[upnick]

Hi All,

My minitrix N gauge 9F came back after conversion to DCC with the excellent CT Elecktronik DCX74 installed, i tested it and it runs well but over one point in either direction it stops dead, though on other parts of the layout it is fine.
The rear two driving wheel sets have traction tyres fitted (4 in total) could this cause a break in contact to the track ? as it seems so ........ where this is happpening there is power either side of the point.
I did have another Minitrix 9F fitted with the same amount of traction tyres and this didnt happen at all on the layout.

 

[TonyDaly]

QUOTE (upnick @ 30 Oct 2008, 00:56) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Hi All,

My minitrix N gauge 9F came back after conversion to DCC with the excellent CT Elecktronik DCX74 installed, i tested it and it runs well but over one point in either direction it stops dead, though on other parts of the layout it is fine.
The rear two driving wheel sets have traction tyres fitted (4 in total) could this cause a break in contact to the track ? as it seems so ........ where this is happpening there is power either side of the point.
I did have another Minitrix 9F fitted with the same amount of traction tyres and this didnt happen at all on the layout.

What kind of points are we talking about.Insulated or electrofrog ?
Is the 2nd 9F also converted to DCC ?

 

[upnick]

QUOTE (TonyDaly @ 30 Oct 2008, 00:32) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>What kind of points are we talking about.Insulated or electrofrog ?
Is the 2nd 9F also converted to DCC ?

Hi Tony,
The points are all electrofrog sorry i missed that part out both 9F's are DCC.

 

[Richard Johnson]

QUOTE (upnick @ 30 Oct 2008, 08:54) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Hi Tony,
The points are all electrofrog sorry i missed that part out both 9F's are DCC.

***It will be that one has better pickup alignment than the other. take the time to really clean and align the pickups, and if possible add more - perhaps to the tender. I'm guessing that you haven't wired the electrofrogs as per the frequent recommendations whenever Peco points are discussed (with frogs switched).

regards

Richard

 

[Brian Considine]

I would echo Richards comments, but just to add that you need to double check the wiper contact when the axels are at the extremities of their sideplay (if I remember correctly there is quite a bit of sideplay to help negotiate bends).

Hope this helps.

 

[TonyDaly]

I echo what Richard & Brian have said. Check the point frog as with Electrofrogs you should never have contact problems unless there is a wiring problem. I would however suspect that you have a pickup problem.Let us know how you get on.

 

[upnick]

QUOTE (TonyDaly @ 30 Oct 2008, 10:55) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>[Let us know how you get on.[/color]

Hi many thanks for all your adivce it came down to a track alignment problem as mentioned one side was picking up better than the other, the track only needed a move of a 1mm or so.

 

[TonyDaly]

QUOTE (upnick @ 1 Nov 2008, 03:10) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Hi many thanks for all your adivce it came down to a track alignment problem as mentioned one side was picking up better than the other, the track only needed a move of a 1mm or so.

Glad you got it sorted.

 

[Richard Johnson]

QUOTE (upnick @ 1 Nov 2008, 11:10) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Hi many thanks for all your adivce it came down to a track alignment problem as mentioned one side was picking up better than the other, the track only needed a move of a 1mm or so.

***Nick, the track was the catalyst and thats important to fix... but... it wasn't a track problem - it was and it is still a pickup problem - Think about it: if the pickups were OK, that loco would have run without stalling just as the other one did.

Sorry, but really you still need to fix the pickups or the same problem will inevitably pop up again.

Richard

 

[spanish_paul]

QUOTE (Richard Johnson @ 1 Nov 2008, 15:41) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>***Nick, the track was the catalyst and thats important to fix... but... it wasn't a track problem - it was and it is still a pickup problem - Think about it: if the pickups were OK, that loco would have run without stalling just as the other one did.

Sorry, but really you still need to fix the pickups or the same problem will inevitably pop up again.

Richard

Richard is right, the Minitrix 9F picks up from the first three driven axles and the first and third tender axles, however inevitably it is now somewhat elderly and the chances are the pickups need to be cleaned and re tensioned. Not easy, and do not remove the wheels from the chassis to help this process. Getting them back in correctly aligned and with all the gear wheels in place is a major challenge. One thing to check is the coupling arrangement between loco and tender which serves as one of the connections for the tender pickups. It needs to be clean and to have the wire spring also tensioned. The other connection to the tender is by wire, occasionally it becomes detached inside the tender. My own 9Fs are among the most reliable and competent performers amongst thirty odd locos, but then I work on them about every five years