For the Railroad Modeller life can be very frustrating at times. Electric Model trains, track, rolling stock, scenery; everything can go wrong and look wrong. The reason is simple; everything is in miniature therefor the problems are in miniature and often you need a magnifying glass to see what they are. Here are some tips to solve common problems that seem so obvious when they are exposed like this.
1. Quick Locomotive Tip: We have contact.
Because the current is collected by the metal wheels of the locomotive they have to be spotlessly clean. It is perfectly possible for your Models to stall through the lack of power.
Dirt does build up unseen over a period, which means that the contact could be lost with the rails. There is only a very tiny contact point where the rail meets the wheel and it has to be kept spotless. The point where the wheels meet the rail is tiny so must be kept clean at all times. Dirt, debris and
dust can easily obstruct the locomotive wheel-to-rail contact causing the train to stall or jerk. Remember, plastic wheels don