# new train owner need help



## ashley12 (Jun 7, 2012)

Hello, I was recently given a Life Like train set for my son. This is my first encounter with a train set, so bear with me. There was no paper work or directions for setup. I set up the track, checked all the connections, put the loco on hooked up the power supply, and......nothing. I actually have 4 different locos, and none of them do anything. The lights don't even come on.  The power supply connects to a turnout and the switch on the turnout works. I'm just not sure if I'm missing something or not. I don't have enough track to connect the turnout back into the rest of the track, so this might be my problem. I'm just not sure. The turnout is the only section of track that connects to the power supply. please help


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## Lee_R (May 30, 2012)

I'm not sure a "hanging out there" turnout would be enough to stop a train from running (unless said train was running and took off down the open section of track!), so.......

How familiar are you with driving a VOM, aka volt-ohm meter, also called a multimeter? First thing I'd check is to make sure you've got voltage coming out the transformer. Next thing would be to hook the transformer up to the track, put one lead on one track and the other lead on the other track, and make sure you've got voltage there. After that... Well, I'd have to get a cup of coffee and think about it, because if you've got voltage on the tracks, the only other thing I can think of is that you're not getting a connection between the loco and the tracks. But honestly? It sounds like you're not getting go-juice to the train (assuming the train isn't totally blown, of course - but 4 blown trains at once? Somebody had to be REALLY hard on them for that to happen).

Just read another thread, and had a light-bulb go off - while you're playing around with the multimeter, disconnect the transformer from the track (trust me, DAMHIKT), set the multimeter to the "ohms" setting, put one lead on one track, and one lead on the opposite track. You "might" have a short, which will also stop a train cold (not to mention a transformer, if left unrepaired)


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