TMCC Direct Lockon trips frequently

Welcome to the club.   I have a total of three TMCC lockons, they trip for several locomotives for no reason at all.  I did find that a 1.7uf NP capacitor on the feed solved the problem, but that should not be necessary.  I think there's some oddity with the TMCC lockons with certain locomotives that causes this to happen.

 

FWIW, with the PH180 you don't really need the TMCC lockon, the PH has a very good electronic breaker.  In addition, I prefer the PH method of tripping and leaving the power off until I fix what is shorted, I don't want power continually cycling on and off with a short!

 

I can run the same engines with the PH180 or the MTH TIU connected to the track and it's never a problem, just the TMCC lockon for some reason.

In a sense I'm glad I'm not alone.

 

Is the capacitor on the A line (center rail), and does NP mean the orientation doesn't matter?  In a general sense how does it help the problem -- does it smooth out current draw spikes?

 

I got a second locomotive yesterday and ran it fine without any trips.

 

Adam

I just purchased a pair of these. One for the upper deck, and one for the lower. They trip on me when I toggle blocks with waiting trains on them. I surmise I am reaching the maximum amp draw. I will have to add an ammeter to determine. Otherwise they have saved me many a heart failures.
I use remote control AC on/off power switches. So if the red light comes on, I hit the remote and resolve the derailment before the TMCC lock-on starts to cycle.

I use a pair of PH180's feeding a TIU, that's connected directly to the tracks.  With that scheme, I've never even had the PH180 breaker go, the TIU always trips out first.

 

I'll be unloading my TMCC Direct Lockons, I no longer have a use for them.

Wanted to give an update on this: the tripping problem is no longer happening, and I'm still using the lockon as before.

 

Two things have changed: 1) I completed the track for my layout. It seems unlikely that this would improve anything. 2) I oiled the locomotive because it was squeaking. My guess is that oiling it did the trick, but it's still puzzling to me that Lionel didn't see any problem with it. I do question how thoroughly they tested it.

 

So the lockon stays... for now.

 

Adam

Gunrunnerjohn, you said

I use a pair of PH180's feeding a TIU, that's connected directly to the tracks.  With that scheme, I've never even had the PH180 breaker go, the TIU always trips out first.

 

Could you elaborate a bit more, are you using the MTH TIU with Lionel Equipment? Or, is it there because you run MTH as well?

 

 

I've run two 180w bricks through a Lionel TPC which eliminates the need for a lockon, the breakers on the bricks always trip in an instant, the TPC breaker has never. I think these lockons are a bit too sensative, I suspect a good part of the problem is the tiny 18ga wire going from the lockon to the track. I have 14 guage buss and feeders throughout, if theres a derailment the breakers on the bricks pop, no damage to equipment.