# can't get old locomotives to run - new to model railroading



## PHXbird01 (Dec 5, 2010)

Greetings!

I can be considered new to model railroading despite having had an HO set with my dad when I was a small child. I'm wanting to get back into the hobby again and recently purchased a Bachmann E-Z Track layout from Costco to have running around the Christmas tree. With this set I have no complaints. The included EMD GP40 locomotive runs great, and the snap tracks are clean and smooth.

The problem is that my dad just gave me two of the locomotives he saved from our old set, and neither of them run worth anything. All I can tell about these locomotives is that one's a Bachmann Spectrum in Amtrak design, and the other is a Life-Like GP38 Burlington Northern. Both were bought in the late 1980s and haven't been run in over 10 years. Yesterday I took the Spectrum to a local hobby store where it ran beautifully when the gentleman touched the controller wires to the wheels after having cleaned and oiled them. When I got back home the engine didn't run any better than it had before I took it in. It just creeps along very slow despite being on full power.

Does anybody know what else might be wrong since dirty tracks, dirty wheels, and parts needing oiled don't seem to be the issue? I'm wondering if maybe these older locomotives require more power than this new Bachmann controller puts out.

Thanks!

BTW, my model railroading plans for the short-term are to just keep using various E-Z Track layouts on the living room floor. Space constraints keep me from having an actual work bench for the time being.


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## nsr_civic (Jun 21, 2010)

what power supply did you get with your new track? if you bought a bachmann set it may be a dcc controller which will not run normal dc locomotives


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## Bucklaew (Oct 7, 2010)

Before any other work, I hope you have cleaned the electrical pickup wheels. I have boughtened brand new engines still in the box right off the dealer shelf which needed their wheels cleaned. Just my 2 pence worth.


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## tankist (Jun 11, 2009)

clean the oxidation from the wheels, clean the pickup springs (or whatever is used to get power from wheels). and unless its a can motor, clean up the brushes. but chances are they still going to act up


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## jzrouterman (Nov 27, 2010)

nsr_civic said:


> what power supply did you get with your new track? if you bought a bachmann set it may be a dcc controller which will not run normal dc locomotives


I agree. I mean, you stated that the guy at the hobby shop cleaned the wheels and it ran great there, so it should run good for you at home, no matter what size pwer pack you have,,,, Unless what you have at home is DCC which is probably the case because you said that this was your dad's old engine, so more than likely it's DC rather than DCC. 

Take both your new engine and your dad's old engine back to the hobbyshop. Let them look at both. They'll be able to tell you immediately if this is indeed your problem.


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## sstlaure (Oct 12, 2010)

I doubt the Bachmann EZ track set is a DCC set-up. Did you clean the track your set came with? Also make sure that the joiners between the sections of EZ-track are properly aligned so that you have continuous power between sections.

Does the engine run any better on the section where the power goes into the track?


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## PHXbird01 (Dec 5, 2010)

Thank you for the responses! I've checked all track connections and haven't found any gaps or rough spots. Since the new locomotive seems to run great I'm leaning towards a power pack issue. I'll go ahead and take the old and new locomotives back to the hobby store and go from there. 

I'm already starting to like the problem solving involved!


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