# stop and go



## mark olmstead (Jul 12, 2012)

I notice that my train stops at certain spot on my layout . I clean my track first with a small alcohol pad around the track. Then one or two minuntes before i run my trains it still does it but sometimes it wont for two laps around . Track is glued down on the ties not the connectors of the track so what could it be ? The steam loco has trouble around the track 4-6-2 on a 4x6 table which i run slow . The steam loco has been cleanned and was ok by a local hobby shop here in town . And it run real good . The other two are a swither 1500 and a gp 30 loco . Both run good also and cleanned too. I have a small power pack but the local hobby store it was better then what they sell. Oh by the way this is a atlas code 83 starter kit i have . One big circle and two inside tracks for a warehouse drop off and a train station on the other side . Any help would be nice . Thank you


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## Southern (Nov 17, 2008)

Do you have a test light? If so check and see if you are getting power to both rails.


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

I don't do any ho stuff but if it keeps messing up on the same peice of track it's probably the track. Do your other trains have a problem there? Did you try running the train in the opposite direction?


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## Pfunmo (Feb 21, 2013)

This is the sort of things that can take a lot of fun out of it! Don't give up, though. There are several really easy things that will help. Meters and test lights are nice but you can get by without them. Just take a minute to look carefully before doing too much. 
Think over some things first. Does it do it only in one spot on the track? Makes it much easier to find. If it IS just one spot, run it until it stops there. Then I go into a test mode. Get down and look at every wheel on the engine which picks up power. Are any of them lifted just a tiny bit so that they are losing contact? You may not be able to see it, so I take a metal item like a small screwdriver and put it so that it touchs the rail and then gently slide it so that it also touchs the wheel of the engine. Do this on all the pickup wheels to see if it then takes off. The screwdriver will carry the current to the wheel and then to the motor if it is a wheel lifting. Do this very gently to try not to move the track or engine so that it starts running again. Old saying goes that you can't fix it when its not broke! 
If the wheel shorting doesn't make it run, try looking at the track some more. Did it just pass a joint in the track so that this part is dead but the rest of the track live? Try laying the screwdriver tip across the joint in the track so that current is passed through the screwdriver from live rail to dead rail. 
Just some thoughts that might help. Try a few things and get back to us if it is still a problem. Try checking the connections from the power pack to the track if it happens in more than one spot. They can be opening and then going back just to fool you. It can be and engine power problem as well but not likely if more than one engine is giving you trouble. Just got to bear down and sort through it carefully so that you are not looking past the real problem. We've all been there at times!


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## Pfunmo (Feb 21, 2013)

Another thought for ways to test without test equipment! When one engine goes dead, you can test the power supply and connections by placing a second engine right behind the dead one and pushing it around to see what is live and what is dead.


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## mark olmstead (Jul 12, 2012)

found one spot to solder. the rset of my layout looked good . then ran the train in reverse and it runs better. maybe found my spot and problem too .


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

Good, hope it works out. If not post and we'll try and help! ( mostly them, I don't know Ho, but these guys are good).


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