Bachmann USRA 0-6-0 Shorting out

[Trainman13]

Hello reader! I recently purchased Bachmann's brand new USRA 0-6-0 model a few months ago but recently I've had issues with the model shorting out. I noticed that if I leave the rear tender truck off, I can hear sound and there is no short. If I stick the front tender trucks onto the track the train shorts out causing my DCS 52 Digitrax controller to give me a local booster fault. I've looked under the wheels to check for debris or anything that could cause a fault but can't see any reason as to why it's doing this! I've never dropped the model or damaged it in any way, shape or form. I'm sort of new to the whole DCC thing so bare with me if I seem lost. Well anyways, any help is appreciated. Thank you!! (PS, Yes I have the DCC plug plugged in completely and all my wires and connections are strongly attached.)

[JonJet]

First thing I would try is a shop vac's "blower end" - I bought a small one that came with a nozzle

You would not believe how much fuzz and lint can make it's way inside a locomotive...but a blower nozzle should remove anything that don't belong

I've also found small metal particles in the frogs/throws of switches causing My DCS52 to show a Track Fault condition

[jward]

Is it possible one or both of the wheelsets on the tender truck is reversed? If this locomotive has electrical pickups on the tender trucks, it should have metal wheels. These wheelsets will have a metal axle, and one wheel will have a plastic hub. I do not have this particular version of the 0-6-0, but locomotives with tender truck pickups usually pick up from one rail with the front truck, and the other rail with the rear truck. The wheels with the plastic hubs must be both oriented the same way in the front truck, and that truck will have them oriented the opposite way from the rear truck. In other words, flip the tender over and you should see one hub in the front truck oriented the same as the ones in the rear truck. Carefully pop that wheelset out and flip it around so it faces the same as the other one on the front truck. That should remove the short.
 

[Trainman13]

Let me give that a shot! Also to the guy on top that mentioned cleaning out lint I'll give that a shot as well! Thanks!! Didn't know that!

[trainman203]

A can of spray air for computer keyboards works well too.  It truly is unbelievable what will fly out of there when you do it.

I can't say about diesels because I don't have any, but on my steam engines some of that fuzz will stay trapped between the phosphor bronze pickup wiper and the driver wheel.  Sometimes I need to very gently push in a piece of thin stiff cardboard between the wiper and the wheel to get that stuff loose. Then you blow the air in again to get whatever fell down into the shell.