Walthers 2-8-8-2 with Soundtraxx Tsunami 2

[propmeup1]

I have a Walthers 2-8-8-2 with a Tsunami 2 decoder. Got the engine new without sound but installed the decoder.  For a few months she ran great , sounded very nice.  The I put her in the roundhouse for a few months.  Since I took her out I found she doesn't want to move right away unless i give a little nudge or even a push and then sometimes she won't move at all unless I go in reverse full. This problem has been happening now every time i try to run it.
    Not sure what to try next. Maybe a new motor because the decoder is good.  Any ideas out there ??

Thank you,
KTB

[ns737]

did you clean the drivers?

[peteski]

I'm with ns737. Except adding "all the wheels" (which pickup power) should be thoroughly cleaned.  They seem to develop non-conductive film (On both wheel treads,  and at the wheel wipers). Once the treads are clean and you are able to run it for a while, it should work much better.  Running the loco cleans the wheel wiper contact areas.

Also make sure the track is cleaned.  If this doesn't improve it then there is a more serious problem.  The decoder and motor would be the last things I would suspect.

[propmeup1]

I know the track is clean but i will give the wheels a good going over. I did put Snot on one set of drivers. for such a mighty little engine it hardly can pull my wreck train of 13 cars.   Wheels tonight. Thanks guys. I'll report the outcome. 

KTB

[peteski]

If it has no traction tires, it is the original run. But I thought all those were still sold under Life-Like label.  IIRC, the tender pickup was not connected to the locos's pickup (it was only used for supplying power to the backup light), and IIRC each tender truck only picked up power from one rail.  So it  had very poor pickup.

Walthers run had a revised design and traction tires installed on some drivers.

Adding Snot slightly increases the diameter of the driver's tread.  That can can prevent other wheels in that engine from reliably contacting the rail (creating more pickup problems).

[ns737]

the sound decoder is wired to the tender pickups right?

[porkypine52]

Clean wheels, pickups and track.  Check your gauge of each axle. 
This is the problem The INDIANA RAILWAY has with a lot of engines:  They look good, and when you get them running, they CAN'T PULL NOTHING.  10-15 cars anything beyond that, you need a HELPER--and this is on LEVEL TRACK!

THANKFULLY there is SPOOKSHOW:  http://www.spookshow.net/

[trainforfun]

Quick question : stored with power on or off  ?
I try to park my unused locos on the layout on a track that I can switch off , I discovered that locos parked after a while on a powered track it developp a non conductive problem .
Sometimes I take a loco unused for a while on a live track and at first there is nothing , no motor no lights , after a while of cleaning wheels and back and forth movement on the rails by hand , the motor will slowly revive , lights come first .

[ns737]

I think he needs to find a traction tire driver set. and replace the tender with the dcc tender or rework his tender with bachmann 3 axle trucks. his tender has poor pickup.

[propmeup1]

I'll look into the tender pickups and probably machine grooves in a set of drivers for a set of tires.    As mentioned about how snot will raise the rest of the drivers, I knew that but never hesitate to mention the obvious.  No one here knows what the other guy knows.  Many of you have been very helpful in my short time on the board.  I thank you,

Keith

[peteski]

I think he needs to find a traction tire driver set. and replace the tender with the dcc tender or rework his tender with bachmann 3 axle trucks. his tender has poor pickup.

Unfortunately Walthers redesigned the mechanism which includes the traction tire, and the new TT driver cannot be swapped into the old mechanism.

The new Walthers model also modified the tender to be all-wheel pickup.  But  for retrofitting the old one, Kato GS-4 tender trucks (with excellent all-wheel pickup capability) could be installed in the Life-Like tender.

[peteski]

I'll look into the tender pickups and probably machine grooves in a set of drivers for a set of tires.    As mentioned about how snot will raise the rest of the drivers, I knew that but never hesitate to mention the obvious.  No one here knows what the other guy knows. 

The obvious could be a big part of the problem.
And there are lots of people here who know a lot (more than I do).  That is one of the reasons I like this forum. 

[propmeup1]

I learn something every time open the site even if it doesn't appeal to me. 

[trainforfun]

Guys don't forget it was working fine before he left it alone a couple of months !!!! 

[ns737]

yes but some times when you let engine sit on the layout the wheels can become dirty. look how you have to clean track that has been sitting awhile.