Lionel Loco Issue

It sounds like you have a bad E-unit and motor. Usually when the motor goes bad it takes out the E-unit also. The switches sound like thaey are wired incorrectly.

Bill

"like they are constantly trying to switch. (they are the remote switches)"

Like Boxcar Bill said, something is not wired right. I've also had this happen when I forgot to put the insulated track pin in the proper control rail, or if I inadvertently had a car on part of a control rail.

Thank you for your responses.

About how much and level of difficulty am I looking at for the motor and E Unit?

Could someone point me to a diagram for wiring the switches correctly (i.e. insulating pin locations)? Attached is a pic of my layout.

Thank you again for the help!

Kyle

Nice layout.  The location of the insulating pins depends on your type of switches.  Are yours 0, 0-27, fast track, etc.?

Thanks.

They are Lionel's standard O-27, not Fastrack. (the ones with the brown plastic base, black metal switch track, and three leads for the remote connection)

Thank you for your help.

Kyle

Kyle you need to hook your track wires up right. Red wire to center rail and black wire outside rail. Also on your remote switches your plastic pin needs to go on the inside rail going into the siding and make sure your insulated rails don't touch or you will have chatter still and also if your train is in the siding and you don't throw your switch the train will do it for you. 

I am surprised that there are no wiring instructions with O27 switches and the transformer.

Thank you all again.

I will have to check my wiring and make sure it is correct.

The switches I bought second hand so instructions did not come with them and the transformer did not come with wiring isntructions.

I will test my loco some more tonight and if need be, I will look into the parts suggested.

I appreciate all the help!

Kyle

@chessie1971

Is this the correct wiring that you mentioned?

Thank you in advance!

Kyle

Yes that looks correct now Kyle. Ok how is your switches doing.

Jeff 

I have not made the changes yet, hopefully tonight. 

Thank you for your help.

Kyle

Your welcome Kyle!!! Also i for got to mention when you put the plastic pins in make sure there is a 16th of inch gap between the switch inside rail and inside rail on main track so they don't touch or it will still not work right.  

This is the instruction sheet for the switches including a more detailed diagram of where the plastic insulation pins go on page 4.

http://www.lionel.com/media/se...ents/70-5121-250.pdf 

@Mel Wolff & @Chessie1971

That instruction sheet contradicts the layout pic I posted.  It shows the insulating pins on the inside rail of the thru path on the switches and insulting pins on the outside rail of the siding path of the switches. (which is actually how I have my layout currently set up)

The layout I posted has the insulating pins on the inside rail of the thru path on the switches and insulating pins on the inside rail of the siding path of the switches.

I am not trying to be a pain, but I am confused!

Please clarify.

Thank you,

Kyle

kyle i see that over the pins. I'm pretty sure when i had those same switches. I had the pins inside rails both. I think i tried it that way in the manual would not work you hear the switch buzz everytime train go in the switch. Kyle i would try both ways just trail and error and also like i mention make sure there is a gap between the rails.     

So here is the  interesting thing... I changed the pins and got a buzz as soon as power was applied to the track. However, I put the pins the way I had it originally (the way the manual indicates) and when the locomotive enters the switch, all heck breaks loose like when I reversed my pins....

3 Questions:

1. Does anybody have any more ideas?
2. Could this have burnt out my motor and E-Unit on my locomotive?
3. I am using the new GW-180 and it still seems the layout does not have any more power than when I was using an 80 watt version. Could these switches be starving power from the layout?

Another observation. The light on the transformer turns red when the locomotive is placed on the tracks and attempted to run. To me, it would seem that means the locomotive is shorting the loop but because the motor is not running in the loop, the short is causing the switches to go nuts. Does any of this rambling make any sense?

Anyhow, thank you all for looking and giving me your time.

Kyle

When all else fails, go back to square one. In plain English "re-check your wires" to the track!! You definitely have something wired wrong!! 

You need to have the common or negative(black wire or terminal) go to the outside rails, the red or positive goes to the center rail. Wiring everything this way solves 90% of all problems.

The 027 switches draw power from the track unless modified by the user. 027 switches are wired differently then O gauge(022) switches.

Lee Fritz

The last time I had this happen, the loco magnetraction had picked up a screw and jammed the gears in one of the motors.  Make sure the wheels turn freely.  And don't try to run the loco until you are sure the wheels turn freely, or you may let the death smoke out of the electronics or motor.

The switches will buzz if anything is sitting on the switch, engine or car. The link I provided is direct from the Lionel web site and works if you also have the control for the switch wired correctly.

http://www.lionel.com/media/se...ents/70-5121-250.pdf