Large Scale Central

Aristo Center Cab,intermittent short

Problem Solving
#1

I have an Aristo Craft center Cab switcher that’s less than a year old. It ran in a satisfactory manner for a short time around christmas. Since then it will intermittently act like the track and or wheels are dirty. They are not.I have sent the unit back to Aristo Craft and was curtly informed that they had test run the locomotive for 3 hours and nothings wrong.(I think they tested it in a static situation) I took the thing apart,tightened the grounds, re soldered a couple leads and replaced shrink tubing. It doesn’t stumble and falter at the same place or under the same conditions. I had been running it on an auto reverse set up in my office. Sometimes it runs fine. I think all it can be is a short in one or both motor blocks. Has anyone encountered a similar problem,and if so do you have a fix? Am I faced with replacing motor blocks on a new locomotive? I like Aristo Crafts’ products I just don’t like the way they handled this.

Thanks,
Bill Wright

#2
Bill Wright said:
I have an Aristo Craft center Cab switcher that's less than a year old. It ran in a satisfactory manner for a short time around christmas. Since then it will intermittently act like the track and or wheels are dirty. They are not.I have sent the unit back to Aristo Craft and was curtly informed that they had test run the locomotive for 3 hours and nothings wrong.(I think they tested it in a static situation) I took the thing apart,tightened the grounds, re soldered a couple leads and replaced shrink tubing. It doesn't stumble and falter at the same place or under the same conditions. I had been running it on an auto reverse set up in my office. Sometimes it runs fine. I think all it can be is a short in one or both motor blocks. Has anyone encountered a similar problem,and if so do you have a fix? Am I faced with replacing motor blocks on a new locomotive? I like Aristo Crafts' products I just don't like the way they handled this.

Thanks,
Bill Wright


Did you check your track? Run your finger on top of the rail about 5-6 inches and see how much black stuff you get on your finger. If very dirty clen the track and try again. Humid days will cause problems with dirty track.

Just a suggestion.

#3

In my original post I stated that the track and wheels are clean. Let me reiterate. The Track and the wheels are CLEAN. I completely shined up the track with track cleaning pads.I went so far as to remove the wheels from the motor blocks so I had access to the inside of the wheels.I cleaned the axles too. I cleaned the inside and outside of the wheels and axles with solvent. Now,don’t tell me that the solvent has left some residue that is interfering with the electrical pickup. EVERYTHING else that runs on this particular layout runs perfectly. Has anyone encountered an intermittent electrical problem like this with an Aristo Craft center cab or any other Aristo Craft Motor Block. Sheesh!

#4

Hey Bill, is your track clean? Just kidding!
I have not heard of this issue. Intermittent problems are the worst for anything. Tough to diagnose when its not happening.
Is there a way to disconnect the trucks from one another or from internal circuitry temporarily? Maybe then you could isolate the problem. Maybe try removing each truck entirely and run each on their own.

-Brian

#5
Brian Donovan said:
Hey Bill, is your track clean? Just kidding!

-Brian


I knew there was a reason I like you, Brian… :lol:

Seriously, Bill, you might just have to “Easter Egg” this. Gut the wiring and start over. Remember just who assembles these things at the factory.

#6

Now, you see we’re off to a Good start ! Logical suggestions by Mildly amusing People! Somehow,Brian, I vaguely remember some sort of wheel or track maintenance. I had hoped someone had a cheap and cheerful fix. Isolation would be my next guess too. (for the motor blocks,not me! There are those here that would argue the point!) I have considered turning it into some kind of interurban motor.I have a friend that does maintenance electrical work at the sugar refinery,he’s pretty anxious to fool with this stuff. He helped me with my dual voltage setup in my "37 Ford.If somebody has had some experience i’d like to hear about it, now I think i’ll go see if my track is clean,maybe change the tinfoil in my hat too.

#7

Yes I have seen it, and I have pictures on my site of one that self destructed.

You cannot buy replacement parts for the innards. Buy a new block or find another used one and hope you have enough parts between the two to make one (which is what I did).

Look at my site on the “Original Diesel Motor Blocks” under Aristo Motive power. I described how power gets from A to B and the weak points in the design.

Regards, Greg

#8

Hey Greggers,

I am aware there are issues with the original two axle dismal trucks (I have converted a few) but the center cab trucks are the short ones (also used on the railbus). Do the short trucks have the same issues?

-Brian

#9

Two of my centercabs do the work , not work trick , usually only one truck at a time , and the other truck will still spin the wheels , but can not pull and drag the other dead truck , and then the other kicks in and it runs .
Running the twocentercabs , together usually overcomes this proplem .
I did modify one by directly jumpering the 2 trucks wires together , and leave out all other wires and connections , it now works ok .
I thought the problem was starting from where the wires come out of the blocks , and from there on ?
I like them , but , they have a problem in the wireing .

I miss LGB running and operating quality !

#10

Hi
I had the same problem when using three new blocks to power three separate stock cars to ‘help’ my cattle train up my very steep incline. Everything was fine but each car would develop the ‘dirty’ track syndrome and falter or stop and then start again. I inspected the wiring and all seemd well. But then I discovered that the mounting screw that I had used to attach the ‘A’ frame was a little proud and was rubbing the case of the block. What I did not know was that the left and right side of the block are live and that the mounting screw was actually randomly shorting the two halves of the block. Tis has been remedied and all seems well now.
So if you have a similar problem, but with the blocks still in the centrecab, as the cables come out of the block where the two halves join and could be ‘shorting’ there or even the A frame mounting screww could be the culprit.