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Offline daveoZ  
#1 Posted : 19 February 2022 20:49:35(UTC)
daveoZ

United States   
Joined: 02/01/2022(UTC)
Posts: 15
Location: Las Vegas
Have just finished my layout, for now. Track is secured to foam boards. The layout design is three loops linked together in two different locations. It has five sidings. The problem I'm having is in two different locations in the outer loop. My locomotives will approach either spot and show a marked decline in speed. The affected areas are new, single Marklin 8 inch track and new turnouts. When the locomotive passes over the turnout or the track it then resumes its speed. This only occurs on these two sections, which are opposite each other. Any thoughts will be appreciated. Thanks
Offline Carim  
#2 Posted : 19 February 2022 20:58:58(UTC)
Carim

United Kingdom   
Joined: 15/09/2014(UTC)
Posts: 649
Location: London
Have you cleaned the track? Even new track can have a layer of oxide.

Carim

p.s. also clean the wheels
Offline Poor Skeleton  
#3 Posted : 20 February 2022 18:35:39(UTC)
Poor Skeleton

United Kingdom   
Joined: 09/10/2015(UTC)
Posts: 550
Location: England, Cambridge
Originally Posted by: daveoZ Go to Quoted Post
Have just finished my layout, for now. Track is secured to foam boards. The layout design is three loops linked together in two different locations. It has five sidings. The problem I'm having is in two different locations in the outer loop. My locomotives will approach either spot and show a marked decline in speed. The affected areas are new, single Marklin 8 inch track and new turnouts. When the locomotive passes over the turnout or the track it then resumes its speed. This only occurs on these two sections, which are opposite each other. Any thoughts will be appreciated. Thanks



If it's always the same section of track and all you locos are affected whichever way round they are, I wonder if there is poor electrical contact to those sections? If you have a multi-meter you can probably check the resistance to the affected sections, otherwise, you might find gently squeezing the rail joiners to those sections helps.

As Carim says, tack cleanliness is also a consideration and even if that's not a problem now, it will be soon, so invest in some suitable cleaning materials. I use WD-40 contact cleaner sprayed onto a lint-free paper towel for routine cleaning. If the layout hasn't been used for a while I'll first go over the track with a very fine Garryflex abrasive block. You may also find the 86501 track cleaning wagon useful - I tend to run mine round as few times before every running session. For wheel cleaning there is the 66623 wheel cleaning brush, though I'm not completely won over by it - generally I find a micro-brush soaked in WD-40 contact cleaner is more effective at cleaning the treads and backs of wheels. (Usually I support the loco upside down apply power via a loose section of track and use my other hand to clean the rotating wheels.

Hope this is of help, all the best


Chris
Offline Nightowl999  
#4 Posted : 21 February 2022 00:54:43(UTC)
Nightowl999


Joined: 10/01/2022(UTC)
Posts: 6
Location: England, Wiltshire
Originally Posted by: daveoZ Go to Quoted Post
Have just finished my layout, for now. Track is secured to foam boards. The layout design is three loops linked together in two different locations. It has five sidings. The problem I'm having is in two different locations in the outer loop. My locomotives will approach either spot and show a marked decline in speed. The affected areas are new, single Marklin 8 inch track and new turnouts. When the locomotive passes over the turnout or the track it then resumes its speed. This only occurs on these two sections, which are opposite each other. Any thoughts will be appreciated. Thanks


This is a common problem with Z track and is why Märklin recommend installing additional feeder tracks, so I installed these about 500mm apart.

Also, I used Gaugemaster track cleaners (here) on each of the main lines and never had any problems afterwards.

Hope this helps.

thanks 1 user liked this useful post by Nightowl999
Offline Toosmall  
#5 Posted : 21 February 2022 12:46:12(UTC)
Toosmall

Australia   
Joined: 26/07/2021(UTC)
Posts: 608
Location: Sydney
In the points there are 2 flat metal strips. Make sure they are clean.

I only solder wire on every 2 metres, but I mostly use 660mm track, so only about 3 to 4 track joints per 2 metres per side. The exception is points, I make sure there is power supplied either side of points. So if power is a bit dodgy one side, you have backup power the other side.

Make absolutely sure fishplates are correctly aligned. It is very easy for one fishplate to go under a rail and then not contact very well once laid. Run your finger over every joint, you should not feel any sort of vertical misalignment.

Start testing with a 4 axle diesel or electric loco, all 4 wheels on each side have electrical connection. All other locos with more or less axles have dead wheels which can at times be an issue.

Are the points track sections flat. I have had a points track section slightly bowed and it caused issues.

Always have a spare set of each points you use in the layout for back up. As least you can swap it to a small testing run trains on the replacement.

Wire resistance is the total length of + & - , plus the left & right rail. Make sure the wire is thick enough. If you lose a bit of power here & a few other little issues, they all add up.
thanks 1 user liked this useful post by Toosmall
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