Legacy Signal Loss or Engine Trouble

I have not seen this issue.

in my experience when a legacy engine looses signal the head light will flicker but the train does not stop. 

when engines stop it is usually a power loss. 

try putting in a battery and report back.

Thanks for the reply. I forgot to mention all pickups and wheels have been cleaned also.

The battery will just help the sound, not the fact that it stops.  There is no connection, other than the one-way IR connection between the tender and the locomotive.

I'd check the voltage with an electrical load at the end of the siding and see if it's still good.  I'm guessing you're losing power when you put a load on the siding track, but you see normal voltage with no load.

I think you mentioned a track over another track??? If this is the case, it's signal loss.

Now, are you familiar with Earth Ground?  If not, email me and I will explain how you can do this on your layout. 

I had this problem many years ago and it's no fun running trains when they stop.

This can be fixed. (Llevin64@yahoo.com). Leapin Larry.

I only mention a battery so the op can understand it is a power loss.

the op stated "It has a parallel track about 4 inches away."  did not see any thing about "over another track".

the other question to ask of the op is, how many power drops you have. if they are relying on the track connectors that is only asking for issues.

When the engines stop, what do you do to get them moving again. Do you have to restart the engine or just turn the speed dial.

Bill

I have to move the engine. The dial and a cab-2 reset button does nothing

You have a bad pickup roller or a broken wire from a pickup roller. Every time your loco finds a dirty spot or a dead section of track (like on a switch) it is stalling out.

I had this problem. Loco was stalling out and would behave erratically. Sometimes responding to commands, sometimes not.

It had a broken wire from the pickup.

I echo what Flashed said, also check engine grounds.

I will check the pick ups and engine ground. Mean time I took a look with a bright light and a magnifying lens and i found that the brake detail was actually braking the loco and rubbing on the traction tire. I checked this earlier because all f units I have received recently have had this problem but not steam. I couldn't see it then. But now the tires are beginning to shred and I saw it. Problem is I don't know how to fix this because the right side had a little play but not the left. I guess I could remove it entirely. This would explain why I could go thru the trouble spots above speed step 10  . The battery solved the sound drop outs. Odd because no other loco needs a battery. I have to test the loco more. Ran out of time tonight. I appreciate all of your  help as your knowledge far exceeds mine. More testing to come. The Zephyr exhibits the same problem so I will be checking that next. Thanks all

The other posts are right on as far as a likely issue.  Check that there is continuity between the two rollers, they should be a direct short.

FWIW, I find some Lionel traction tires to be too thick, and I use MTH traction tires when I have that issue.  I had a steamer where the traction tire was thick enough to rub against the brake shoe and the only fix was replace them.

I also have experiences this particular behavior.  All seems fine till a specific section of track and only in one direction.  Train stops, no flickering lights but turning the Red Knob as if to slow the engine starts it moving again.  No over head tracks, track has been in operation for over 4 years and this behavior only started this past Sept.  For those that think the engin is a fault.  Under conventional control the engine, under load, runs fine in both directions.  The voltage is down to 10 volts, just enough to move the consist and never a stall.  Go back to command control and the same stall in the same spot.  Track is clean, no voltage issues as shown by the conventional operation.  The base has been to Lionel several times and currently the charger does not work.  Any thoughts?

Sounds like a signal level issue.  Try dropping a wire connected to the ground lug of a properly grounded outlet next to the track and see if that helps.

Thanks for the suggestion.  Laid a wire next to the offending section, connected the wire to the water pipe.  The same connection as the main power panel of the house.  Turned on the trains and it stopped in the same spot, no joy today.

Next idea please.

Ps; hope to see everyone in milwaukee at Trainfest this weekend.  I will be at the Midwest Division of TCA modular group display On Sunday.

liagent

Try the earth ground about 6" above the track. That seems to work best.

Jim D.

Sure sounds like signal, try Jim's suggestion.

We don't know the locomotive.

Did you try the wire next to the tracks connected to the electrical ground lug as he advised?

Does it do it if someone holds their hand over the locomotive?

Since your base has been to Lionel several times and the charger doesn't work (Legacy correct?), would swap it with a known good unit and base, even TMCC, and try it. Seems something in your house or layout has changed.

looks like they did that.

"Thanks for the suggestion.  Laid a wire next to the offending section, connected the wire to the water pipe.  The same connection as the main power panel of the house.  Turned on the trains and it stopped in the same spot, no joy today.

Next idea please."

Thought he said he connected it to a water pipe.

the siding has 17.9 volts at all spots on the siding.

I still think your losing power or ground. Do you have both outside rails tied together. I would install a jumper across the outside rails where the engine stalls and one to the 3rd rail. Is your track level at that spot.

Bill 

Using tubular track so outside rails are connected.  Whole layout is on one level. Second loop is 4inches to one side with no track or structures above the misbehaving section. That section does not have the same issue so ground plane should not be an issue.  I would think that if the ground plane is missing both tracks would be showing the same problem. 

Waving my hand overt he train also has no effects.  Hanging a wire over that section is not practical for access and design reasons.

The power is constant as shown by running the same train in conventional mode at low voltage.

next idea please.

Liagent

I think I have to agree with Bill here, something about the pickups or wheel geometry is causing you to lose power.  One wonders if the track is perfectly level in that location.  I've had issues where a very slight bow in the track would cause stalls.  The fact that the sound drops out at times suggests they're losing power.

I think two different folks are being helped now.

For MikeMike, try running you train conventionally through the siding.  If the train stops it definitely is a power issue.  If other trains go through fine, most likely engine pickup or ground wire issues as mentioned by several.

For Liagent,  Do other trains stop too or just this one?

Besides Ground Plane issues, there are R2LC receivers that have poor signal sensitivity and don't work well.  Normally placing your hand over the engine works to boost the signal.  May want to try swapping a R2LC if this is a TMCC loco.  G

For verification, have you run just the engine and does it stall? Very tough to problem solve a ground issue if other cars have completed the missing ground circuit.

This engine runs thru the segment fine conventionally?

All other engines run thru the segment fine conventionally?

This engine stops in the segment while in command mode?

All other engines run thru the segment while in command mode?

There are no insulated track sections or switches anywhere on this segment?

Either an engine, track, or house issue if it just started up.

Post a picture of the track section maybe?

 MikeMike,

Talked with a friend last night who sold off two sets of diesels this month because of a grounding issue on switches where the rubber tires caused them to stall on nonderailing switches. Guess would be when you touch the engine the rubber tired wheel flange then touches the rail completing the circuit.