If you ever run across a situation where your model train or trains don't run... it's wise to have the knowledge of how your train works under your belt.
The first course of understanding is that electricity is your juice or the origin of your power. That being said, if you hook up your pack, twist the knob and give the steam whistle a toot, but the engine just sits there, your first recourse is to check all electrical connections starting with the one in your wall.
If all is well at your wall connection, you'll want to follow the power cord to it's power pack and be on the lookout for slits, cuts, breaks, exposed wires, etc... all these things can cause your power pack not to receive the electrical impulses that make your layout come alive.
If you've followed proper procedures and chased potential problems down to their root cause you'll naturally end up at the wires running from your power pack to the track or rails. Your problem could easily be lurking here.
Your DC current enters the circuit at this junction. Entering through the wheels and traveling through the locomotive to it's motor, the current can be traced as it dumps off life giving forces to the electric components. The power pack which was at the beginning of this electrical journey is also at its closing as the current completes it's circuit by traveling back through the opposite rail and re-entering the power pack.
Word to the wise. If your wheels are unclean they could lead to complications during operations. Electrical impulses can be muffled or disrupted by dirt on tracks. In severe cases you may not receive any reception at all.
For this very reason it's a good idea to clean your track and wheels before and after operation.
Following these simple step by step actions will likely lead to identifying any major problem. If problems continue and you have exhausted all the tricks outlined, try a multi-meter, you can usually find electrical problems that normally avaid the eye. While locomotive chassis is disassembled go ahead and check motor for foreign objects and binding gears. - 31503
The first course of understanding is that electricity is your juice or the origin of your power. That being said, if you hook up your pack, twist the knob and give the steam whistle a toot, but the engine just sits there, your first recourse is to check all electrical connections starting with the one in your wall.
If all is well at your wall connection, you'll want to follow the power cord to it's power pack and be on the lookout for slits, cuts, breaks, exposed wires, etc... all these things can cause your power pack not to receive the electrical impulses that make your layout come alive.
If you've followed proper procedures and chased potential problems down to their root cause you'll naturally end up at the wires running from your power pack to the track or rails. Your problem could easily be lurking here.
Your DC current enters the circuit at this junction. Entering through the wheels and traveling through the locomotive to it's motor, the current can be traced as it dumps off life giving forces to the electric components. The power pack which was at the beginning of this electrical journey is also at its closing as the current completes it's circuit by traveling back through the opposite rail and re-entering the power pack.
Word to the wise. If your wheels are unclean they could lead to complications during operations. Electrical impulses can be muffled or disrupted by dirt on tracks. In severe cases you may not receive any reception at all.
For this very reason it's a good idea to clean your track and wheels before and after operation.
Following these simple step by step actions will likely lead to identifying any major problem. If problems continue and you have exhausted all the tricks outlined, try a multi-meter, you can usually find electrical problems that normally avaid the eye. While locomotive chassis is disassembled go ahead and check motor for foreign objects and binding gears. - 31503
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For more information on scale model locomotives visit Daryl's Website surrounding model trains, you may also stop in to read thomas the wooden toy train engine reviews.
