Hi whitepond

From your description, it sounds like the motor shaft is spinning but no power is transmitted to the wheels.
Remove the shell and place the loco on the tracks, power it up and see whets going on..
Maybe worm is not engaging to the truck gear.
Or perhaps worm or truck gears are not held fast to their respective shafts.

Open it up and report back as to what you observe.

I do not have the Acela set.
From what I gather, the cars are lighted, reading from the description in the products link.

Now assuming your track is clean and all the wheel sets, on all the equipment (including the traction tires), have also been cleaned...

Kind of sounds like what your describing is that the weight of the consist is bogging down the power car.
This would indicate to me that the rolling resistance in one, or more, of your cars is too great, or you're laying down oil from some where, to the track.

Again I am not familiar with how the cars are illuminated but if their picking power from the track there must be some sort of wiper system or perhaps from the axle points.

Remove the non-powered cars from the track and, by finger, turn each wheel set on each truck to see which one(s) are difficult to turn.

While you're at it, wipe the residue off the track again with alcohol. Spinning traction tires will lay down a film.
Trucks and wheel sets generally don't require lubrication.
If you find it necessary to lube them then use graphite rather than oil.
In roughly 15 years in the hobby, I have never lubricated trucks or wheel sets aside of on locomotives.

Can you post a close-up pic of both trucks on any but the powered car?

Hi tombrown,

A bit more information will bring alot more help.
What scale?
What brand turnout?

If using a power routing turnout, the point rail must make contact (good contact) with the stock rail for power to flow beyond the diverging route.

New track is not clean track.

Wet a cotton cloth with alcohol (I prefer 91% Isopropyl) and wipe the railhead until no black stuff is seen on the cloth.
Also clean the wheels (all of them on both the loco and all rolling stock) with the same alcohol but on a Q Tip instead of the cloth.
This will help to improve contact.
I don't like abrasive cleaners, I prefer to polish (burnish) the rail head instead.

The 91% will remove paint so be careful.

The 0-6-0 does not have a factory installed headlight.

Check lubrication after about +/- 24 hours run time.

It's a great little loco after it's broken in well.

Good Luck.

Hi fredsmi,

Glad you got it running again.
New track is not clean.
Wipe the rail head with a cotton cloth wet with alcohol, you will see.
Its good practice to clean both the railhead and the wheel sets at the same time.

Some locos are more sensitive to dirty track than others.
When it comes to lubricating a lokie, less is more.

Good Luck.

Hi gstebb,

From looking at the B'mann product guide what you have for a lokie is a GP40.
Next, I will assume you are using the EZ track that came with your set, and have added some extra EZ track and switches.

Now going on that...

Are you powering the switches (turnouts)?
When you move the points, either electrically or manually, to the points lay tight to the rail in both directions (they should)?
If this is what's happening let me know and I will post a fix.

If you are not powering...
The spring in the turnouts is not strong enough to securely hold the points to the rail. As the loco passes over the points they may be moving slightly away from the rail causing your problem.
Get your eyes down low and travel slowly with the lokie and see if this is happening.

If you are powering the turnouts...
The solenoid will hold the points to the rail provided the internal pinion and rack gears are properly aligned.
More on this later when we get there.

With power applied and activating the switch, look to see if the points are being held flush against the rail in both the passing and diverging routes (again, if their not, I will post a fix). You will feel slight resistance when trying to move the points, with your finger, away from the rail.
If they appear to contact the rail tightly in both positions, check to see if the wheels are bumping of the tips of the point rails as the loco enters onto the turnout track. This is what's commonly referred to "picking the points".
If this is what's happening, then use a small needle file to sharpen the leading edge of the points.
The points should lie as flush as possible against the rail. Your filing should be on the outside of the points and maybe a slight dressing of the insides.
Easiest to remove the turnout and hold it in your hand when doing this. When you think you have it (be sure to blow all the filings out)...then reinstall the turnout, power it up and activated it electrically to see how you've done.
The first one might take a few minutes, the rest will go quicker.
Again make sure it's held fast to the rails in both positions. Also check to see the tops of the railhead and the points are flush or the point rails very slightly below.
If the points are not making good contact with the rails it will require opening up the turnout and realigning the pinion to the rack gears.

If you're still having problems with the turnout after filing, and being sure the points are contacting the rails properly, look to the wheel gauge of your wheel sets on your lokie and rolling stock.

Both wheel gauge and track gauge are very important.
Easiest way to check is with an N scale NMRA standards gauge <$10 at most LHS or train shows. They are almost a must have for the hobby for both wheel and track gauge.
You can do it with calipers but its much more time consuming than the go-no-go gauge.

NMRA standard's for both track and wheel gauge can be found here;

http://www.nmra.org/standards/sandrp/pdf/S-3.2%202009.07.pdf

http://www.nmra.org/standards/sandrp/pdf/S-4.2%202009.07.pdf


Enough for now, try these things and report back.

Good Luck.

I own one of the B'mann Light Mountains.

I have never had a problem with mine pulling eight cars + caboose.
Although I have read internet chatter complaining about lackluster performance concerning this loco I don't see it "right out of the box" as some others have stated.

That being said;
Some report that simply rotating the bearing blocks 90°cures all.
I have not measured the bearing blocks to see if they are square or rectangular.

Some have reported good (better pulling power) by placing a sliver of shim between the frame and the bearing block of the traction tired driver and the frame.
Reports have been all over the board on how much shim is required to achieve desired results.

Scotch®Magic transparent tape and/or 3M® #5413 Polymide Film (Kapton) tape ~ .002in.
Computer printer paper ~.004in
Masking tape ~ .007in.

I cannot recommend a fix as to shim thickness, as stated previously, I have not had a problem with mine and have no need to shim the bearing block.

As far as step by step procedure...turn the loco upside down and secure in a foam cradle, be careful of the boiler shell detail.
Remove the two Phillips screws that secure the driver cover plate to the frame.
Remove the cover plate.
Slightly raise the traction tired driver and slide your shim of choice between the bearing block and the frame.
If you remove the bearing block completely from the frame, be sure to check driver quarter before re-assembly.
Place equal thickness shim under both opposite sides.
Replace the driver cover plate and tighten the two Phillips screws.
The amount of tension you put on the Phillips screws will directly affect the running characteristics of the loco.
Don't torque them, just lightly snug them.

Can't help with #2. I have no need.

Can't help with #3, I run DC and am experimenting with true R/C in n scale, which I feel will make DCC obsolete in short time.

Good Luck.

According to Bachmann, the "footprint" of the EZ Track included with the Frontiersman set is 34" X 24".

http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/products.php?act=viewProd&productId=24

If you want a 24" circle, simply remove the four 5" straight tracks.

If you're looking for EZ Track with a tighter radius than the 11.25r included in your set, you won't find it.
Bachmann appears to be content to offer only two different curved radiuses for the EZ Track system, those being 11.25r and 19r.

If it's your wish to have a tighter radius, than Bachmann currently offers, you will need to look to another manufacturer.
Your Bachmann N scale equipment (loco's and rolling stock) will work on any other manufacturers N gauge track.

Good Luck.

#2  NS

Two loco's that are pretty close to speed matched.
We'll call (a) the faster and (b) the slower.
Put (a) on the tracks and add your consist behind her.
Now put (b) on the tracks ahead of (a) w/consist and see which is now the fastest.
If still (a), then leave her on the point trailed by (b).
If (b) is now faster than (a) w/consist then put (b) on the point.

Here's my logic...With (a) on the point...

If (a) w/consist is faster than (b), then (a) has not only the consist to drag, but also the slower (b). That's a lot of weight. The plus is the couplers remain tight.
If the consist does not have enough cars to slow it ((a)) enough to a speed slower than (b), the locos will be much closer to running the same speed. Not too much weight to pull. Couplers still pulled tight.

If the consist does have enough cars to make (a) w/consist slower than (b), putting (b) on the point will make (b) pull (a) and the consist. Couplers still tight.
With (b) on the point at least (a) is getting a little "help" rather than pulling the entire load.
(b) will be slightly "straining" also, but not to the extent that (a) would be "straining" if the position were reversed.

The load dynamic will have changed with the positioning of the locos.

The object is two-fold... keep the couplers tight (no slack), thereby reducing unexpected uncoupling, bucking, and breakaways and the second, to keep any engine from running excessively hot.


This is what I do and it works well for me.
Try this for yourself and see if you're happy with the results.

Remember this is model railroading... there are no rules cast in stone.
The "rule" is whatever works best for you on your layout.

Your mileage may vary.

The level of detail one wishes to have on one's layout is a personal choice dependent on many factors some of which may be time, cost, and risk/reward.

QuoteI counted only 11 , that only had the lines strung on the Telephone Polls . To Me , this isn't a completed layout and shouldn't be given the glory of making to a magazines .

If you look for the good in something, you will see the good.
If you look for the bad, you will see the bad.

When you publish your own magazine, featuring the railroad hobby, then you can decide who get's the "glory".

BTW your rolling stock is made mainly from plastic and your locos run off 12v DC fed from the tracks, now how realistic is that?

From your post, I see you are one of "those" who feel they know the proper way to model.

You may be surprised to find in life; very few give rats behind about your opinion, particularly about another's personal choices.

You are an ambassador for the hobby, and you wear it well. 

There is a reason for the labels on the boxes which state "For Indoor Use".
These reasons will become apparent to you in short order.

An automobile will float on water...for a little while...

If you decide to use a product in such a manner, in which it was not designed for, don't expect good results.

New track is not clean.

Check the following thread link and clean all the wheels on all your stuff.

http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,7591.0.html

The Prairie Flyer loco is a 4-4-0. To clean the drivers, cradle the loco and tender upside down (still coupled) touch power feed wires to the tender wheels, one to each side, and apply power. Then touch the loco drivers with a Q-Tip wet (not dripping) with Isopropyl alcohol, Use as many as it takes until the Q-tips no longer remove dirt/gunk/whatever.

Follow the instructions in the thread to clean your tender and rolling stock wheel sets (spin by hand).

To clean the track use a rag (old T-shirt) wet with alcohol and wipe the rail head until the shirt is no longer picking stuff up.
I find it easiest to wipe about a three foot section at a time wiping in one direction not back and forth.

Last, after everything is clean, check to see that all the wheels on all your rolling stock roll freely.

Good Luck.

Check to see, there is a piece of foam between the fire box and the trailing truck.
Remove that.
Mine will handle the 11.25r EZ track at slow speed.

I agree.
B'mann surely raised the bar with this loco.
I put it in the top of the class of the N scale locos ever produced.
The others being, the B'mann Heavy Mountain, the B'mann Connie, and the Kato mike, and GS4 (4-8-4).

It's among the top of the class.

Kudos to B'mann.

Forgive the delay.

Good gosh,
We, (I), have hijacked this man's thread concerning a simple track jig.

BradKT please accept my apology.

BradKT a jig, used as you described, in theory, should work excellent.

Perhaps we could discuss the speed of evaporation of water (moisture), directly related to relative humidity, in another thread?

IMO, its good discussion, however, it "screws up the search function" for cleaning wheels.
(Sorry 'bout that Bob)

And, it's not rocket science.
(Sorry 'bout that Gene... Using "and" to begin a sentence).  : )
I before E except after C, yes I know the rule, this is an exception.

Jim, I am near here;
27° 48.5' 82° 47.7'
This will give you a better understanding of my environment.