# I got it! 336 - with drama



## RookieHudson (Jan 12, 2014)

Well this 336 has been a little adventure.. I get a call while I'm at work from the Fed Ex guy on Friday my package has arrived. However my front door is ajar some.. Hmmm My wife works from home mostly but was going into the office she may still be home getting ready. The package is left with a neighbor but Fed Ex guy wanted to know if he should call the police or what. I tell him to just close the door and thank him for taking the time to call me. Turns out wife didn't go out the front door and is at work. My heart beat skips a beat as I drive home from work at lunch turns out all is well but man I felt errie about everything as I always got that deadbolt locked. That nigh I open the package and the 336 is awesome looking. I don't have a table set up yet so I get some track make a quick oval and get ready to fire it up.. Well she ain't running right..  The engine is running very hesitantly and the tender revs loud as I increase power but no go go. I'm thinking oh snap and some other words. I putz around with things and still no real luck. Sucker does put out some nice big puffs of smoke though. My transformer came from a simple Christmas kit last year and the green light is flashing, so I know something aint' right. I give up go to bed. Take it to a shop in town where they have like 3-4 feet of straight track of various gauges to try things out prior to buying. Well she fires up great goes FWD and reverse just fine. Guy tells me to make sure my terminals are plugged in well. Go home try again same stinking results. Today (Sunday) take the family to my inlaws where my father in law has nice oval and a Royal Blue engine. Put the 336 on his track and all is well right with the world :smilie_daumenpos: 
runs greats. Soo with my very limited knowledge i'm thinking my transformer doesn't have enough juice for the 336. And another interesting thing my 332 Hudson does give me some trouble at times which is why I think the transformer is not giving enough power- it can take awhile to switch from reverse and fwd and simply just go forward. The little red engine that came with the kit buzzes around the track just fine with the transformer. Curious what everyone thinks. I'm thinking I'm in need of a new transformer. Pictures to come when I figure out how to do em.


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## RookieHudson (Jan 12, 2014)

Trying to post a picture.


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

THAT's what I'm talking about!! She sho is purdy!!:smilie_daumenpos:You probably do need more power. Now that you have 2 engines, time to get a transformer that controls 2 trains, like a 30b. I wouldn't say for SURE you need new power, but I would get some anyway. You just can't have 2 engines with one just sitting there,lol.. Check all your connections really good,; gauge of wire, clip-on, etc. Start at the transformer you're using and work your way to the track, and then to each track connection, etc. The problem doesn't seem to be in the engine, but your track and/or your power supply.The 30b has some power, baby, and my engines love the added juice. They would like a ZW also. I run a 30b, a VW, and a ZW. The 30b runs 2 loops, and all my switches. The VW runs all my lighting.. The ZW runs my other flyer loop, as well as a O gauge loop.I have sevral 8b's and love them. Now that I have the bigger 30b, the 8b's are either used for testing, or keeping the shelf warm.... Again, nice score!!! I love it..:appl:


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

Forgot to mention, glad the drama turned out ok for you.:thumbsup:


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## Nuttin But Flyer (Dec 19, 2011)

Also be sure the track is clean and free of carbon and other dirt, etc. A green scotchbrite pad scrubbed over the rails followed by a clean rag with a bit of alcohol to wipe off the mess and you should be good to go....


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## Aflyer (Nov 10, 2010)

RookieHudson,
I agree with all you have heard from Nuttin, & Flyernut, they are the experts here. Clean the track and also clean the wheels on the tender(s).

Since you are having issues at home and not the other two places that you tested, I kind of agree it could be your transformer. Do you know if it is putting out AC or DC current? what kind of a "little set" did it come with 

One other thing you can try is putting a volt meter across your rails and measure how much voltage you are putting out to the track. In order to make the Hudson, and the Northern run well, you probably want to see at least 10 - 12 maybe 16 volts.
Aflyer


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## RookieHudson (Jan 12, 2014)

The track is clean. The wheels do need a cleaning. 

This is the starter kit I got last year. 

http://www.lionel.com/Products/Find...Keywords=&CategoryID=0&RailLineID=&CatalogId=


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## Nuttin But Flyer (Dec 19, 2011)

Be sure track connections are tight and free of dirt and oxidation. Not sure how large your track layout is...maybe you are experiencing voltage losses around the track?? Additional feeders, more clip-ons or track connections from the transformer, might resolve this. Just be sure to keep the polarity constant all around the layout as to the original connection or there will be a short. This is easily done by providing 2 buss wires from the tranny, one from base and one from variable voltage. Then branch off these to your various feeder points. One feeder set every couple of feet is more than enough.


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

Here's a few pictures of what we were talking about in our pm's.


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

First picture is "drivers" side, second picture is "passenger" side, and last is the 30b, VW, and the ZW. Notice the linkages are approx 90 degrees from the drivers side to the passenger side.. (Actual degree should be 88 degrees, but 90 is ok.:smokin:


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## RookieHudson (Jan 12, 2014)

Nuttin But Flyer said:


> Be sure track connections are tight and free of dirt and oxidation. Not sure how large your track layout is...maybe you are experiencing voltage losses around the track?? Additional feeders, more clip-ons or track connections from the transformer, might resolve this. Just be sure to keep the polarity constant all around the layout as to the original connection or there will be a short. This is easily done by providing 2 buss wires from the tranny, one from base and one from variable voltage. Then branch off these to your various feeder points. One feeder set every couple of feet is more than enough.


I had a pretty simply oval with a feeder at the one end. When the 336 wouldn't run right on the oval I tried fastrak and regular in real small ovals and still no go. So I took a long piece of 36" of regular track and hooked up to the same transformer and the same thing would occur. Engine would rev and stall like while the transformer green light would flash indicating something was wrong. 

By the way thanks everyone for the suggestions. I "won" an 18b transformer on ebay so we shall how everything runs when it comes in.


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