I have several postwar engines on 40' of track. Every one of them sparks while in operation. Every one of them has been cleaned several times. I also checked each one for any shorting problems. Nothing.
Someone told me I may be underpowered for the type of engines(postwar), the length of track, and my transformer(modern CW-80).
Any insight would be helpful? Should I go to a Z1000?
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In addition to cleaning the pick up rollers you can also get sparking from dirty track. Good idea to do this.
You may also want to remove the brushplate, the brushes and springs, and clean them with Naphtha. Clean the commutator with Naphtha and all the wheels and track with the Naphtha also.
The CW-80 should power a train nicely around your layout. You may want to add additional power feeds every 6-10 feet to distribute the power better.
Larry
Also, make sure the pick-up rollers and/or shoes are making good, constant contact with the center rail.
Thanks guys. I have wire drops on my layout every 4 feet. I clean the track, wheels and pickup rollers regularly. The pickup springs seem strong enough to make good contact. I even went around the track with a voltmeter to check for issues.
Tomorrow I am going to set up a small loop of tinplate track and a postwar transformer. I'll report back with any problems
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