K-27 not starting

[BobHuddleston]

I justy tried to  run my K-27 for the  first  time in a month or so. DC, with !SI sound. The sound is fine, the lights come on -- but it doesn't run!

It goes forward smoothly about a 1/4 inch then jerks backward the same distance.

What am I doing wrong?

[chuckger]

Hi Bob,
  Check aii the switckes in the tender to make sure they are set right,
Also check the connections with the wires comming from the engine to the tender and make sure they are not loose. My K would stop on a curve, one of the plugs was not tight. Hope this helps.
   Chuck

[Chuck N]

Bob:

This sounds a lot like the counterweight problem.  Do the drivers turn freely and are the side rods straight across all four drivers, on both sides?  If you haven't replaced the counterweights or at least shimmed them, that could be the source of your problem.

Chuck Naeser

[BobHuddleston]

Thanks for the answers.

I did check and make sure that all switches are on. I will check the counter weights later today. They were replaced when I purchased it.

I stopped in Caboose Hobbies this morning and they thought -- without seeing it -- that a gear might be stripped.

WIth power off, the engine rolls easily.

[Chuck N]

Bob:

If it rolls easily, it is not the counterweight.  I bought my second K from Caboose last April.  I had them fix the counterweights before they shipped it to me in Virginia.  It has worked perfectly since then.

Chuck N

[StanAmes]

Thanks for the answers.

I did check and make sure that all switches are on. I will check the counter weights later today. They were replaced when I purchased it.

I stopped in Caboose Hobbies this morning and they thought -- without seeing it -- that a gear might be stripped.

WIth power off, the engine rolls easily.

Bob

From your description it soulds like the locomotive and gears are working normally.

But their is a simple test to check everything out. 

Remove your QSI decoder and replace it with the dummy plug that came with your locomotive.

Now run the locomotive on normal DC.

If the locomotive runs fine you have isolated the problem to the decoder.  If the locmotive still does not work with the dummy board installed push the locomotive by hand on a non powered track with the dummy board installed and see if the headlights lights when the locomotive is being moved. Let us on the forum know the results of how the locomotive works with its dummy board installed and we can walk you through some simple repairs to get the locomotive working properly again.

Stan Ames
http://www.tttrains.com/largescale/

[BobHuddleston]

Opps! When I was first trying to figure out what was wrong,  I pushed the engine. It slid nicely and I thought it was rolling.

But, in following Stan's suggestions, after the dummy board failed, I tried pushing to check the lights. And discovered that the wheels are not turning.

I flipped the engine into the foam liner and examined the wheels: they rotate about 1/4 of a turn in each direction.

Bob