Model Railroading > LGB Christmas Engine Woes.... (HELP!)

I have an LGB Christmas engine #28171 that I run under the tree, standard Christmas train engine, nothing special about it, not modded or anything. It gets run once a year, this time of year. Every year it runs like a Swiss watch, never complains about anything, is perfectly content to go fast, turn left. Just like Nascar. So this year, it is giving me fits, not sure what is going on. It will run for a few minutes, then stop, like a short or something. I turn it off, wait five seconds, turn it back on, off it goes. Over and over again. Track is fairly clean, I mean come on, this is LGB. The train would run on it even if it was buried on three feet of mud. I have cleaned the wheels, the pickups, and the rail...and still no luck...any ideas, advice, help? Thanks in advance for your help....with this (pressing matter...) ;)

Check your output of your power pack........

electromac Wrote:
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> Check your output of your power pack........

In what way? red to red, blue to blue....

You have a short somewhere, probably in the motor or internal wiring.

Clean your track and clean your wheels too.
cf7

Another likely problem for motors that get little use, is that the brushes may be sticking. This would cause the very problem you are experiencing. Check to see that they move freely in their holders.

Does the motor over heat?

Costanza Wrote:
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> electromac Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Check your output of your power pack........
>
> In what way? red to red, blue to blue....

Voltage output....

Ahhh...nothing works...beyond my feeble abilities...off to the train Dr. it goes Weds. am...ugh...

Good luck with that! many dealers won't touch LGB--still too hard to get parts!

Nicholas Smith trains , in Broomall Pa. They are very good, they fix my LGBs......

So, George, this sounds like a bad circuit breaker in your power pack. Those LGB locos made in Germany will run forever, with virtually no maintenance. I have never seen one with frozen brushes. I'll bet you it's the power pack. What brand and model are you using? What part of the country are you in?
Merry Christmas,
Art Vandalay