Bachmann 24013 -Thunder Valley Starter Set – N Scale. Running problems

[Lowryj]

Hi, I recently purchased one of these
Bachmann 24013 -Thunder Valley Starter Set – N Scale
I also purchased some additional lengths of straights and curves in
The same Bachman branded ballast track with the click in connections
That match the starter set.
I set it up on a pool table which was flat. The train was ran on its own then
With carriages. It was all running ok for a few runs over 5-10 minutes.
Then the locomotive started to stop start on several parts of the track.
I spoke to shop bought from who said sometimes front bogies get stuck from
New and to apply one drop of light oil on the axels.
I did this and was running ok for that day.

I moved the track to where I wanted to install it and train ran ok
On and off for a few days. Then it all went bad again with stop start action.
It is under low power as well as when power if on half way mark.
I reinstalled the track on pool table just as a circle that came with starter set and train ran slow and fast and now problems. I then introduced 2 pieces of straight track and the stop start issue arose again. I removed these and tried some extra curves I had and same problem.
The train shop said he could try swapping out power pack. I am not overly convinced that this will fix my problems. It's very frustrating consider I got a plug and play set and just added some OEM Bachmann track.
Does anyone have any suggestions?
Thanks for reading.
John

[Fred Klein]

One thing you could try would be to clean the rails. You said you purchased extra track which, if its been sitting on the shelf in the store for a while could be corroded. The corrosion may not be visible to the naked eye. I usually clean my track with either isopropyl alcohol or mineral spirits on a soft cloth or folded paper towel. Try not to use anything abrasive as this will leave micro-scratches on the rail surface which will collect dirt faster and require more frequent cleaning. Hope this helps.

[Lowryj]

Hi Fred, thanks for your reply.
I have cleaned the track both from the set and additional pieces. I will
Give it a go with some alcohol.
Thanks John

[Fred Klein]

You're welcome, John. One thing I forgot to mention is to also clean the wheels on the locomotive with alcohol or mineral spirits. I just use a cotton swab to go around the each wheel. Don't worry if there are some portions of the wheel where the cotton swab won't reach. As long as you get most of the crud (if any is present) off, you should at least be able to tell if the locomotive runs OK. Hope this helps.

[trainman203]

The locomotive wheels may need cleaning also.