PlaymoFriends
General => Trains! => Topic started by: highlandcattle on February 27, 2012, 21:44:19
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As you know from my previous thread I obtaineda secondhand 4010 locomotive.I bought it second hand on ebay and it behaves really funny. Sometimes, out of the blue it starts to stutter and go back and forth a little bit. It also increases and decreases in speed without touching the controller. The general speed of the loco also seems slow and it makes a loud humming noise when it sits still. Something is off here. Anybody got any tips before the ebay seller gets a bad feedback from me? sorry for the bad video quality but I hope it is obvious what I mean.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/highlandcattle/6790126696/in/photostream (http://www.flickr.com/photos/highlandcattle/6790126696/in/photostream)
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I had a 4010 and although I did not run it a lot other than a short test run, I'm not surprised that it generally seems slow as it is a very heavy loco. I christened it "the electric brick"!
As regards stuttering, there are a number of possible reasons.
1. Batteries getting low on charge, although this usually shows itself when trying to run the loco in reverse.
2. Running two RC locos together, even on different frequencies. The 25-27 kwz frequency Playmobil used for its RC trains is not the best range and so as a train on one frequency gets near a controller using another frequency this can affect the signal received by the train and cause it to judder and maybe change speed too. I notice that you're running another train at the same time, but can't tell whether it is another RC one or one running off a mains transformer.
3. Other electrical equipment can interfere with the loco's receiver, e.g. someone using a mobile 'phone near the loco. This, again, gvies juddering, for example. If the other train you're running is running on a mains transformer, then the transformer may be causing the problems. Does the train always speed up or slow down at the same point on the track? If so, is that near to the transformer?
As for the humming, this is quite usual. I've just switched on the controller of one of my steam locos and, with the control set in the middle position the motor in the loco hums away as it is receiving a signal from the transmitter.
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I've had similar problems with some of my RC trains.
Solution for one was a new engine block, problem: engine studdered like crazy in reverse.
The other was caused by interference - would only happen with "orange" clock frequency plugs. Try swapping your plugs between the two engines and see if the problem goes with the plug. Also, the controller can be the problem, so use the other controller with that engine as well.
Another problem was caused by the nylon gears on the wheels wearing out. Swapped wheels with spare set (from the first problem above) and all has been good since.
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I've had similar problems with some of my RC trains.
Solution for one was a new engine block, problem: engine studdered like crazy in reverse.
That's not good. I've just bought one that does exactly that :-\
Damo :)
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That's not good. I've just bought one that does exactly that :-\
Damo :)
Damo,
Your 4010 was overhauled by Walter, so I wouldn't worry. With low batteries all my trains at one time or another have juddered badly, but there's no permanent problem.
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Damo,
Your 4010 was overhauled by Walter, so I wouldn't worry. With low batteries all my trains at one time or another have juddered badly, but there's no permanent problem.
No, its that black steam loco that came from ebay
The electric brick runs perfectly :high5:
Damo :)
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No, its that black steam loco that came from ebay
The electric brick runs perfectly :high5:
Damo :)
Corroded battery connectors may add to any problems. Take out the battery pack and peer into the space it fits into to and see if the contacts are bright and coppery or dull and possibly black or green. If not bright and brassy, then they need a clean.
Let me know and I'll explain how to clean them.
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Thanks for all your tips! I'll try them out tonight. It is not only stuttering but also going back and forth without notice and flickering lights. My guess is signal interference could you simply add another crystal with a much lesser used frequency in household apparatus ?
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Thanks for all your tips! I'll try them out tonight. It is not only stuttering but also going back and forth without notice and flickering lights. My guess is signal interference could you simply add another crystal with a much lesser used frequency in household apparatus ?
Glad to be of use, HC.
Signal intererference does seem the most likely as the stuttering because of low batteries is usually only in reverse and with low batteries you don't get sudden speeding up and slowing down. Walts-trains is the man to answer your technical question.
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If the 4010 loco goes allone, thus without a second locomotive (4001), does it then also stutter?
[Please make a test only with the 4010 loco.]
If NO, the 2nd loco (especially transformer locos) could be the problem.
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It seems that the problems also occur when the rails are not powered on and no other train is driving around. :-\
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did you swap controllers and frequency crystals?
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I don't have any other crystals 8-)
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So when you are running 2 trains at a time, they both run from a single controller?
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No no, I'm sorry only one is RC. The rest is trackpowered.
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Does the stuttering come always or only with low batteries?
That could be another reason.
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Always rechargeable batteries or others new ones. The stuttering is always low power or not.
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Always rechargeable batteries or others
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No.
Does the stuttering come also with full/fresh recharged batteries or only if the batteries are low/nearly empty?
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Sorry I edited my post :lol:.
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The stuttering is always low power or not.
Sorry, I don't understand, what you mean.
Are the batteries full (enough) OR are they almost empty, when the locomotive stutters?
(I don't know how to say it different oder verstehst du als Belgier vielleicht besser Deutsch:
Stottert die Lok nur bei fast leeren Batterien/Accus oder auch bei vollen?)
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It always stutters, full batteries or not. (new non-rechargeable or rechargeable). The stuttering has nothing to do whit the power of the batteries. I sorry if I was unclear before, I was in a hurry!
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Maybe the contacts for the crystals need cleaning. Take the crystal out of the transmitter and gently wipe the contacts sticking out with a soft, dry, clean cloth and then put the crystal back in the transmitter. Then, with fully charged batteries in the loco, try again. If the loco doesn't stutter, then you've solved the problem. If it does still stutter, repeat the process but with the crystal from the loco.