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Offline Ace Wickwire  
#1 Posted : 27 March 2021 16:47:22(UTC)
Ace Wickwire

United States   
Joined: 20/02/2021(UTC)
Posts: 18
Location: Colorado, Fruita
I've had my starter set since mid-January and have yet to figure out why the loco will stall. I took a 14 minute video of the loco's performance. The link below is a condensed version of the video, condensed to 5 min. This video shows the stalling issues, the normal performance periods were cut out.



Background: This issue was present as soon as the set was put into use. It occurs in all track configurations. The stall or stoppage locations change. The above video was taken in the morning. Then without any change to the track, except for power on and off, that afternoon another video was taken and stalling locations were not the same. The loco was sent to a Marklin tech and some adjustments were made. No change in stalling issue. Later the power supply, power block, track, mobile station and loco were sent to the Marklin tech. Again a few adjustments to loco made and reported back that all operated fine while in tech possession. I reassembled set once returned from tech and first lap around track, it stalled several times. This all occurs at low speed (4 bars on the mobile station) and hesitates when at half speed. The set has been back from the tech for several weeks and no change in performance, continues to stall at low speed and hesitate at half speed. Again the location for this to occur changes with each period of operation. I first reported this on this forum when I joined and several folks made recommendations. Here are the things I've done:

1. Cleaned the two rails with denim and kerosene. Several times.
2. Cleaned the center rail, lightly. Same as above.
3. Made sure power wires connected to track properly. Red to B and Brown to O.
4. Used different wall outlet, checked power polarity.
5. Used voltmeter to check power between center and outer rail. (Have power but guess I don't know what the value should be. Just now checked and had between 12.9 volts and 14.9v.)
6. Double checked to make sure track is pushed into place properly.
7. Tech updated the mobile station to current software while in his possession.

The track sits on 1" Styrofoam (the white bead kind) that has been painted. This on a 1/2 sheet of plywood.

Anything to help solve this would be greatly appreciated. I'm learning to live with it but still just isn't right and it bugs me.

Thanks for taking a look.



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Offline Copenhagen  
#2 Posted : 27 March 2021 17:00:02(UTC)
Copenhagen


Joined: 23/04/2019(UTC)
Posts: 369
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
How does it behave when you run the train at faster speeds? Can you let it run at medium to medium high speed for some time in both directions? ... I can see that you seem to have problems at half speed maybe, so what about faster speeds then? You only have this one locomotive to make tests with?

Another thing: are you sure that the power cables are fitted properly to the 0 and B, sometimes the spade connectors are a bit loose and wiggly (wobbly?) so you need to tighten them a bit with a pair of pliers.
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Offline scraigen  
#3 Posted : 27 March 2021 18:07:56(UTC)
scraigen


Joined: 29/01/2009(UTC)
Posts: 299
Location: Sheffield,
That behaviour looks like what I get when the track dirty. Although if that were the case I’d expect the troublesome locations to be more consistent. Is it any better after some faster laps?
Must build something
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Offline Donb  
#4 Posted : 27 March 2021 19:10:19(UTC)
Donb

Canada   
Joined: 03/04/2013(UTC)
Posts: 288
Location: Fraser Valley
Hi,

Try removing the slider on the loco and give it a polish with some fine Scotchbrite. Dont do this without removing the slider first, the fine abrasives could fall into the loco gearing.
Best Regards,
Don
___________________________________________________________________________________
CS3, ( Commander is now retired) , C track and Z scale, mostly DB/DR and SBB, SJ
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Offline Ace Wickwire  
#5 Posted : 27 March 2021 20:07:30(UTC)
Ace Wickwire

United States   
Joined: 20/02/2021(UTC)
Posts: 18
Location: Colorado, Fruita
Thanks everyone.

The loco does fine at full speed. It will act up at medium or even medium high speed on occasion. At those speeds it "looses" power, sound stops, but has enough speed built up will coast through and then pick back up a very short distance away. Generally I run clockwise but it occurs both directions, forward and backwards. Issue does seem to occur less often if I run loco at full speed right off the bat and after a few laps slow it down. But next time I run the loco the issue is back but often at different location than the previous time.

Since this is my first set, only one loco at this time. Have made an acquaintance here on the forum that lives a few towns over and at some point next month hope to meet up and run some of his locos on the track. Hopefully that will also reveal something.

I did tighten the spade connectors at Marklin tech suggestion.

A number of folks have mentioned dirty track and I have cleaned several times. Should note that all my track is new, at least since purchase since mid-January. One of my first thoughts was that some sort of residue was on the track from the manufacturing process.

The Marklin tech said he serviced and adjusted the slider. However, I'll give the polish slider suggestion a try.

Offline marklinist5999  
#6 Posted : 27 March 2021 21:59:40(UTC)
marklinist5999

United States   
Joined: 10/02/2021(UTC)
Posts: 3,074
Location: Michigan, Troy
I experience the same issue at times with MS2 when locomotive is first placed on the track, or till it runs a bit. Same when reversing. New tracks. I think some decoders just have to sort of wake up. More often with mm ones than mfx
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Offline Copenhagen  
#7 Posted : 27 March 2021 22:09:31(UTC)
Copenhagen


Joined: 23/04/2019(UTC)
Posts: 369
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
Occasionally Märklin locomotives do malfunction. It can be a faulty decoder or a faulty motor. The fault might have been there from the start or it may have developed over time. From what you write the malfunction was there from the start...
At first I would reset the loco (can be done from the configuration menu if you use a Mobile Station) and see if that changes anything. I would also have the mobile station re-register the loco (can't remember if it's done automatically after a reset or if you have to delete it in order to make it register again). It's Mfx so it should register automatically.
It could also be that the Mobile Station is faulty?? It can be reset to factory settings too. You could try that as a last resort. It's a pity that you don't have another locomotive to test things.
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Offline David Dewar  
#8 Posted : 27 March 2021 23:41:03(UTC)
David Dewar

Scotland   
Joined: 01/02/2004(UTC)
Posts: 7,332
Location: Scotland
I would try to get another loco. IF this loco runs OK then the fault is with the original loco. IF other locos do the same as the original then there is not enough power getting to the track.
Take care I like Marklin and will defend the worlds greatest model rail manufacturer.
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Offline mike c  
#9 Posted : 28 March 2021 01:10:54(UTC)
mike c

Canada   
Joined: 28/11/2007(UTC)
Posts: 7,880
Location: Montreal, QC
I set up a floor layout a few weeks back and have been seeing this issue with Roco and Maerklin locos. I suspect it has something to do with the MS2.
At first I thought that the track might be dirty, so I cleaned the rails at the locations where stalls were occurring. It got a little better, but continued to occur.
I then thought that it might have something to do with the new motors (cardan drive). A train is more likely to come to a rapid stop when the motor stops turning the cardan while a classic motor might slow down a little less quickly, which might just be enough for it to get past the stall area. Most decoders have acceleration/deceleration settings, but I am not sure whether these still apply if power if cut off.

I also started wondering whether this issue may be related to a tendency to have a more limited number of wheels serving as contacts for the ground/return, where older models might have used all or most wheels for that through the bogie and chassis.

What I have noticed is that at higher speeds, the loco does not stall, but you can still hear the sound cut out and then resume and the lights flicker, indicating that there definitely is a momentary deprivation of power.
My gut feeling is that the ground return (contact) may be broken when the axle shifts from side to side in response to the track.
Can you post a photo of the underside of the loco or the model number for the loco/set so I can find a photo online?

This is the first time that I have run the floor layout with my MS2. Prior to that I had always used my 6021 or analog.

I think what I need to do in order to give you the best answer would be to pull out my 6647 and my 6002/6021 to see if the same issue exists in classic digital and analog operation.

In the meantime, rotate the locomotive 180 degrees and tell me if the situation has improved itself. You can also try using a Q-Tip to ensure that the return contacts are contacting a clean (and not oily) surface on the inside of the wheels.
You can also try to remove each track section where it is stalling and replace it with a different one and see if that improves operation.
You may want to get in touch with Rick or Curtis at Marklin to see what they think of the video.

In the meantime, I wish my locomotive could disappear and then reappear on the other side of the layout. Not very prototypical, but cool nonetheless ;)

Regards

Mike C
Offline applor  
#10 Posted : 28 March 2021 01:27:13(UTC)
applor

Australia   
Joined: 21/05/2004(UTC)
Posts: 1,653
Location: Brisbane, Queensland
I cant see from the video whether the headlights go out or not when it stops? ie. does it appear to completely lose power or do the lights stay on but the sound/engine stop?

If the lights go out then definitely a power issue. You've said the track/centre are both clean so that leaves the slider as Don suggested.
Give the area where the slider and the spring make contact a clean with alcohol.
modelling era IIIa (1951-1955) Germany
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Offline mike c  
#11 Posted : 28 March 2021 01:35:16(UTC)
mike c

Canada   
Joined: 28/11/2007(UTC)
Posts: 7,880
Location: Montreal, QC
Originally Posted by: applor Go to Quoted Post
I cant see from the video whether the headlights go out or not when it stops? ie. does it appear to completely lose power or do the lights stay on but the sound/engine stop?

If the lights go out then definitely a power issue. You've said the track/centre are both clean so that leaves the slider as Don suggested.
Give the area where the slider and the spring make contact a clean with alcohol.


Based on my own observations, using loks 37324, 37325, 37348 and a number of Roco Loks Vectron, Taurus, Re 6/6, Re 4/4) I do not think it is a slider issue. I am leaning much more towards poor contact or intermittent contact between the axle contact and the wheel or possibly between the wheels and the rails under particular circumstances, as the wheel may move away from the contact when shifting in response to the rail configuration.

I need to do some testing. See my post above.

Take a styrofoam box (like the one from the start set), put the loco upside down, connect the red cable to the slider (clip it) and touch the brown to the wheels. Power it to 1/4. Try using your free hand to shift the wheels from side to side and see if it momentarily breaks contact with the axle contact. This is what I suspect the culprit may be. Most of my older locos where all wheels were used for return contact through the chassis are all analog. Most of the newer ones all have wired contact to the wheels using wheel contacts.

Regards

Mike C

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Offline nhumps  
#12 Posted : 28 March 2021 04:40:58(UTC)
nhumps

New Zealand   
Joined: 17/12/2018(UTC)
Posts: 104
Location: Kapiti Coast
Is it only happening on curved sections? I would be curious to know if you move the loco side to side if it starts going rather than pushing it forward and it starts going. I think too it is a contact issue when the wheelsets are moving as it follows the bends. How does it go on a layout full of S bend R1s?

I have older class 94s, Marklin 37160 (94 1343) and 37165 (94 713) - both can exhibit this problem, i've always thought it to be dirty m track more than anything and cleaning surfaces removed the problem - interesting and sad to hear you are seeing this from a brand new item and brand new track.

Offline Ace Wickwire  
#13 Posted : 28 March 2021 18:28:39(UTC)
Ace Wickwire

United States   
Joined: 20/02/2021(UTC)
Posts: 18
Location: Colorado, Fruita
Once again thanks for all the suggestions.

Have tried a number of things and still no change in performance. This morning ran counterclockwise for a few laps and then clockwise (rotated loco 180 degrees) so both times going forward. As with previous instances, the location of stall is different today than it was a couple days ago. Also location is different based on direction of travel.

Things I observed and tried.

Cleaned slider with alcohol and polished (more like slight wipe) a little with fine Scotchbrite pad. Cleaned wheels.

When the loco stopped the headlights went out, as well as, sound, this was at slow speed (4 bars on mobile station). I picked loco off of tracks and checked for power with multi-meter. All center rail pins showed about 16v, all had power. For next lap increased power to half speed and noted lights flicker and sound pause at the stall location. This occurred at a turn-out.

Running clockwise the stall location was on a straight section of track.

At the mobile station removed the loco and then re-registered it. Hesitated within a few feet of starting up. However, will say that it has been running for the past 15- 20 minutes at slow speed with out stopping. Maybe good sign. Time will tell. Have had this in the past where will run for a good period of time without issue and then next time back to normal stalling.

This is starter set #29721. Here are some photos of loco. Hope they help.

IMG_2509[1].JPG IMG_2513[1].JPGIMG_2512[1].JPGIMG_2510[1].JPGIMG_2511[1].JPG


Offline DTaylor91  
#14 Posted : 28 March 2021 18:49:46(UTC)
DTaylor91


Joined: 31/08/2007(UTC)
Posts: 414
Location: Kennesaw, GA
Hook leads up to the loco (upside down), power it up, and watch the drivers with the traction tires. Make sure the traction tires are running true, with no visible "wobble" that could lift the other drivers off the rail for a split second. I mention this because one of the traction tires looks a bit thick to me.
Offline Unholz  
#15 Posted : 28 March 2021 18:53:48(UTC)
Unholz

Switzerland   
Joined: 29/07/2007(UTC)
Posts: 1,391
Location: Switzerland
Sadly, I am very familiar with the problem shown in the video. It mostly occurs after my small test layout has "rested" for a couple of weeks or perhaps even months.

The only solutions (or a combination of these solutions) that really cure the stalling are:

- Cleaning/polishing the slider and perhaps bending it very gently to make it completely level
- Check the rails at the stalling locations for any kind of dirt or residue
- Gently clean the Puko studs in the middle of the track (at the spots where the loco stalls) with one of those small, two-sided "nail files" (with a thin cardboard base). If you don't know what I mean, ask the nearest available wife/girl friend/female neighbour/cosmetic salesperson, etc. BigGrin
- I know: some people will now cry out that I am crazy. They might be slightly right: if you clean these studs too hard or too often, then of course you will have to replace the track after a couple of months... ThumbDown. But by just doing it gently, you will only remove the slight residue that seems to build up over time
- When everything looks good, keep the loco running for a while --> you will then note that the stalling has disappeared.
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Offline Donb  
#16 Posted : 28 March 2021 18:58:40(UTC)
Donb

Canada   
Joined: 03/04/2013(UTC)
Posts: 288
Location: Fraser Valley
Check the continuity of the slider spring/slider. Hook up some alligator clips to the slider and slider spring, and check continuity while pressing the slider. Sometimes the slider spring can get tarnished/oxidized and poor conductivity.
Best Regards,
Don
___________________________________________________________________________________
CS3, ( Commander is now retired) , C track and Z scale, mostly DB/DR and SBB, SJ
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Offline JohnjeanB  
#17 Posted : 28 March 2021 19:18:04(UTC)
JohnjeanB

France   
Joined: 04/02/2011(UTC)
Posts: 3,083
Location: Paris, France
Hi
When you have cleaned the wheels and the tracks (including the studs then remains:
* dirt oil on the wheel axles making a poor return contact: clean with Isopropyl alcool
* a bad contact between the slider shoe and the slider springs
Cheers
Jean

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Offline Copenhagen  
#18 Posted : 28 March 2021 20:20:34(UTC)
Copenhagen


Joined: 23/04/2019(UTC)
Posts: 369
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
The slider itself looks okay. It looks perfectly straight and is quite thick and solid built so it doesn't bend easily. It's mostly worn toward the front and back but that's because it seems to have mostly run on a circular track. This doesn't mean that there isn't a problem with it picking up power at slow speeds of course. Usually when you have stalls they happen at the same place over and over until the track is cleaned (or the center studs have been rubbed with a piece of graphite to improve conductivity). In this case the stalls happen everywhere so it shouldn't be the tracks.
How does the train behave when it runs on a bigger layout where you use all the tracks and have longer straight runs? I would suggest letting it run for a while at around 3/4 to full speed and then see what happens at slow speeds.
Offline Martti Mäntylä  
#19 Posted : 28 March 2021 22:28:13(UTC)
Martti Mäntylä

Finland   
Joined: 15/11/2018(UTC)
Posts: 396
Location: Uusimaa, Helsinki
I recognise this problem from my own experience with the BR 74 from the 29013 start set: it kept stalling at low speeds when I ran it on the brand new C rails from the set. Cleaning the tracks did not help.

I tend to agree with Mike C that this is a combination of grounding issues and the characteristics of modern motors: the wheels lose ground connection, the motor stops right away, and friction overcomes inertia. I'm afraid the only real solution is to install a power pack that helps the loco keep moving even if there is a momentary loss of contact. See the very helpful video of our Swedish colleague.
- Martti M.
Era III analog & digital (Rocrail, CAN Digital Bahn, Gleisbox/MS2, K83/K84), C & M tracks, some Spur 1
Offline mike c  
#20 Posted : 29 March 2021 16:23:44(UTC)
mike c

Canada   
Joined: 28/11/2007(UTC)
Posts: 7,880
Location: Montreal, QC
Ken,

I stand by my theory that this is caused by the axles shifting in response to the track movement, leading to poor contact between the wheel and the metal contact used to connect the circuit board and the tracks.

The next time it stalls, I am going to ask you to take a short length of wire and touch the wire to the rails and to the wheels of the engine.
If, when contact is made, the locomotive starts to move again, this will confirm that it is a ground return issue.
I don't see any wheel contacts between the chassis and the inside of any of the wheels. This leads me to believe that the contact is to the axle itself on the inside of the model.
Screen Shot 2021-03-29 at 10.13.44 AM.png
If you look at the last axle, you can see a hole in the red undercarriage. Inside that hole, you can see two springs which rest against the axle of that wheelset.
That, IMHO is how the ground is transferred from the internals to the rails. You can try inserting a Q-Tip with contact cleaner to ensure that there is a clean contact between the springs and the axle.

I have not seen this model in person, so I don't know what materials were used. The exploded diagram in the instructions does not show how the model is wired.

Regards

Mike C
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Offline marklinist5999  
#21 Posted : 29 March 2021 17:18:12(UTC)
marklinist5999

United States   
Joined: 10/02/2021(UTC)
Posts: 3,074
Location: Michigan, Troy
Yes Mike C, I have also wondered about the axle issue, as when I nudge the stalled loco from it's side, they start.
Offline Copenhagen  
#22 Posted : 29 March 2021 17:54:49(UTC)
Copenhagen


Joined: 23/04/2019(UTC)
Posts: 369
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
Yeah, reading the last two posts and looking at the video again I realise that if all that's needed to get a slow locomotive going again is a small push (and if everything else about the slider and the tracks is fine) it's most likely that the problem is that the wheels and axles don't have good connectivity between the body of the loco and the tracks.
So a cleaning, also with use of contact spray, could help. I would also oil the axles as recommended by Märklin because that should also improve smooth driving at all speeds.
Offline Ace Wickwire  
#23 Posted : 30 March 2021 00:49:15(UTC)
Ace Wickwire

United States   
Joined: 20/02/2021(UTC)
Posts: 18
Location: Colorado, Fruita
So I took a look where Mike C. suggested and do see two small springs in contact with axel. The axel looked moist to me. Using a Q-tip I rubbed inside the hole. The axel will slide side to side and wiped the Q-tip there also. Photo below shows result of that. Currently don't have any contact cleaner but is on the shopping list for some CRC Contact Cleaner and Protectant. (I do have some of the QD cleaner but looking at some posts here, not a recommended product for this.)

IMG_2514[1].JPG

I've not lubed the loco but was thinking it might be due. Must have a good 20 hrs on it now. I do have some of the Trix lube and Labelle 108 oil on hand but haven't tried using it yet.

I ran the loco at separate times today. First time I started at half speed and made some laps (4' x 8' double loop), then slowed down to slow speed. No stalling at all. This afternoon started loco at slow speed and went around a number of times without stalling. Go figure. Confused Hard to say what result tomorrow.

Thanks all,
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Offline mike c  
#24 Posted : 03 April 2021 02:32:21(UTC)
mike c

Canada   
Joined: 28/11/2007(UTC)
Posts: 7,880
Location: Montreal, QC
Offline baggio  
#25 Posted : 03 April 2021 07:30:58(UTC)
baggio

Canada   
Joined: 21/09/2012(UTC)
Posts: 1,729
Location: Toronto
I had that problem with my FS 424 running in analogue. Cleaning did not solve the problem.

As a result, I had Mike digitize the loco and it worked well for a few years; until now. Scared

My gut feeling is that the decoder is bad.

I would suggest to our friend to borrow a loco from a friend and run it to see what happens. At the same time, run the troubled loco on the friend's layout and see what happens.

However, I would NOT replace the decoder unless I were positive that is what causes the problem.

I doubt it's the MS2.

BEST solution: I would buy locally even a used simple loco to compare performance.
Offline DasBert33  
#26 Posted : 03 April 2021 07:57:40(UTC)
DasBert33

Belgium   
Joined: 21/01/2004(UTC)
Posts: 1,245
Eeehhh, couldnt this be the 'grease-in-motor-issue', where the BR94 is known for? Did you recently oil/grease the gears near the motor?

See also https://www.marklin-users.net/fo...lin-BR94-5-18--cat-37160

I had this even with the 'good' motor of 37168. It happens when the grease from the wormwheel gets into the motor onto the brushes. Causes high current consumption, and the decoder going into 'safe-mode' (current protection), thus causing the stalling.

Please check this:
- What do the lights do when the loco stalls? Do they turn off immediately or do they stay on/come back on immediately? (mine stayed on often, as only the power to the motor was cut) How does it behave with/without sound?
- Typically, as sound consumes some power, the stalling should occur less when sound is off. Do some test with/without sound. If the stalling is the same, independant of current consumption -> look at the motor/grease issue.

If you have to happen a regulated power supply with current readout, a so-called lab supply, you can hookup the motor to that and check for current consumption. If there are spikes in consumption you have the greasing issue. This is what I did (I have a 15V/3A max supply). My locos motor consumes < 0.2A when it is OK. The bad motor had short spikes up to 3A (the max of the supply). After running the motor like this for a while it got 'cleaner' and the loco was usable again for a short while. (Lots of smoke when the grease burned away!) Sadly it didnt fix it permanently, either the grease contamination was too bad or it was damaged too bad. But mine was in worst shape than your based on the videos, so you can still try.
So I replaced the motor with as new one (~25euros) and now the loco is as good as new.

Bert



Offline DasBert33  
#27 Posted : 03 April 2021 08:12:41(UTC)
DasBert33

Belgium   
Joined: 21/01/2004(UTC)
Posts: 1,245
Originally Posted by: baggio Go to Quoted Post
I had that problem with my FS 424 running in analogue. Cleaning did not solve the problem.

As a result, I had Mike digitize the loco and it worked well for a few years; until now. Scared

My gut feeling is that the decoder is bad.



Did you also clean the motor? Do this and change the brushes for new ones. Similarly as with the BR94, a dirty motor will cause higher current consumption, which the decoder will not be able to handle if it gets too high. My guess is you couldn now be at this point, if you changed nothing else.


Although on 2nd thought, in analog the decoder has to undergo the reversing voltage spike every time. This kills the main rectifier capacitor on the decoder. over time. (ESU decoders where known for this) You could try adding an additional capacitor there (like a powerpack) and see whether it helps.



Offline hxmiesa  
#28 Posted : 03 April 2021 10:47:19(UTC)
hxmiesa

Spain   
Joined: 15/12/2005(UTC)
Posts: 3,519
Location: Spain
It's losing power.
Everything looks clean. Too clean. Even the wheels and the slider of the loko looks brand new.
Let the loko RUN IN, if you haven't already done that. Run it at near full speed 20 mins in one direction, then 20 mins in the other direction.
Best regards
Henrik Hoexbroe ("The Dane In Spain")
http://hoexbroe.tripod.com
Offline kiwiAlan  
#29 Posted : 03 April 2021 13:41:31(UTC)
kiwiAlan

United Kingdom   
Joined: 23/07/2014(UTC)
Posts: 8,082
Location: ENGLAND, Didcot
Originally Posted by: baggio Go to Quoted Post

My gut feeling is that the decoder is bad.


I don't believe so, the locos from that start set have a history of doing this, and i pointed the OP at a thread here previously.
It appears to be a problem with that particular loco design, possibly because of the way the axles are designed to slide sideways to take sharp curves on a loco with a lot of driving axles.

Offline Ace Wickwire  
#30 Posted : 04 April 2021 16:49:00(UTC)
Ace Wickwire

United States   
Joined: 20/02/2021(UTC)
Posts: 18
Location: Colorado, Fruita
First off thanks to everyone for all the suggestions and comments. Great to know you are there to offer advice.

Don't want to jinx it by saying Mystery Solved! Woot Woot However, the loco has been performing as it should for this past week. Have run it a slow speed for a great deal of time without any issues at all. I'm thinking the solution as Mike C suggested was an inspection of the small access hole at bottom of loco where the last axel is located. When I did this I noted (as reported in a previous post) what looked to me like a lot of oil. The excess was wiped away and ever since the loco is working.

Additionally, yesterday a friend I met here on the forum from a town about 80 miles away was able to visit my layout. He brought one of his digital locos (BR50.40 - Marklin #37049) and it ran just fine on the layout at a variety of speeds. He is much more experienced at this than I. He also noted my loco to have more oil on all the axels than maybe should be. (I'll get some of those real small cotton swabs to wipe away the excess.) I've never oiled the loco (just received it in Jan), so the assumption is that it was service by the Marklin dealer I purchased from or was over oiled during manufacturing. Again I'm a real novice and just making a guess. In any event believing the excess oil was cause of issue.

Mike C had suggested I use some contact cleaner in that area also. The cleaner is on my shopping list and hope to pick up some tomorrow. That will be the next step in the process.

Once again thanks to all... Smile Smile Smile Smile Smile
Offline Copenhagen  
#31 Posted : 04 April 2021 17:44:27(UTC)
Copenhagen


Joined: 23/04/2019(UTC)
Posts: 369
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
As long as it runs perfectly contact cleaner may not be needed - or at least only used sparingly. It can also be sprayed on a cotton swab if you want more control.
Great to hear that it works now.
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