Williams 44-tonner problem with Lionel tubular operating/uncoupling track

Thanks for the reply, chessie1971, but this problem is happening on all three operating/uncoupling tracks on my layout--it's unlikely all three have a short.  Also, this problem only happens with this one particular locomotive.

your welcome bayshore sorry i misread your being all your uncoupling track i would not have any other idea hope somebody chimes so i can learn from it 

Bayshore another thought take shell off your engine see if any wires touching maybe shorting out and check around your trucks make sure nothing touching the wheels will wear a bare place and bare places in wire in cab or pinched wire and check ground wire seems to me this engine acting as a ground when runs over your uncoupling track

One or both of the pickup rollers is contacting one of the control rails(or both as it passes by) and the center rail, activating the electromagnet.

Chamfering  the rollers at the outside edges will alleviate or eliminate this issue.

Put some tape under the thumbtacks and try it again.  That will insulate the thumbtack from the track.  You can further isolate the problem be removing one of the tapes under one of the thumbtacks.

Good Luck...

Earl

Hi Again, On my Williams GG1 the roller arms were shaped differently. On that loco I had to trim some tin from the collector arm to allow the arms to come in to fix the narrower roller. Looks rather ugly, but works quite well. Perfect!

   While I'm at at it I'll post the FM roller modification also. This was a lot of work, but I was determined to end the shorting. By the way #36 blades are what Lionel uses on SuperO track as remote control rails for the sliding shoe remote cars.

    Very best, Don Johnson

Some od the newer O-31 upcoupler magnets really stick above the height of the center rail in tin.

i have same engine and have tube track and have no problems like that i will post video today and post here so you can see.

http://youtu.be/Tir3-_-VuCI

Hi J, 1st off nice layout!! Good you don't have any issues.

    The odd thing is about the Williams & others with the wide rollers is some tend to be fine. Some of mine worked good for a year or so, then started acting up. I noticed if I took a spare UCS set on a table & sighted down the rollers I could see the contact to the control rails. Also if I had the loco in neutral over the UCS I could move the loco sideways & energize the magnet. Of course the rollers had to be next to that pair of control rails.

     Again, good your's is not having any issues.

    Very best, Don

Thanks for the advice on my problem with the Williams 44-tonner and the Lionel tubular operating/uncoupling tracks on my layout.

I turned my 44-tonner over and took a closer look at the roller assemblies.  I didn't notice this until I pushed both roller assemblies all the way down, but one of them is noticeably crooked, maybe just crooked enough that the roller is making contact with one of the control rails.  The roller assembly isn't bent, it was just installed crooked.

On the weekend I plan to adjust that roller assembly so that it is straight and see if that solves the problem.  If not, I will try narrowing the roller itself as has been suggested here.

I'll report back here and let people know what the outcome is.

Today I straightened out the crooked roller assembly and the Williams 44-tonner runs through my tubular operating/uncoupling tracks just fine now.

The crooked roller assembly must have led to the roller making contact with one of the control rails, as was suggested here.

Thanks for everyone's help.

I had a problem with one of the pickup rollers on a Williams tender when running over an operating/uncoupling track.  I shimmed the roller up and it solved the problem.  None of my other Williams locos or cars have been a problem. 

Hi Bayshore, Glad you got it going. Thanks for the update.

   Very best, Don Johnson