Marx 1666 Problem

it seems like maybe the engine is shorting out when the truck is on. Is the truck touching the center rail? Maybe look at pics of other 1666s...maybe on the bay to see if the truck on yours is the correct one. Might just need to adjust the truck if it is touching the rail. 

MM...

Could you post a photo of the truck?

Also one showing it attached, a bottom view of the locomotive.

It does appear to be shorting out in the video.

Dave

Here is the trucks and them on the engine.

MM,

thanks for posting the photo's.

You do have the correct pilot, but it's attached incorrectly.

There should be a slot in the front motor mount that the tab/tang on the pilot should slip into.

That screw may be the cause of the problem, by creating a short on the center rail.
If there isn't a slot in the front motor mount, you can try tweaking the pilot frame 15 - 20 degrees below the horizontal plane, in front of the screw to raise it up off the center rail.

Dave

I took this pic off the internet. It shows the same type truck that you have, except the truck is held in place with a tab. Yours has a screw, and I'm thinking the screw is hitting the center rail.I'd file/grind the face of the screw down some. or try a piece of electrical tape and see how it runs.

I believe that the sidesmoker motor and the standard smoking motor used a slightly different truck.  The normal smoker motor is what is seen in the picture that Dave posted above.  That appears to be the type of truck that your sidesmoker is using.  Take a look at the underside picture of this sidesmoker. You will see that it is attached via a screw just like yours, but the truck doesn't have the tab, and it is made slightly different around the axle.  It may be that the tab is what is actually shorting out on the 3rd rail.  You might try bending or removing the tab just to get the truck to work.  Otherwise, you may have to find a truck like the one seen on the other sidesmoker.

James has you going the right direction. The pilot truck you have is not correct for a side smoker version. Someone modified a standard smoker part and it is causing problems somewhere.

Steve

I'm amazed at what there is to know about the variations in the "simple and inexpensive" Marx trains.  It sure looks like you guys have solved the OP's problem.

well some of us(me) know a little, and others (like Steve) know a lot, but together we'll figure it out.That's one of the things that makes this place great.The wealth of knowlage and the willingness to share.

Yeah, I always noticed it was the tab that shorted it, and thanks for all the info evryone

I stand corrected on the pilot.  I was going by memory of the 1666 smoker that I parted out due to a busted up shell.  Looking on line, there are more pilot & mounting variations for the 1666 than I was aware of.

 James showed the correct one that has a dog leg in the pilot frame, rather than a tweak/bend.

Dave