I just converted a brass steamer from DC to DCC. Added some LEDs, isolated the motor with a new motor mount. Wired in a Blu-nami with a keep alive. Added a harness and a nice speaker. Tested it tonight. Front LED comes on. Rear LED and firebox led does not come on. They worked with a battery beforehand. Sounds good. Not shorting out sitting there but as soon as I start to move forward with it on straight programming track the wheels just start to move and it’s shorting out every time. The model is covered in primer for the time being. Any ideas for me? I’ll have to try to chase it with continuity tests tomorrow. Don’t understand how the other LEDs aren’t working. I have a suspicion it’s some problem with the wheels or connector bar. The tender wheels are really loose in the trucks and no way to tighten the trucks up that I’m aware of. Makes it easy for pulling them out to look at but they can fall out of the trucks very easily and move side to side a lot. The power pickup from tender is straight off the frame now to a wire in the harness. The connector bar isn’t needed for any conductivity now. There are spare unused wires tied up in there but don’t think they’re the issue.
If its shorting out only when the motor is beginning to move, i suspect part of the drivetrain is shorting out. check to see polarity of leading/trailing trucks on your loco. Or a potential brass brake shoe isnt touching the wheels. Also are you sure NONE of the LED wires/connections is touching any part of the brass shell? They have to be fully isolated.
@ Thanks for the reply. I discovered the front single axle truck assembly I had put back on reversed so that solved some of my problem. I cleaned the wheels and track. It will run ahead and cut out on me. The rear LED I put in tender is not working. I thought maybe it was a software issue. I’m running blunami and it’s very convenient for set up. It should be coming on when reversed and it’s not. I checked it before I wired it but possible one of the wires came off the resistor. Have to tear into the tender again and see what’s up. There is a keep alive in it but think it draws a lot of power when motor is running . It keeps the sound going for 10 seconds but cuts out pretty quick when moving forward but may just be shorting out. Will keep investigating. It’s a Samhongsa 2-8-2 with a can motor. Thanks.
I just got a Nickel Plate (KMT) Brass Milwaukee Road Hiawatha F7 Hudson and it runs good on straight track, but it shorts out on my 22-inch curves when the pilot wheels come into contact with the aerodynamic cowling in front of the cylinders. is there a way to isolate to prevent this or does this loco likely need bigger radius curves? I also plan on remotoring the loco to a can motor but i am unsure of what can motor type to use.
Only thing I can think of is put kapton (or similar) tape on the inside of the shrouding. Or use smaller wheels for the pilot wheels. Or cut/grind away some of the shrouding with a dremel. But yea unfortunately, if your wheels are scraping the inside of ur locos its probably a sign it wasent designed for such curves. For can motor, use a Mabuchi SF266 if it fits, or anything from canon sagami mashima :)
nope! Check to see the red insulation on the wheels to find out which side is insulated. Or see which side of the tender is insulated and the engine drivers should be the opposite side of that. Good luck!
Completely unrelated to the video but what is your opinion on the Bowser PRR steam locomotive kits, specifically the post 1990s ones with the die cast boiler and super detail kits? They seem to be able to be close to brass in terms of detail if one is willing to put the time and work in.
The brass details were fantastic and would bring the model detail wise to brass levels. Most kits where the tooling was made by bowser, and john english were great. (PRR A5, B6, M1). However the much older penn line tooling (later bought by bowser) looks crude even with the updated brass details. Things like the wider driver spacing, the thick running boards, and other proportional problems makes them stand out. Like the I1sa, E6, H10, and K4 kits. Those I would avoid.
But my personal opinion is, (without sounding like a brass snob), for most of thoese models there are better, cheaper options. The H10 or E6, the gem brass variants can be had for like $100 - $125, and is well worth that money. The PFM united brass K4 is also around the same price. Only some of those kits imo are worth the money and time, and also dont have better alternatives. Certain kits like the A5 or B6 are highly recommended by me, not only cause there are not many alternatives (gem and sunset prestige made sorta cheap brass but still pricy), but also those things are HEFTY, and being diecast, I think theyre a highly desirable weighty model, which brass/RTR cannot provide.
Youre right I tend to talk fast. Sorry about that, I just get excited. And haha yea the phone camera I used to record the video has a tendency of doing that :/
Great vid, helped me sort out a newly acquired old Balboa narrow gauge 2-8-0 in short order! THANK YOU!
Glad I was able to help!
Definitely will use this guide to diagnose the problem of my Q1.
yea, hopefully that engine runs once again!
I just converted a brass steamer from DC to DCC. Added some LEDs, isolated the motor with a new motor mount. Wired in a Blu-nami with a keep alive. Added a harness and a nice speaker. Tested it tonight. Front LED comes on. Rear LED and firebox led does not come on. They worked with a battery beforehand. Sounds good. Not shorting out sitting there but as soon as I start to move forward with it on straight programming track the wheels just start to move and it’s shorting out every time. The model is covered in primer for the time being. Any ideas for me? I’ll have to try to chase it with continuity tests tomorrow. Don’t understand how the other LEDs aren’t working.
I have a suspicion it’s some problem with the wheels or connector bar. The tender wheels are really loose in the trucks and no way to tighten the trucks up that I’m aware of. Makes it easy for pulling them out to look at but they can fall out of the trucks very easily and move side to side a lot. The power pickup from tender is straight off the frame now to a wire in the harness. The connector bar isn’t needed for any conductivity now. There are spare unused wires tied up in there but don’t think they’re the issue.
If its shorting out only when the motor is beginning to move, i suspect part of the drivetrain is shorting out. check to see polarity of leading/trailing trucks on your loco. Or a potential brass brake shoe isnt touching the wheels.
Also are you sure NONE of the LED wires/connections is touching any part of the brass shell? They have to be fully isolated.
@ Thanks for the reply. I discovered the front single axle truck assembly I had put back on reversed so that solved some of my problem. I cleaned the wheels and track. It will run ahead and cut out on me. The rear LED I put in tender is not working. I thought maybe it was a software issue. I’m running blunami and it’s very convenient for set up. It should be coming on when reversed and it’s not. I checked it before I wired it but possible one of the wires came off the resistor. Have to tear into the tender again and see what’s up. There is a keep alive in it but think it draws a lot of power when motor is running . It keeps the sound going for 10 seconds but cuts out pretty quick when moving forward but may just be shorting out. Will keep investigating. It’s a Samhongsa 2-8-2 with a can motor. Thanks.
I just got a Nickel Plate (KMT) Brass Milwaukee Road Hiawatha F7 Hudson and it runs good on straight track, but it shorts out on my 22-inch curves when the pilot wheels come into contact with the aerodynamic cowling in front of the cylinders. is there a way to isolate to prevent this or does this loco likely need bigger radius curves? I also plan on remotoring the loco to a can motor but i am unsure of what can motor type to use.
Only thing I can think of is put kapton (or similar) tape on the inside of the shrouding. Or use smaller wheels for the pilot wheels. Or cut/grind away some of the shrouding with a dremel. But yea unfortunately, if your wheels are scraping the inside of ur locos its probably a sign it wasent designed for such curves.
For can motor, use a Mabuchi SF266 if it fits, or anything from canon sagami mashima :)
Are all steam locos the same as far as the "pick-up" side? My two are Sunsets.
nope! Check to see the red insulation on the wheels to find out which side is insulated. Or see which side of the tender is insulated and the engine drivers should be the opposite side of that. Good luck!
Completely unrelated to the video but what is your opinion on the Bowser PRR steam locomotive kits, specifically the post 1990s ones with the die cast boiler and super detail kits? They seem to be able to be close to brass in terms of detail if one is willing to put the time and work in.
The brass details were fantastic and would bring the model detail wise to brass levels. Most kits where the tooling was made by bowser, and john english were great. (PRR A5, B6, M1). However the much older penn line tooling (later bought by bowser) looks crude even with the updated brass details. Things like the wider driver spacing, the thick running boards, and other proportional problems makes them stand out. Like the I1sa, E6, H10, and K4 kits. Those I would avoid.
But my personal opinion is, (without sounding like a brass snob), for most of thoese models there are better, cheaper options. The H10 or E6, the gem brass variants can be had for like $100 - $125, and is well worth that money. The PFM united brass K4 is also around the same price. Only some of those kits imo are worth the money and time, and also dont have better alternatives. Certain kits like the A5 or B6 are highly recommended by me, not only cause there are not many alternatives (gem and sunset prestige made sorta cheap brass but still pricy), but also those things are HEFTY, and being diecast, I think theyre a highly desirable weighty model, which brass/RTR cannot provide.
so my shorts arent suppose to spark violently
yes lol, sparking is bad D:
your camara went out of focus, and you talk to fast and not clearly.
Youre right I tend to talk fast. Sorry about that, I just get excited. And haha yea the phone camera I used to record the video has a tendency of doing that :/