My Challenger will run, slows down and sometimes stops, then it takes off by itself. I cleaned the wheels and track. It is running on DCC with NCE. I reset the decoder back to factory specks and it did not help. I need help finding the problem.
How did you reset it? The decoder does not support a CV master reset such as others. The only way to do a full reset is performing the DC reset proceedure using the remote. To reset it in DCC you must manually program each CV back to factory settings.
Exactly what mine was doing right after I received it. I sent it to Athearn and they replaced the motor and circuit board and it has run faultlessly ever since. They did not say so but I suspect it was the result of excess factory lube as experienced by UP_Phill who fixed his own. See post #12 in http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/showthread.php?t=86764&highlight=Challenger&page=2 Ben
You'll have to clean up the motor which is probably over saturated with oil. This should solve the problem. Have fun...
Iknow nothing about taking it apart. I have never taken a steam apart always afrad of getting them out of time. I will try to call Athern. Thanks
Yeah, if your uncomfortable diggin into the guts, give Athearn a call or e-mail. You'll be very satisfied with their level of customer satisfaction. (Speaking from personal experience on this very issue)
Yes Atheran is great they will fix it at no charge all you need is a authorization number takes about one month to get back unless they have a big back log.
This locomotive is supposed to have a 5 pole motor according to the manual. Mine has a 3 pole motor. Has anyone else noticed this?
Never cared to worry about it, they run fine as is. The 3 pole vs. 5 pole thing has been beaten into the ground over on the Atlas board. A properly designed chassis with a 3 pole motor will run as good or better than the same with a 5 pole. A 3 pole motor can make more torque so if the gearing is low enough to overcome the cogging effect, you gain scale speed and much more pulling power than a 5 pole motor. A 5 pole motor is a way to make the motor run smoother and not need to gear the chassis as low but becomes a cost factor as the size get's smaller, such as needed in steam loco's.
My challenger has experienced this "slowing down" problem. In the process of checking the motor for oil saturation, as was suggested in this thread, I noticed it had a 3 pole motor. I do not want to start a motor debate. I could care less whether it has a 3 or 5 pole motor. Mine runs great (when its not slowing down) with a 3 pole motor. I'm just curious if I have a freak loco since the literature says it should have a 5 pole motor.
I received my Challenger back a week before Christmas and ran it for 20 minutes and it ran fine. took it out and run it about 2 weeks ago and started slowing and stoping again. Did not get to mess with it till yesterday and did the same took it apart to see the motor and they was some oil around it and where the worm gears are. I was going to try to take the motor out and clean it like some of you said. How do I get the motor out and will it get out of time. Athearn said they put in a new decoder.
I can't answer your question which is why mine went back to Athearn. It doesn't sound like they fixed your problem. Let them know that and see what they suggest while it is still under warranty. Ben
I had a similar problem and a new decoder did not fix it. When I sent it in, it would occasionally slow down. When it was returned, it in addition to slowing down it would occasionally stop. A new motor appears to have fixed the problem. On the bad motor, the armature was badly scored where the brushes contact it and the gaps in this area were packed. I believe the motor was shorting out and thus losing torque. It wasn't shorting enough to illuminate my SC indicator (1.5A) but it was shorting enough to cause heat damage to the tender body, which was also replaced.
Luck of the Draw which is apparently what I got with MY Challenger! Right after I bought mine, I heard SO MANY horror stories about the Athearn Challenger - it won't run on DCC after being run on DC, it keeps derailing, it HAS to have 19" radius curves, it can't pull anything upgrade, etc., etc. Let's see, now: 1.) Runs forward AND backward 2.) PULLS a 10-car Broadway Limited consist, BOTH directions, in DCC, on the WS Scenic Route layout, with grades in excess of 4% - WITHOUT a helper! (although, to be honest, it DOES take full throttle on those grades - no BFS yet) 3.) Does that 10-car consist around 9 3/4" curves - but I must admit, this IS on Unitrack, fully glued down. Has not seen the Athearn shop since I bought it; has not seen a lube tube since I bought it. However, I DO put it BACK in the box when I'm not running it; whether or not that has any bearing on the matter, I don't know. But it can't hurt. Just my $.02 worth. MRIF! Jim
Come to think of it, mine is stored right side up when it is not on the track. I don't know if this helps either, but mine is still running fine after the re-motoring. In a thread on the Atlas forum a Challenger owner reported excess lube had saturated the drivers to the point the loco had lost traction. I suppose the lube will seek its lowest level regardless. :tb-wacky: Ben
You guys are scaring the buh-gee-bees outta me. I have five Challengers and two Big Boys. One of my Challengers was a problem from day one... but Athearn replaced it. I've run them very little... most of the time they're in their box. Warranty is only for one year though... I don't know if Athearn will stand behind it longer than that. Has anyone complained about similar issues with the Big Boy?
Mine is stored in the box that it came in. I got mine right afater they came out and it dont have maybe 10 to 12 hours of run time on it. when I bought it and got it home it hade atraction tire missing and sent it back. I have ran it very little at my home layout. I took it to a train show that the train club I belong to and ran it about 5 or 6 hour and that is all I have ran it .I sent it back in November and got it back a week before Christmas. Ran for 10 minutes or so and put it in the box . Took it out in the middle of January and it was slowing and stoping and start back running again.Took it back out of the box last Saterday and the same thing. So I called Athearn and they told me to send it back and they said they would check the motor . They put anew decoder in the last time.
