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Offline fredmagaz  
#1 Posted : 20 April 2019 03:07:47(UTC)
fredmagaz

United States   
Joined: 12/01/2016(UTC)
Posts: 1
Location: Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
I have a large M-track layout, Some of locomotives hesitate or even stop when passing over 5146 or 5147 circuit tracks. I have tried to clean the outer rails and the middle studs and they look sparkling clean, but I still have this problem. If I run the locomotives fast enough, of course, then pass over the 5146 and 5147, but if I run them slowly, I often have this problem. Any suggestions?
Offline Markus Schild  
#2 Posted : 20 April 2019 08:40:55(UTC)
Markus Schild

Germany   
Joined: 14/01/2006(UTC)
Posts: 1,802
Location: Wurttemberg
Hi,

Welcome to the forum.

Often this is not caused by the rails itself but by hardened oil in the axle bearings of the loco. It can help if be would know which locos are affected.

Regards

Markus
Offline river6109  
#3 Posted : 20 April 2019 14:02:26(UTC)
river6109

Australia   
Joined: 22/01/2009(UTC)
Posts: 14,636
Location: On 1965 Märklin Boulevard just around from Roco Square
Originally Posted by: fredmagaz Go to Quoted Post
I have a large M-track layout, Some of locomotives hesitate or even stop when passing over 5146 or 5147 circuit tracks. I have tried to clean the outer rails and the middle studs and they look sparkling clean, but I still have this problem. If I run the locomotives fast enough, of course, then pass over the 5146 and 5147, but if I run them slowly, I often have this problem. Any suggestions?


Welcome in the forum, another cause could be there is some dirt within the uncoupling mechanism, make sure the studs are visible, use a vacuum cleaner and suck any dirt from it., see if this helps

https://www.youtube.com/river6109
https://www.youtube.com/6109river
5 years in Destruction mode
50 years in Repairing mode
Offline Michael4  
#4 Posted : 20 April 2019 15:33:54(UTC)
Michael4

United Kingdom   
Joined: 02/02/2017(UTC)
Posts: 637
Location: England, South Coast
Or possibly the springs on the pick up are so worn and tired that it is being held off the centre contacts by the plastic switch it is supposed to be pushing. Can happen with old 3000 etc.
Offline cookee_nz  
#5 Posted : 20 April 2019 22:38:36(UTC)
cookee_nz

New Zealand   
Joined: 31/12/2010(UTC)
Posts: 3,949
Location: Paremata, Wellington
What Fred is talking about is the circuit track (not uncoupling track) when the pickup partially rotates a plastic Cam as it passes over. The plastic Cam in turn closes one of two contacts depending on the direction of travel.

The problem is that the resistance of the Cam can sometimes be enough to lift the pickup away from the studs.

I have this issue occasionally with my K-track version of the same track section. There are three possible causes and solutions;

1: The studs have become slightly lower than they should be (bowed slightly downward) and this means the pickup will lose contact more easily. Just very gently raising the center stud strip might be all it needs.

2: If the Cam has dust between the cam surface and the metal contact it will cause friction and while it can be tempting to oil the area to lubricate it, this will actually add to the problem by increasing the attraction of dust. Or, the plastic cam may be binding because of the pivot-points - too tight etc.

Fortunately, with the M-Track version, you can easily remove the plastic cam to enable cleaning it and the metal contact - however, this will also require that the track/s be lifted out of the layout to be able to work on them. If they are ballasted, this is quite a pain.

Here's a video


I quickly found that although it's not in English, you don't really need the commentary, the pictures say it all. He is dealing with sticking cams not returning to center rather than pickups lifting but the cause is the same - the cam is not moving freely enough.

Fortunately, this is the one thing you can do that does not require lifting the track section out of the layout. Simply grip a center stud either side of the cam tip with a pair of fine pliers, and VERY gently apply upward pressure to raise the whole strip just a fraction - experiment on on that is easy to access if need be, this may take some practice. Just pressing down on the studs with your fingers can be enough to induce a downward bow to the strip of studs.

An alternative is a 'dry' lubricant, and/or a lubricant that is based on Teflon. When I was restoring my K-track layout, I used a Teflon spray on my track section cam/contacts, that was nearly ten years ago and they are still working fine. Just the smallest amount should work and I would advise experimenting first with perhaps the most troublesome track and see if there is any improvement.

Since I did mine all those years ago, Faller have released oil with Teflon and I would have liked to try that as well. (following link updated)

https://www.faller.de/Ap...le-applicator-25-ml.html

3: The pressure of the pickup shoe may be too light, this can be adjusted easily with a pair of tweezers or needle-nose pliers by gently bending the thin copper springs that the pickup shoe is attached to to increase the pressure - you must be careful to do this only gently and to not put a twist into the spring, otherwise you may put the shoe onto an angle or tilt. Also, increasing the pressure too much may lead to earlier wear of the shoe.

I would look at the plastic cam before tweaking the pickups, unless the pickups actually look worn in which case, just replacing those may be all that is required. It really comes down to how many Loco's are affected, and whether it happens on all of the circuit tracks or just some.

Here's the story of mine.....

https://www.marklin-users.net/cookee_nz/gbmc/displaylayouts/0923/
(scroll down to the update re Teflon spray)

Hope this helps.

Steve
Wellington
NZ

Edited by user 21 April 2019 12:59:36(UTC)  | Reason: Updated Faller Link - thanks Alan

Cookee
Wellington
NZ image
thanks 1 user liked this useful post by cookee_nz
Offline Michael4  
#6 Posted : 20 April 2019 23:56:13(UTC)
Michael4

United Kingdom   
Joined: 02/02/2017(UTC)
Posts: 637
Location: England, South Coast
Originally Posted by: cookee_nz Go to Quoted Post


An alternative is a 'dry' lubricant, and/or a lubricant that is based on Teflon. When I was restoring my K-track layout, I used a Teflon spray on my track section cam/contacts, that was nearly ten years ago and they are still working fine. Just the smallest amount should work and I would advise experimenting first with perhaps the most troublesome track and see if there is any improvement.


Steve
Wellington
NZ


Now I have never thought of this. I use a dry lubricant on our boat to help sails slide up and down the mast track etc. I think it may be silicone based but it is clean, reasonably cheap, not sticky and effective. I'll give it a go and report back though I'm sure no lubricant is best.

Generally speaking 5146 and 5147 respond well to a bit of attention on a bit of 'test' circuit'. I've found that even unused boxed examples do not necessarily work 100% without a bit of fiddling so don't assume that they will work straight away.

Having said that, once they are working they seem to continue to do so for years.

Michael
Offline kiwiAlan  
#7 Posted : 21 April 2019 12:55:04(UTC)
kiwiAlan

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

Since I did mine all those years ago, Faller have released oil with Teflon and I would have liked to try that as well. https://www.faller.de/Ap...Special-oiler-25-ml.html


Wrong one Steve, the one with Teflon is 170488

Easy mistake to make though.

Offline cookee_nz  
#8 Posted : 21 April 2019 13:01:39(UTC)
cookee_nz

New Zealand   
Joined: 31/12/2010(UTC)
Posts: 3,949
Location: Paremata, Wellington
Originally Posted by: kiwiAlan Go to Quoted Post
Originally Posted by: cookee_nz Go to Quoted Post

Since I did mine all those years ago, Faller have released oil with Teflon and I would have liked to try that as well. https://www.faller.de/Ap...Special-oiler-25-ml.html


Wrong one Steve, the one with Teflon is 170488

Easy mistake to make though.



Cheers Alan, thanks for that. I posted it in a hurry, and was going to come back and look into it further - then of course, got distracted by some distraction, or most likely several levels of distraction!! Blushing

I've updated the link in my posting also.
Cookee
Wellington
NZ image
Offline kiwiAlan  
#9 Posted : 21 April 2019 13:38:03(UTC)
kiwiAlan

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

Since I did mine all those years ago, Faller have released oil with Teflon and I would have liked to try that as well. https://www.faller.de/Ap...Special-oiler-25-ml.html


Wrong one Steve, the one with Teflon is 170488

Easy mistake to make though.



Cheers Alan, thanks for that. I posted it in a hurry, and was going to come back and look into it further - then of course, got distracted by some distraction, or most likely several levels of distraction!! Blushing

I've updated the link in my posting also.


No problems, it happens to all of us BigGrin

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