More Alco problems! Who wants to diagnose this one?!

I'm not an expert on Legacy / TMCC.  But you might be in the envelope for motor over-current.  This is a built-in shutdown to protect the board.

A heavy loco like that trying to drag itself around a tight curve, with rubber tires on opposite ends of two axles, and maintain a speed that slow, has the speed control working very hard and the motors are just above stall speed.   I haven't seen the inside of one of these in a while.  But the circa-2000 release used RS-545 motors, which draw quite a bit more current than the smaller RS-385s that are ubiquitous in diesels.

So yes it will "run" on O36, but it would be happier at a faster speed.  If I'm right about what the blinking lights mean, the way you're operating it in the video is on the ragged edge of the performance envelope.

Based on your videos, I'm not sure that you wouldn't be happier with one of my regeared wonders that has the motor turning at least 600 rpm at 3 scale mph.  Unfortunately a lot of folks want 100 mph on the top end, so (except for the Legacy SW9 and maybe the Genset) Lionel doesn't sell them that way!

Your Alco PA would be a lot happier on a wider radius track and look better too.

This is not factory setting error issue. Run the engines on the track separately... confirm one is running the same as the other. 

I would bet you are having an issue with the sensor wheel grinding it self down on the sensor board. Once the wheel is damaged, the units will never be in time with each other. I would pack these up and get an RA number in mid July.

Guys you are right! But I live in a New York City apartment and 036 is the best I can do. And while I agree that I  might never see the problem at higher speeds or wider curves, I bought this engine BECAUSE it is scale and yet can run on O36. Add to this the fact that the other engine in the set  has run on the same track for hours and hours and never once experienced the problem. And perhaps my stongest evidence why this COULD be able to work is I have the even larger E8 AA set from 2017 which has run on the same track flawlessly for more than a year. And, yes, I am a bit of a slow speed freak, that's what I love about Legacy, but that E8 crawls around at 1.5 SMH all day long without a complaint.

Yes, I am probably asking a lot out of this engine. However...it did cost $1000.00!!!

P.S...nobody "wants" to run 036. Some of us just have to. You don't think I have dreams about those Legacy Niagras??!! LOL

If it makes you feel any better My outside loop is O48 and my inside is O36. Granted I run the Alco's on the outside, but I'm also pulling the new 21" Challenger UP passenger cars. Yes, they will negotiate an O48 curve. Those Kinematic couplers are a lot more forgiving than Lionel leads them to be.

Return em. Either get another set or get this one fixed. 

Ted I think you hit the nail on the head. I’ve been watching them run at slow speed for the last half hour and nothing goes wrong. The stall only seems to happen when trying to start on a curve. That jibes well with your ideas. So I think I will just avoid trying to start on a curved track and see how it goes. I’ve got a whole year on the warranty yet and those people struggling with the losing address problem should get fixed first anyway. At least I can still run my train without all the hassles they’re experiencing. Thanks for the analysis!

Surefire I see your point. At this price why should we accept anything not working right. But it sure is hard to find a perfect set. This is my second already and on the E8 it took 4 tries to get a good one!

Don't seem to mind slow speed on the curve.  Just can't always get started from that position....

You might want to check your truck side frames and make sure they are all screwed down tight and even. I had to fix the one of my Lead A because it was hanging too low and causing a short when going across switches. Not saying that's the answer, but I would check them regardless.

BNSF-Matt posted:

You might want to check your truck side frames and make sure they are all screwed down tight and even. I had to fix the one of my Lead A because it was hanging too low and causing a short when going across switches. Not saying that's the answer, but I would check them regardless.

I will do that Matt... you never know what’s going to be loose on a brand new engine these days! All that styrofoam still can’t protect them from rough shipping. I still think it might be the torque issue because I don’t see or hear any telltale sparking