Anyone familiar with Lionel Trains?

I've been helping a friend set up a layout and all is well, except the locomotive will just simply stop working. It happens in random places. We've had a professional check out the loco and the transformer. They are both fine.

I'm going to inspect the wiring as there are 3 feeder lines through out the layout.

I'm using a crossover track. It's a vintage piece from the 50s. I'm thinking this may be the culprit. Can these X-tracks be dissembled?

The action of the train seems to indicate a short, as if a wire is gaining/loosing current a random intervals.

Whats a good way to test for this? I have a trouble light and a Harbor Freight multimeter. What setting is useful to use while checking continuity?

Electrons and I don't get alone, so any help is appreciated.

Check out your track very carefully. If you are using the "classic" Lionel track, the center rail is one conductor, and the other is one or both outer rails. There are little pieces of cardboard-like insulator that prevents the cross-ties from shorting the two conductors. If even one of these is missing or out of place, you have a problem.

I'm familiar with those little bastards. I'm thinking to run the train and see where it stops and then check the track in that area.

Most common reason mine won't work is that the pin holes in the tracks get hogged out and don't make a good connection with the next track piece, or the pin gets pinched or creased and doesn't make good contact.

Have the rails been cleaned lately? Might be as simple as that.

Strizzo wrote: Most common reason mine won't work is that the pin holes in the tracks get hogged out and don't make a good connection with the next track piece, or the pin gets pinched or creased and doesn't make good contact.

I would be willing to bet this is the problem. I used to have a Lionel when I was about 8 or 9. I freaking LOVED it! I had one that was supposed to be an old steam or coal engine. The center track turned a wheel on the coal/wood car and would produce the steam engine sound. So cool.

Anywho, this is the first thing that came to mind.

Get some DeOxit from McMaster-Carr or right from the mfg http://www.caig.com/ Use it on the pins and use the cleaner wipes on the rails.

On Caigs web site somewhere theres a page showing the mcmaster part numbers

Besides disassembling the whole layout, is there a way to check this and fix it?

You might try going around with a multi-meter and checking across the track, especially where and when it's not working.

Yeah, I've still got a Lionel 027 set. Haven't pulled it out in a couple decades, but as I got it for my 7th birthday, it ain't going anywhere.

If thr track is clean amd everything else checks out make sure it is more or less even. When I put mine up last year I had a small bump on one of the tracks and the loss of contact would cause the engine to go into neutral or reverse. Steam locos seem more susceptible to this than diesels as the pick ups are closer together.

Dr. Hess wrote: You might try going around with a multi-meter and checking across the track, especially where and when it's not working. Yeah, I've still got a Lionel 027 set. Haven't pulled it out in a couple decades, but as I got it for my 7th birthday, it ain't going anywhere.

It will probably still work fine too. The train in the circle under the tree was my wife's grandfathers. Last year was the first time it saw daylight in 30 years and after a quick oiling it ran perfect.

Agree, conductivity through the track is most likely the problem.

This is why it's a darn good idea to add in several jumpers across the track circle, instead of counting on the track itself to carry the juice around the entire circuit.

foxtrapper wrote: Agree, conductivity through the track is most likely the problem. This is why it's a darn good idea to add in several jumpers across the track circle, instead of counting on the track itself to carry the juice around the entire circuit.

Yes! I have found that multiple terminal tracks are a great way to make sure that your train gets all the way around, especially on a longer layout.

I have a fairly large layout every Christmas and I try to put a lock-on every 10 feet or so, and on either side of a switch or X. If there is a toy train show in your area that is a good place to pick up used track and lock-ons fairly cheap.

I'd say we've got about 30 ft. of track and two turnouts. I may be adding more feeders.

Interesting you mention bumps and going into reverse. This happens on occasion. When you say bump, do you mean unevenness in the butt joint of two tracks, or ups and down due to uneven bench work?

Mostly unevenness of the joints. I had a couple spots where the rails on one piece were a bit tweeked. I replaced them and it solved the problem. Uneven benchwork doesnt seem to bother them much. I set mine up on 7 4ft x4ft squares of MDF and even without attaching them I never have a problem.

Defiantly not the track. I'm thinking its either the locomotive (50s 2-6-4) or the transformer (50s LW).

The upper red button is the forward/reverse button. Power off on the LW, Power on, push button, forward motion, push button, idle engine (for working accessories), push button, reverse motion. Problem is, the loco has it own F/R switch. I wonder if they are fighting each other?

If any continuity is lost, the loco returns to idle, and the button has to be cycled again to return to motion. Perhaps the tracks need to be tweaked as it seems to happen near the cross over or switch area.

You can be as "defiant" as you wish but your symptoms sound exactly like what happens with intermittent connectivity problems on the track.

And you don't seen to understand how the e-unit in the locomotive works to reverse direction. It's a solenoid actuated rotary contact drum with four positions. The positions are (1) forward, (2) neutral, (3) reverse, (4) neutral. It cycles through them. The transformer just sends a DC pulse through the track that causes the unit to cycle one click, which is why you have to double bump the switch to actually change directions. When the track has connectivity problems, it very frequently causes the e-unit to cycle, leaving you a locomotive that sits there, buzzing in neutral. There is no such thing as "fighting each other".

Get the locomotive running forward, and throw the switch on the locomotive to the other side. That turns the e-unit off and leave you a locomotive that simply runs forward. Which is usually all a person really wants for simple lay outs and diagnostics.

http://books.google.com/books?id=1FYDd-z0E2MC&pg=PA7&lpg=PA7&dq=lionel+locomotive+rotary+switch+repair&source=bl&ots=o2jJdcJ-O4&sig=4T9XUPwpowc29MxbKbaqWLVz3lU&hl=en&sa=X&ei=nWCKUMvhE8e30gHqvIBA&ved=0CBwQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=lionel%20locomotive%20rotary%20switch%20repair&f=false