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Offline Brian McWhirter  
#1 Posted : 22 September 2016 02:45:17(UTC)
Brian McWhirter

United States   
Joined: 16/02/2002(UTC)
Posts: 22
Location: CA
My V200 Heavy Diesel (analog) seems to lack a good ground connection. As it makes it's way around the layout, there is sparking from both forward and rear trucks, as well as from the front trucks of the first tank car it's pulling. The tracks are clean, as this is the only one of roughly 12 engines that has this problem.

I've been through the lok, and it doesn't seem as if there is a good solid ground. It's dependent on the the front truck (which rotates on a single point), and the two rotating axles. I guess the question is, what is the accepted ground connection? Do the axles themselves need cleaning, or the truck rotation point (I have no idea what that's called)?

Thanks for any input!
Brian
Offline dominator  
#2 Posted : 22 September 2016 09:41:05(UTC)
dominator

New Zealand   
Joined: 20/01/2015(UTC)
Posts: 1,195
Location: Kerikeri
Perhaps read this. Might be something to consider. https://www.marklin-user...ing-is-now-not-the-worst

Dereck
Northland. NZ REMEMBER 0228 for ä
Offline RayF  
#3 Posted : 22 September 2016 12:28:14(UTC)
RayF

Gibraltar   
Joined: 14/03/2005(UTC)
Posts: 15,838
Location: Gibraltar, Europe
Hi Brian,

Squirt a good quantity of electrical cleaning spray through the axles to get rid of old oil and then apply a small amount of new oil. That should improve the ground contact.

Ray
Mostly Marklin.Selection of different eras and European railways
Small C track layout, control by MS2, 100+ trains but run 4-5 at a time.
Offline dickinsonj  
#4 Posted : 24 September 2016 01:35:12(UTC)
dickinsonj

United States   
Joined: 05/12/2008(UTC)
Posts: 1,676
Location: Crozet, Virginia
Originally Posted by: RayF Go to Quoted Post
Hi Brian,
Squirt a good quantity of electrical cleaning spray through the axles to get rid of old oil and then apply a small amount of new oil. That should improve the ground contact.
Hi Brian,

I clean stuff like that with just common isopropyl alcohol, which is cheap and very effective.

Ray is right - the bearing surfaces need to really be clean with only a small amount of oil or you won't get a good ground path. I just work through all of the conducting parts, cleaning out the grunge and lightly lubing things and it is amazing how much better things work when they are clean. I had some coaches with very unsteady lighting and all it took to fix them was to clean the wheels and the wipers on the axles, neither of which were significantly dirty.

Regards,
Jim

I have almost all Märklin and mostly HO, although I do have a small number of Z gauge trains!
So many trains and so little time.
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