Lately all my trains except one have been stalling and stuttering randomly for no apparent reason, some more often than others. Yes I would clean the track and the wheels before running them, yet the same problem could still occur even right after cleaning. Some problem spots on the track I would vigorously scrub by hand with alcohol, and recently I caved in and bought a track-cleaning car to do the work for me by having a locomotive push it around the layout at max speed. Unfortunately, that's not 100% effective either. The problem is worst when running at slow speeds, although sometimes even at max speed a train might suddenly stop and start again, for no reason at all, on a continuous section of track that it went through without issue the previous time. And often a train might inexplicably lose power if positioned in a particular way no matter how clean the wheels and the track are, which is what usually results in sudden stalling at slow speed.
I put together a 2-minute video compilation to better show the bugs I'm dealing with: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uRaQdCGrLC7onssxM5xRk_D03UICTzV8/
(that's a brand new GE 44-tonner btw, which shouldn't have those issues right out of the box)
My layout also has 2 reverse loops, with the reversing sections forming an X, and some trains would often trigger the autoreverser when passing through the middle of the X at slow speed, while the entire train is fully within the reversing section, even though there should be no way for the train's wheels to cause a short or anything (this problem is also included towards the end of the video, where the clicking sound can be heard while a train crosses the X, or even when it's stopped there, when gently tapping it would do the trick; the exact position of the train's wheels is shown in the last 2 slides of the video). Both reverse loops used to use Bachmann autoreverse modules, one of which has since been replaced with an MRC AD520 autoreverser, which seems to be more reliable thus far. I just received the second MRC AD520 today, to replace the other Bachmann module, which will hopefully solve this problem.
At this point, I'm thoroughly convinced that having trains powered by the running rails is an absolutely terrible design, and how much better, simpler, and more reliable it would be to simply have each train powered by batteries and operated by a remote control, allowing them to run much more freely and autonomously (you could even take them off the track and run them on the floor if you felt like it!). Not to mention, nothing is more unprototypical than trains being powered by the running rails. The closest real-world example that comes to mind are rapid transit lines that use linear induction motors & reaction rail technology (and having had one of those in my city, I can say those trains definitely couldn't move as freely and smoothly as regular 3rd rail / overhead wire / diesel trains can; not to mention that they couldn't run at all whenever the reaction rail was covered in snow/ice, much like model trains can't run properly unless the running rails are spotless).
I put together a 2-minute video compilation to better show the bugs I'm dealing with: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uRaQdCGrLC7onssxM5xRk_D03UICTzV8/
(that's a brand new GE 44-tonner btw, which shouldn't have those issues right out of the box)
My layout also has 2 reverse loops, with the reversing sections forming an X, and some trains would often trigger the autoreverser when passing through the middle of the X at slow speed, while the entire train is fully within the reversing section, even though there should be no way for the train's wheels to cause a short or anything (this problem is also included towards the end of the video, where the clicking sound can be heard while a train crosses the X, or even when it's stopped there, when gently tapping it would do the trick; the exact position of the train's wheels is shown in the last 2 slides of the video). Both reverse loops used to use Bachmann autoreverse modules, one of which has since been replaced with an MRC AD520 autoreverser, which seems to be more reliable thus far. I just received the second MRC AD520 today, to replace the other Bachmann module, which will hopefully solve this problem.
At this point, I'm thoroughly convinced that having trains powered by the running rails is an absolutely terrible design, and how much better, simpler, and more reliable it would be to simply have each train powered by batteries and operated by a remote control, allowing them to run much more freely and autonomously (you could even take them off the track and run them on the floor if you felt like it!). Not to mention, nothing is more unprototypical than trains being powered by the running rails. The closest real-world example that comes to mind are rapid transit lines that use linear induction motors & reaction rail technology (and having had one of those in my city, I can say those trains definitely couldn't move as freely and smoothly as regular 3rd rail / overhead wire / diesel trains can; not to mention that they couldn't run at all whenever the reaction rail was covered in snow/ice, much like model trains can't run properly unless the running rails are spotless).
