# LGB Trolley wheels almost welded to the track! what's goin on?



## Rev Ron (Mar 20, 2021)

I have a G scale LGB trolley running back and forth on 24 ft of straight track in my barber shop. Kids, and adults, really love it as do I. The other day when I was cleaning the wheels, I noticed a very dark, almost black, place on one side of two of the metal wheels. I tried to clean it off but realized it was "burnt" onto the wheels. I checked the track and found the same stain on the track exactly matching where the the wheels would sit when it stopped to make its way back in the other direction. My deduction is that the trolley sat on this spot in the track and the wheels burnt or began to almost weld to the track. 

I've noticed that from time to time the trolley would not start back in the other direction or that it would slow down in places on the straight, level track. I would clean the track and wheels and it would improve somewhat but I would need to clean every day or so. We run the train pretty much all day but again it is only going back and forth and it pauses 6-10 seconds before changing direction. 

I would love any help in knowing why this happened and any solutions to keep it from happening again. 

Thanks,

Rev


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## Lehigh74 (Sep 25, 2015)

I’m guessing there is an arc where the wheels contact the track when it changes direction. Might help to clean the track and wheels using a solvent with low dielectric constant such as mineral spirits or naphtha.

What is the make and model number of the trolley? I’m into O scale, but the model number might help one of the G scale guys figure it out.


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## D&J Railroad (Oct 4, 2013)

Do you have a buss wire for the track with each track section soldered to the wire buss?


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## Streamliner (Feb 21, 2021)

A picture or two sure would help with the diagnosis.


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## Rev Ron (Mar 20, 2021)

Streamliner said:


> A picture or two sure would help with the diagnosis.


Here are two pics of my trolley and track. They dark areas aren't easy to see because I worked to clean off the stains. It makes sense that the wheels and track arced but I have no idea why. The arc occured on only one pair of the wheels. The trolley still runs fine with no sign of damage to the motor, track or function.


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## Rev Ron (Mar 20, 2021)

D&J Railroad said:


> Do you have a buss wire for the track with each track section soldered to the wire buss?


I don't know what a "buss wire" is but I don't think I have anything soldered at all. It's basically 24 ft of track with a LGB 10340 automatic reversing shuttle circuit attached to make the trolley to one way and stop, pause , and then go back the other way. At this posting I am not at my shop but I think I have a 50030/110 transformer.


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

Rev Ron said:


> I have a G scale LGB trolley running back and forth on 24 ft of straight track in my barber shop. Kids, and adults, really love it as do I. The other day when I was cleaning the wheels, I noticed a very dark, almost black, place on one side of two of the metal wheels. I tried to clean it off but realized it was "burnt" onto the wheels. I checked the track and found the same stain on the track exactly matching where the the wheels would sit when it stopped to make its way back in the other direction. My deduction is that the trolley sat on this spot in the track and the wheels burnt or began to almost weld to the track.
> 
> I've noticed that from time to time the trolley would not start back in the other direction or that it would slow down in places on the straight, level track. I would clean the track and wheels and it would improve somewhat but I would need to clean every day or so. We run the train pretty much all day but again it is only going back and forth and it pauses 6-10 seconds before changing direction.
> 
> ...


Rev;

Do you have any Wahl hair clipper oil in your barber shop? I have read, in Model Railroader Magazine, that It is a good track cleaner that leaves a conductive coating behind on the rails. By the way, since the world has gone digital many model railroaders have trouble even giving away paper copies of their old model train magazies. you might ask your customers to donate some for your shop. Kids of all ages love to look at them.

Traction Fan 🙂


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## 65446 (Sep 22, 2018)

Though I'm very late to this thread, I'm thinking: Does the trolley reverse direction abruptly, at speed ? If so, and it doesn't slow down first and come to a full stop for at least 1-2 seconds before polarity in rails flips, this may be the cause of sparks and arching, the polarity flipping to S/N immediately while motor is still turning say, N/S (if that's a legit description).
I'm not an electronics wiz..It's just a guess..Hope you've solved the problem by now, anyway...


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## Madman (Aug 22, 2020)

The dark spots almost look like a stain from sitting in one spot for a long period of time. To answer telltale's question, no the trolley does not reverse abruptly. Instead it sits for a period of time set by the operator. The electronic reversing circuit board sits at one end of the line, under a bumper. There are two versions of the automatic reversing module. One stops the trolley abruptly. The trolley sits for the pre-selected time, then starts off abruptly in the opposite direction. The more advanced model has gradual stops and starts.

I have converted my trolleys to battery power and have installed G Scale Graphics electronic devices in them. This trolley has a G Scale Graphics Enhanced Critter Control. In the video, skip to 4:30. You can see the trolley making a gradual stop at the end of a point to point line. 

The ECC has settings for speed, dwell time at the stations, momentum settings, starting and stopping time too.


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