My lionchief plus 2.0 Amtrak genesis isn’t working properly the directional lights keep flickering, and the engine keeps stopping on certain parts of the track. Don’t know what to do. Any advice would be appreciated.
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Sounds like it might just be losing power Might want to check voltage around the track making sure it is 18 volts everywhere. Check track connections and if the tracks need cleaning as well as the pick up rollers on the locomotive running on the middle rail.
If you're running it with TMCC, perhaps you have signal issues.
@gunrunnerjohn posted:If you're running it with TMCC, perhaps you have signal issues.
I’m running it with the Bluetooth lionchief app
@Sparty1225 posted:Sounds like it might just be losing power Might want to check voltage around the track making sure it is 18 volts everywhere. Check track connections and if the tracks need cleaning as well as the pick up rollers on the locomotive running on the middle rail.
How do I check the voltage
With a regular or digital voltmeter ("DVM") - decent DVM's are available on the 'Net, box stores or Harbor Freight relatively inexpensively.
Once the meter is operating and power is on to the track, just set the meter to the "AC Volt" setting and touch the red wire to the center rail of the track and the black wire to either of the outer rails of the track at various points around the layout and see what it reads. If you're not getting around an 18 volts reading at all test points, then you have a track connectivity issue that needs to be resolved.
@Richie C. posted:With a regular or digital voltmeter ("DVM") - decent DVM's are available on the 'Net, box stores or Harbor Freight relatively inexpensively.
Once the meter is operating and power is on to the track, just set the meter to the "AC Volt" setting and touch the red wire to the center rail of the track and the black wire to either of the outer rails of the track at various points around the layout and see what it reads. If you're not getting around an 18 volts reading at all test points, then you have a track connectivity issue that needs to be resolved.
This a very good start. You will find huge voltage drops, i.e. those that go all the way down to zero. However, your approach will work better if there is some kind of load placed on the track. For example, position a lighted passenger car at the far end of the layout, opposite where the transformer is connected to the track. Next apply power to the track and make sure it lights up.
Then use your suggested approach. In this way it will be easy to find which sections of track have low voltage.
Pesky voltage drops only occur when there is current flowing through the track. The load, in this case the lighted car, makes sure that this is the case.
Mike
Cleaning the track, connecting pins, and pickup rollers will resolve a great many issues.
I don't know what else to do I've cleaned the track, the Wheels, the pickup rollers, I've checked the voltage on every peace of track and there all 18 or ubove, and the directional lights are still flashing and the engine won't move I don't know what else there's left for me to do
I'm not familiar with the Bluetooth Lionchief app. Do you have a Lionel Lionchief universal remote you could try instead?
@Ken Wing posted:I'm not familiar with the Bluetooth Lionchief app. Do you have a Lionel Lionchief universal remote you could try instead?
I do not have a universal remote