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I have a couple of the Lionel Dash-8 505 locomotives pulling a total of twelve Amtrak passenger cars.  I am running these locomotives in what I suppose (I'm an old-timer, accustomed to post-war locos) in what is known as "conventional" mode.  I do not have TMCC or Legacy controllers.  I am simply applying power to the track via a Lionel 6-32930 ZW Transformer with two180 Watt Bricks (one for each track).  The issue that I am seeing with the locos is that when the amount of power is adjusted, with the train in motion, the train comes to a virtual stop, and then starts back up again with the new power settings.  This is an issue, especially if the train is on a long curve, as the sudden increase in power (as seen by the loco) causes a severe jerking motion when it restarts, often derailing one of more of the passenger cars.  I have the Odyssey mode turned off.  In fact, all switches are in the off position, with the exception of the run/prog switch, which, I believe, is in the run position.  Any idea what is causing both 505s to perform like this.  Not only do I tire of putting the cars back on track, but each time they derail, they pick up little nicks and scratches.

I run, with the exception of this Amtrak, exclusively post-war stuff.  Have never seen this type of behavior before.  Any and all help would be appreciated.

Scott

Original Post

What you are experiencing with Odysessy turned off is normal if you are running the cars on very tight curves, as they will create a lot of drag for the locomotive to overcome. Leaving Odyssey on will get rid of this behavior and lead to a much smoother experience overall

You may also want to check if the cars are dry on the points that need oil and also check if the curves you are using are rated for their minimum required radius

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