# help with basic engine troubleshooting



## heidivee (Jan 5, 2013)

i went to my first train show today and bought a pennsylvania diesel engine labeled 'runs good' but i took it home and it doesn't run at all. the track works fine for all my other HO engines, but not this one. it lights up and hums and the hum varies with the amount of power, a really strong hum in fact, and the light comes on. this was my pride and joy purchase from the show as it goes with my penn car collection.
where do i start. i would like this one to work. the show is 100 miles away, so exchanging isn't really a possibility. i don't know the brand. there is no marking like tyco or bachmann. the sales sticker says oc on it


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## heidivee (Jan 5, 2013)

the motor says tan-can


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Did you buy a DCC loco with a decoder onboard ... trying to run it on conventional DC? Or vice-versa, maybe?


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## Prospect193 (Nov 30, 2011)

photos of it would help!!! Including the underside!!

Cheers
Pat


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## ebacon (Jan 8, 2012)

tjcruiser said:


> Did you buy a DCC loco with a decoder onboard ... trying to run it on conventional DC? Or vice-versa, maybe?


^^^^
+1

Was this a "new" engine or one that maybe the motor is burned up..
Always ask to see gear work when it's not new in box.


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

"Tan Can" was an aftermarket motor available in the 80s, so, whatever model you have (pics would help) has been modified, opening up a whole range of problems if not done properly.


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## heidivee (Jan 5, 2013)

i'll try to get a picture tonight. i was thinking about taking the body/shell and putting it on another motor assembly (what would that be called?) instead of trying to fix it.


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## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

I think we all have been dissapointed in an item we bought at a train show. Every train show I have been to has had a test track to try an engine before you buy it. I am guilty of not taking advantage of the test track most of the time. The seller says it runs and we just take their word. Why is that? I never see the test track being used. I think in 20 years I have used it once. Bummer on the no run engine heidivee. Sorry, I just wanted to take this time to remind people, including myself, to use the test track at a show. It probably is not a major problem to get your engine running. I hope someone here can help you.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Great point, Mopac.

I was interested in a Lionel 262 tinplate loco at a show a year or so ago. One of Lionel's prewar beauties ... much more "upscale" than any other locos in my collection. Anyway, with "upscale" came high asking price. I asked the dealer if he knew if the loco ran. He wasn't sure. I asked if I could take it around the show, looking for a test track. He said sure (I left some collateral with him, as protection.) After hunting a bit, I found a test track, popped the loco on, and ... nothing ... nada ... no sign of life. I was disappointed at first, but then figured I could use this to my advantage. I went back to the dealer, described the "no pulse" situation, and bartered the price down considerably. A bit of a gamble on my part, perhaps, but I was hoping the reason for the lack of pulse would be something simple.

I bought the loco, took it home, opened it up, and found a simple broken pickup wire. I fixed that (relatively easily), and was happily in business with a running loco.

In my case, the test track showed the loco _wasn't_ running, and it save me $$$ in bartered purchase price!

TJ


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