tend to stop once they hit the insulators. I'm wondering, then, if this is an issue with the contact/pickup points on the locomotives, none of which are more than 9 years old.

[jward]

The 0-6-0 does not have pickups on the tender wheels, so the drivers are the only electrical pickups it has. It has a tendency to stall on things like insulated frogs on switches and crossings. Not sure why it's stalling on your reversing sections.

Are you running DC or DCC?

How are you handling the polarity in the reversing sections? Do they have a seperate reversing switch, or are you using autoreverse circuits?

Are your switch and crossing frogs metal or plastic?

If metal, do they have provisions to power them?

[trainman203]

I didn't think that the 2–8–0 had WOW sound.  I have 2 with sound value decoders.  The new run, of which I have one, has Soundtraxx Econami, a big improvement.