It's most likely the track more than the wheels, especially if you are building the module with all that glue, gook and other stuff around around the track. I have a Kato Operation North Pole set that I outfitted with Kato LED lights. Worked great. Then one day I was at an N-Trak show and the lights were flickering all over the place!!! The big joke of the day was that my train was giving all the passengers epileptic attacks! I must admit it was annoying when you want to present your best face forward to the public. So when I got home, I took one apart and along with a multimeter, checked all the connections, etc. Not finding anything wrong, I put it back together and placed the entire train set down on my basement layout. NO flickering at all. Culprit -> dirty tracks on the modules at the show. I was really not looking forward to opening up all the cars and checking them!
The flickering lights. They seem to flicker in the same spot. That would mean dirty track. There are Constant Lighting kits you can buy. Of course that means taking each one apart and putting the electronics's on board. That can mean sacrificing space for interior to do so. Just a thought.
It’s a bit of both. Dirty wheels on a bunch of cars that have been hauled around thousands of miles but have only been run twice in 2 years. Plus some dirty track. If you notice some cars in the consist are simply more susceptible to it. when I put the people in Im going to solder the Kato lightboards in and clean the wheels.
Well this is the end of the line for me, thanks to everyone for the support and good conversation thru the years. I recently liquidated my entire SP collection to Carl S. so all those will live on and be appreciated, thanks Carl and I hope you and thru you others get to enjoy running and seeing them rolling down the rails as much I have. Still trying to sell my partially completed t track modules Santa Claus beach and fictional town with main street trolley but eventually they and probably the type 500 Eva will be gone as well. Truth is I have a nasty habit/hobby, of going headfirst and obsessively overboard into something, but once I achieve my goal, plan etc, figure out the hard parts and do it… I’m done and ready for something new and different. Same happened with trains. Trains were me trying something different from cars that I loved as a kid, but as it turns out, I really enjoy modifying things more than anything and that fits in with cars and going to cars n coffee and fun runs and such with my little girl and family a lot more. So after 2 years of sitting on shelf untouched, it was time to think of letting things go. Then sons JCW Cooper S we just bought to fix up 2 months ago for his 16th…decided to grenade the engine cruising down the freeway just 12 hours after we finally get all the codes and sensors fixed, belts and pulleys replaced, interior fixed, upgraded and detailed, paint polished, all lights fixed and bonnet stripes replaced etc etc. Now Gotta replace engine, and so liquidating the nscale both gives me funds to do so, and frees up my 25% of our shared walk-in closet! but it sure has been fun playing with doing the impossible and things I dreamed of doing as a kid before the technology existed, like animating switchstands water columns and at one point a semi truck, and plus led lighting and sounds and and making really tiny things happen. with out this board and folks I wouldn’t be able to do the things I do now like swap smd leds, solder tiny wires etc etc, without breaking a sweat. Felt everyone who has gone out of their way to help and constructively critique and just cheer on, felt I owed y’all both written appreciation, and an explanation. again thanks to all and while I’ll be around from time to time and might break out the Tomix Eva 500 just for funsies if I wind up keeping it, ( I still want to run it at least once thru a speed trap and see if I really am getting close to prototypical scale 186 mph speeds) I won’t be modeling 1953 California SP anymore. Again thanks to all and for all, and hope to run into y’all again for the first time one day in the future
Can't put a "Like" on this one. Sorry to hear you are disposing of all your equipment. Wishing you the best for the future.
Adios y hasta la vista mi amigo ! Richard, as I told you Thursday I really hate to see your talents leave model railroading but I understand your love for autos. Rest assured your SP collection is in good hands and will be seen by others on the club layout. I and most likely others on TB have learned some good stuff from you. Thanks !
