shortliner Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 ....don't seem to be getting on very well! - I had the problem with the original, (now cured - the motor that came out is completely dead - mutton!) and I had an SP version arrive yesterday from ebay - This flatly refused to run - pull the motor, touch power wires to contacts and it ran! Arrgh! Put it back together and zilch! Blue air is released! Okay, swap the motor with the other one, which we know runs - (Check first, just to make sure! Yes it does!) - assemble motor in chassis - ZIP, Nada, Nuffink! Even more blue air! Two hours of mucking about with no change, and air is turning purple! Chuck it back in box and return kitchen to normal use. So this morning I decided to have another go at the Blankertty-Blank POS - go to pull motor and lamp gets in the way so pull that out - check all connections for shorts with meter - none! Drop it on Rolling Road, and away it goes - sweet as a nut! Anything from flat out to a crawl, practically cogging from pole to pole! ARRGH! More blue air! WHY??? Sudden thought - put the lamp back in - back to zero! pull it out = perfick! It seems that the lamp fitting is causing a dead short! So! - A new question - is it possible that the wheels /bogies are "handed", and somebody has dropped one of the wheelsets in the wrong way round? Before I rip it all apart and fiddle, I'd greatly appreciate your thoughts on this Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glorious NSE Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 Jack, the *trucks* are 100% definately handed, as they feed power to the chassis from one side and to the top pickup strip via the metal 'coathangers' on the other side. Without the light it shouldn't matter which end each truck is on as long as the 'coathangers' are on the same side of the loco on both trucks. I tended to rip the light out of mine anyway as it just tends to look like the cab is on fire rather than a headlight! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Wintle Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 Is it possible that the lamp has failed short? Or that there is a short between the contacts when it is fitted? Perhaps try the lamp from the other loco. Otherwise, I believe the bogies are handed, but should only fit one way around (and the loco shouldn't run at all if they are wrong). The wheelsets aren't handed - they are insulated in the middle and the pickups are the brass bearing blocks. You should be able to pull the sideframes straight off to see the bogie contact setup. Adrian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted December 6, 2011 Author Share Posted December 6, 2011 Thanks Adrian, The lamp itself works fine if current is applied with it off the loco. Bogies appear to be fitted correctly, and without the lamp it runs perfectly. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
doctor quinn Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 Hi Jack, Could it be a duff contact from the bit of the chassis that's scraped "clean" to the bottom motor strip. If it is there are two ways to go, either; drill a hole through the fuel tank and put an earth screw inside the tank, solder a wire to the bottom contact and attach to screw or, solder new wires to the metal bits on the inside truck sides that don't have the high hooky thing and solder those to the bottom strip of the motor. All the best Nick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted December 6, 2011 Author Share Posted December 6, 2011 The lamp holder contacts bear on one of the high hooky things, and metal strip that runs between them and across the top of the motor, with a Phosphor bronze strip - and fit into crimped connection strip to the chassis as its other terminal - with it fitted = no go, without it = fine - this is a real odd-ball one that has me stumped. I started to wonder if the bulb was the wrong value, but since it works normally off the motor, I don't see how it can be. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CraigZ Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 The genius of the Athearn design is that the frame is one polarity, and the arms from the truck with that long steel strip are the opposite polarity. No wires, no screws...all pressed together. The steel bracket that comes up from the chassis and holds the bulb is the same polarity as the frame. There's a plastic clip that secures the cab sun lamp er headlamp bulb AND a phosphor bronze strip. The tail of that strip touches the top of the long strip. IF that bronze strip touches the steel bracket or if the long strip touches the steel bracket it's a dead short, Look for a short in that area...it's not unusual. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted December 7, 2011 Author Share Posted December 7, 2011 Thanks Craig - Tried swopping the lamp and bracket = worked fine - replaced the original = worked fine! ARRGHHH! I give up! - Actually it seems to run better without it, and since it is going to be small layout switcher only I may leave it that way - or replace lamps both ends with LEDs and resistors - if I wire them opposite ways round it should light in the direction of running - playtime is in order Guys - your help has been much appreciated! Best Jack Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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