HELP! Lionel Polar Expess engine trouble.

Check this thread for a discussion on this issue.

Hi Rob,

It's a you-tube link.

Thanks,

Jeff

Link fixed. I have no idea how that happened.

Sounds more like a short to me....

Little ones tend to pick-up the engine and squeeze the side rods. Give those an eyeball to make sure that are straight and free. They can bind the wheels and the motor will buzz when it can't move.

Yes, place the smoke switch to the off position. The smoke resistor may have shorted if it was hot enough. That will need servicing anyway.

The rear pilot truck, under the cab, has a copper wiper touching the axles for the outside rail connection or U to the engine. There is a small wire that should be attached to the wiper. Check out that assembly for anything that may be amiss. That wire or wiper getting near the center rail will short things out.

Also, the wall pack should be unplugged to reset the breaker after a short happens.

Is it possible that the terminal track was stepped on? It sounds like that's all ok with no engine on the track.

Get the kids to fess up. Give them immunity. They know what they did.

Oh, a fresh set of batteries in the remote - it's gets left on.

I bet you have a motor mounting screw stuck in the screw mechanism, causing the motor to bind.

Thanks everyone for your help, I checked the side rods and it seems fine.  I will check on the motor mount later today.

96744 posted:

Thanks everyone for your help, I checked the side rods and it seems fine.  I will check on the motor mount later today.

be careful when you take the covers off. Cradle the engine upside down in a miter box with a towel or something. You don't want any bearings or axles coming out. The chuff timing is on the smoke puffer lobe on the front.

Good luck!

Carl,

You were right.  Luckily it was an easy fix.  While inspecting the train upside down, I noticed the wheels were binded.  I shifted the rods back and forth and on one side, the piston rod that connects to the outside cylinder "fell off."  I was able to place the locomotive back onto the track and reverse the wheel a bit so I could place it back into the outside cylinder.  Gave it a couple laps around my expanded track set and it works like new.  

I live on Oahu, Hawaii, and there's no repair shops on the island.  I am grateful for everyone's help.  My young boys are train addicts and will be happy their train works again.

Thanks again,

Jeff

96744 posted:

Carl,

You were right.  Luckily it was an easy fix.  While inspecting the train upside down, I noticed the wheels were binded.  I shifted the rods back and forth and on one side, the piston rod that connects to the outside cylinder "fell off."  I was able to place the locomotive back onto the track and reverse the wheel a bit so I could place it back into the outside cylinder.  Gave it a couple laps around my expanded track set and it works like new.  

I live on Oahu, Hawaii, and there's no repair shops on the island.  I am grateful for everyone's help.  My young boys are train addicts and will be happy their train works again.

Thanks again,

Jeff

 

Jeff,

Good to hear that it's working again. I don't know if it's the photograph, but the guide on top looks bent. That should be straight. Compare it to the other side. Let the boys know reporting a "bad order" is better than equipment that fails.

We all have stories of the stuff that we did to our trains when we were young.

Happy New Year!

Moonman has the hawk eyes!  WOW!

  No island repair shop? That sounds like a pleasant opportunity for a little extra income .....& an excuse to run other folks trains, lol.

Good eye Carl, you beat me to it!

Janitor John posted:

Moonman has the hawk eyes!  WOW!

No, just a large monitor and zoom when needed.

Adriatic posted:

  No island repair shop? That sounds like a pleasant opportunity for a little extra income .....& an excuse to run other folks trains, lol.

Good eye Carl, you beat me to it!

I don't recall exactly how many, but there are at least 5 and perhaps 13 forum members on Oahu. They should start a club. Don doesn't have much company on Maui and there are only a few forum members on the Big Island.

  Of course Hawaii had me thinking about Don. I haven't noticed a post from him in a while though. I hope he is doing fine and dandy.

Like a lot of things I would have loved to do, I never made it to the Islands. That much travel doesnt reasonably fit in my present scope of abilities though. Hitting the lotto would just mean more trains

Every town needs something like the McCormick Stillman Railroad Park in Arizona.  The kids and I love visiting Arizona just to go there...  I really need to up my knowledge on o scale trains.  The PE starter set has my kids hooked.  

96744 posted:

Carl,

You were right.  Luckily it was an easy fix.  While inspecting the train upside down, I noticed the wheels were binded.  I shifted the rods back and forth and on one side, the piston rod that connects to the outside cylinder "fell off."  I was able to place the locomotive back onto the track and reverse the wheel a bit so I could place it back into the outside cylinder.  Gave it a couple laps around my expanded track set and it works like new.  

I live on Oahu, Hawaii, and there's no repair shops on the island.  I am grateful for everyone's help.  My young boys are train addicts and will be happy their train works again.

Thanks again,

Jeff

 

Well Jeff, sounds like you are on your way to becoming your own repair man.  Have fun with the process. The only thing better then watching a beautiful machine run is seeing a broken one run due to your handy work.