FYI FIX FOR A LIONEL ENGINE

Many thanks for your photos showing this short.. I will remember this if I get the same issue on my unit.

The photos make it so much easier to figure out the failure.

I see about 1 a month with this issue.  Pretty much all the diesels. 

Your solution Alex is the right fix.

Jim

Thanks Alex!!  You fixed my locomotive by remote control as I was having the same problem.....

Alan

Thanks for the tip Alex.

Good catch Alex. MTH has the same issue on some of their engines. I had it on the Coors set.

Thanks, no problem at this time but will store this in my "fix it  file"

Brent

Alex, good catch, yours is buried under the chassis, harder to see.

This seems to be a regular feature of the wire coming through the slot from the truck.  When I was down at the MTH ASC class, we worked on some returns as part of the evaluation process.  One of the returns of a brand new locomotive was this was worn through and sparking.   Whenever I open one up, I try to make sure that wire is bent to the center of the slot so it doesn't rub as the engine makes the turns.  On a couple I've doubled up the heat shrink to give added protection.

A First Class modeler and now a mechanic too!

Hello everyone, thanks for the nice comments interest, and input.

Thanks very much,

Alex

So when's the grand opening of the repair shop Alex? Its to the point now, those in charge should put all of your repair/upgrade tips under their own topic to make them easier to find.

Hi Rick and Keith,

Thanks for your kind words!!!!!!!

Thanks,

ALEX

Thanks for the detailed post on this fix Alex. I haven't encountered this problem as of yet, but I will be checking my fleet over the weekend to see if any show signs of abrasion on this lead.

Were you able to determine what the wire had been rubbing against? Was it perhaps slightly too long and rubbing against a wheel?

Hi Nicole,

  The wire wasn't hitting the wheel, it seemed to be rubbing against the side of the truck itself.

Thanks,

Alex

Good post Alex.

Really good info.

Like others, I have seen all kinds of shorts where the hot wire comes through the frame, but this is good to know.

The best,

Rod

That's an unusual place for it to rub through, so you might spend quite a bit of time looking for it.

Hi Rod and John,

  I found it unusual also, I'm wondering if it happened at the factory during the assembly

and then got worse as I ran it.

Thanks,

Alex

Quite possible it was a factory error, I think we've all seen some fairly ugly stuff at times.