Problems running a ETS Loco on Lionel's Fastrack.

I run an ETS Set under our Christmas Tree and I wound up bending the pickup slides down to provide more pressure on the track.

Mikey

I've run ETS on fastrack modules at TTOS shows without any issues. However, I run it on tubular at home. I would clean everything with alcohol and oil the side rods and linkage. Try that and report back. Hopefully that works,

Bob

If your intermittenly "losing" power,  i would check the pick ups as stated. And also give the wheels and pick ups a good cleaning.  Wouldn't hurt to do the track too. New track is not necessarily clean, but probably not the problem seeing your other engines work ok..

Make sure the wheels are resting on the rails, not on the roadbed. Some tinplate has deep flanges and the engine will run on the tieplates/roadbed and not on the rail. No electrical contact if running on the roadbed.

mikey posted:

I run an ETS Set under our Christmas Tree and I wound up bending the pickup slides down to provide more pressure on the track.

Mikey

Tried that a bit, maybe not enough. Last year it had the problem, without the tender and when the tender was on it worked fine. will try tonight and will also clean everything off with the alcahole. If this works, I will post my findings.

The other problem that I had was with the electric e unit. It seems that the Lionel transformer that Im using does not completely go to zero volts when the throttle is turned down and this residual voltage doe not cause the unit to go into reverse. If i throttle down short the track out temporarily, it will go into reverse.
Using a Lionel LNL14198 80 watt CW transformer, will try a post war trans former to see if this helps.

gftiv posted:

Make sure the wheels are resting on the rails, not on the roadbed. Some tinplate has deep flanges and the engine will run on the tieplates/roadbed and not on the rail. No electrical contact if running on the roadbed.

Good Idea, I will check tonight. Thanks.

CP BOB posted:

I've run ETS on fastrack modules at TTOS shows without any issues. However, I run it on tubular at home. I would clean everything with alcohol and oil the side rods and linkage. Try that and report back. Hopefully that works,

Bob

 

Thanks for the info.

Not sure exactly where I saw it, but my recollection is that it was posted somewhere that the CW-80 and that "family" of Lionel transformers does not go all the way to zero volts even when the throttle is all the way down. 

Richie C. posted:

Not sure exactly where I saw it, but my recollection is that it was posted somewhere that the CW-80 and that "family" of Lionel transformers does not go all the way to zero volts even when the throttle is all the way down. 

I have another CW-80 and some other Postwar Lionel transformers. I will measure them tonight with the throttle off and post it tomorrow.

Thanks.

Ron,

   Part of your problem is the Introductory type Transformer you are using, UpGrade to at least a Z1000, old ZW or even an old KW, use the 10 Amp Resettable Breakers when using the old Lionel ZW or KW to safe guard your layout.

PCRR/Dave

Ron, do other trains run well on the track. There have been some connectivity issues with Fastrak

Steve

Ran a 253/250/248 and a a newer Lionel (the Christmas Train). All seem to run good. Thinking that the wheel of the ETS Loco may be dirty plus want to look at the wheels on a piece of Fastrack to see how the rails and wheel/flanges fit.

Pine Creek Railroad posted:

Ron,

   Part of your problem is the Introductory type Transformer you are using, UpGrade to at least a Z1000, old ZW or even an old KW, use the 10 Amp Resettable Breakers when using the old Lionel ZW or KW to safe guard your layout.

PCRR/Dave

Dave, I have a KW with a fuse block that I will try.
Thank you.

Ron,

   Steve is correct, the newer FasTrack quality control is not quite what the original FasTrack was, and there have been problems with the join pins touching incorrectly, which can cause signal problems.  If this is what your layout is doing, simply take the Track apart and bend the join pins so they contact each other better, then reinstall the track into the layout.  In the future, if you can find the 1st and 2nd generation FasTrack, purchase it, most all of this FasTrack in the early days was made absolutely perfectly, the later made stuff not so much.

PCRR/Dave

Regarding the CW-80, I have one with a production date code of 'G 04 28 11'.  I use it to run a legacy engine in conventional mode with no issues getting the engine to change direction.  Saw a review somewhere that indicated there was a design change to the CW80 in 2006 eliminating initial production problems.

The ETS loco is running fine now. Problem was dirty/oily wheels and track, even when everything looked clean before?

Cleaned the wheels and track with the alcohol and loco started right up. The transformer will be replaced this coming weekend. 

Thank you all for your help.

Glad you got it going. 

Bob

Had the same problem with 2 Lionel trolleys - Polar Express, and Birney.  They would run and then stop for no reason or run at speed then slow down and then back to speed.  Finally, after cleaning the track and copper contacts numerous times, I found that cleaning the wheels was the solution.

You don’t need to replace the CW-80. You simply should be using the direction button, not the throttle, to change direction. The direction button cuts the voltage down to zero if you hold it down for a full second.

Jim R. posted:

You don’t need to replace the CW-80. You simply should be using the direction button, not the throttle, to change direction. The direction button cuts the voltage down to zero if you hold it down for a full second.

Tried that and held the button down. This did not help. I will try again this weekend and try to hold it down for a loner time.