# Erratic Power Pickup



## nrandel (Jan 6, 2012)

I'm sure this has been gone over a gad-zillion times but search wouldn't come up with anything. I have a Fox Valley N-scale NS Lehigh Valley Heritage ES44 engine (probably doesn't make any difference what model it is!) and the power pickup is lousy. 

Here's the deal and what I've done. When I supply power to the split chassis it runs fine on it's side. When I put it on the test track - no go unless touched here and there: touch the motor it would try to go; touch the flat pickup springs between the chassis and the trucks and it would try to go; put it on it's side and touch supply power to the chassis to the wheels and would try to go.

I cleaned:

contacts between the motor brushes and the circuit board;

flat contact springs between the chassis and the trucks;

the truck contacts to the flat spring contact;

the wheels.

I'm pretty new at model railroading and am just getting into engine repairs. Is this an inherent problem that Fox Valley engines have? Hope you can steer me in the right direction. Thanks.


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## Brakeman Jake (Mar 8, 2009)

If ligts blink when glitches occur,the problem is before the circuit board (wheels,contact strips,etc).Then if lights don't blink,the problem is within or beyond the circuit board,may be the motor itself.


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## nrandel (Jan 6, 2012)

*Blinking Light: Reverse and Forward*

Yes, the light does blink so I'm sure it's from the chassis on down to the trucks, but, I've cleaned everything (removed any oxidation with finger nail file) for the exception of taking the trucks apart. You would think that out of 6 axles, a few of those would be picking up power! I don't know where to go from here.


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## Redmaxx (Jan 28, 2014)

This maybe a stupid question, but are both of the little isolation pieces to keep the frame from shorting out there?


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## nrandel (Jan 6, 2012)

Redmaxx: Not sure what you're referring to when you say isolation pieces. There are two insulators, one on each end of the split chassis. A screw goes into each one of these insulators to hold the two chassis pieces together. I'm not sure if that's what you're talking about, but, without those insulators the chassis would short out the power.


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## Redmaxx (Jan 28, 2014)

Yeah thats what I was talking about. Sorry, sugar got low while I was writting that. I had a problem like that with a life like locomotive. I found out there is a certain way to install the motor into the frame, otherwise it would have an intermitent short. I have never had a FV locomotive before so I am not sure how the motor is installed.


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

Sounds like it's time to get out the ole multimeter and
do some circuit tracing. (A 12 v bulb in series with a
9 v battery would be a good substitute for the resistance tests).

Set the meter to a low resistance. 

Start with wheels on left side front truck.

Put one probe on the first wheel.
Put the other probe on the 2nd wheel. You should get a reading.
Then move the other probe to the 3rd wheel. You should get a reading.

Do the same with the left wheel of the rear truck.

Then the right wheels of both trucks in the same manner.

If at any time you don't get a reading that wheel is not
feeding power. Check that the wheel wipers are making
good contact.

If all wheels did provide a reading then the next check
is any wire or other physical connection that is intended
to the motor or decoder. You should get a reading from
the left wheels to one motor lead, and a reading from the
right wheels to the other motor lead (or power connection
for the decoder if DCC).

The way I read your post the power is transferred from
each truck to the chassis with some sort of contact spring.

Use your meter to see if you can make or break a reading
by moving each truck while there is a probe on the wheels and
the motor side of the contact springs.

Do the same with any additional wire or contact to the motor.

Somewhere along the way you'll find an intermittent contact
that is causing the blinking and pausing.

One additional thought. Have you checked to see that there is
not an intermittent short circuit in the loco? Does your
power pack or controller so indicate?

Don


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## nrandel (Jan 6, 2012)

Okay, found the problem. I dove into something that I wasn't comfortable doing and that was disassembling the trucks. DonR, you mentioned the wheel wipers so that's what I went for - they were dirty with dirt and grease. After cleaning, it runs great. Someday, I may become a good engine mechanic. Thank you all for your suggestions.


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