Problems with locomotive 7939

[Scheemdalegotrain]

Hi everybody!

I'm Scheemdalegotrain, from Scheemda in the North of the Netherlands. I have been an AFOL for two years now, coming out of a dark age that lasted 25 years... Since then I have been into trains mostly, having bought the 7938 and the 3677 and recently the 60051 en 60052. I have been an avid reader of Eurobricks (and especially the train tech section) for months now and a am still blown away by the creativity and beauty of some of the MOC's I see here. I am very far removed from that stage (yet), and I am still very happy slowly building up my own town which is called, in honor of my girlfriend's nickname, Petoffeltown. I might post a few pictures of the work in progress sometime soon... the reason I registered today as a member, however, has mostly to do with problems I experience with the 7939 locomotive. It is part of a bunch of lego I bought last year and has always performed smoothly. Yesterday, however, it stopped moving. Changing the batteries does not work, the green light is on and as far as I can see, everything is connected as it should be. But the motor seems to be unresponsive to the RC- not even the well known whining sound appears....

Any of you any ideas?

Cheers,

Scheemdalegotrain

[JopieK]

Haha, Petoffeltown, good find Schemdalegotrain! Welcome aboard, hope you will enjoy your stay!

Sorry to hear about your 7938. If you connect the motor directly to the battery holder? A tip would be to come to Steenwijk (stapelgekopsteentjes event, next weeks Saturday / Sunday, I'll be there on Saturday).

[Ashi Valkoinen]

Silly question, but did you check the frequency on the IR controller? Maybe it had been just accidentally changed, I have four of this PF-motors, pulling really heavy trains (2 motors for up to 4 kg) and none of them burnt out, even they are working for 3 years by now.

[Hrw-Amen]

Check the frequency as above. If that does not solve it then yes, conect the motor directly to the battery box. If it goes then but not through the IR unit then I guess that is the issue. Can you try the IR unit out with something else to see if that is working, maybe you have another PF train you can swap then around? I think it will be a case of trying to rule things out untl something checked eslewhere fails, then you know what bit to replace.

[Scheemdalegotrain]

Haha, Petoffeltown, good find Schemdalegotrain! Welcome aboard, hope you will enjoy your stay!

Sorry to hear about your 7938. If you connect the motor directly to the battery holder? A tip would be to come to Steenwijk (stapelgekopsteentjes event, next weeks Saturday / Sunday, I'll be there on Saturday).

Silly question, but did you check the frequency on the IR controller? Maybe it had been just accidentally changed, I have four of this PF-motors, pulling really heavy trains (2 motors for up to 4 kg) and none of them burnt out, even they are working for 3 years by now.

Check the frequency as above. If that does not solve it then yes, conect the motor directly to the battery box. If it goes then but not through the IR unit then I guess that is the issue. Can you try the IR unit out with something else to see if that is working, maybe you have another PF train you can swap then around? I think it will be a case of trying to rule things out untl something checked eslewhere fails, then you know what bit to replace.

First of all, thank you for the replies! Jopie K,thank you for your warm welcome. I would love to come to Steenwijk this Saturday (it is not THAT far from East-Groningen, after all), but we have guests on Saturday and I have to be in Amsterdam on Sunday.Some other time, hopefully! Ashi, thanks for posting, I love what you do with Hungarian trains, especially your Stadlers. I travel to work in a GTW from Arriva every day, planning on building that one any time? The problem is definitely not in the RC-frequencies: I checked that. However, it seems to have miraculously disappeared: without me doing that much apart from blowing of some dust from the axles, she started working again last night and ran rather smoothly this morning. So it might just have been dusty drive axles, who knows... If the problem returns, however, I will follow the other suggestions you have given. Thanks again!

Scheemdalegotrain

[Ashi Valkoinen]

Ashi, thanks for posting, I love what you do with Hungarian trains, especially your Stadlers. I travel to work in a GTW from Arriva every day, planning on building that one any time?

Hello, I did make some plans of Stadler GTW-s in 8W, but unfortunately they don't have any relation to Hungarian trains, and I'm building rolling stock for Hungary-theme displays. Maybe if once Arriva decides to have a LEGO-GTW, I'll make it. :)

[Dutchiedoughnut]

First of all, thank you for the replies! Jopie K,thank you for your warm welcome. I would love to come to Steenwijk this Saturday (it is not THAT far from East-Groningen, after all), but we have guests on Saturday and I have to be in Amsterdam on Sunday.Some other time, hopefully! Ashi, thanks for posting, I love what you do with Hungarian trains, especially your Stadlers. I travel to work in a GTW from Arriva every day, planning on building that one any time? The problem is definitely not in the RC-frequencies: I checked that. However, it seems to have miraculously disappeared: without me doing that much apart from blowing of some dust from the axles, she started working again last night and ran rather smoothly this morning. So it might just have been dusty drive axles, who knows... If the problem returns, however, I will follow the other suggestions you have given. Thanks again!

Scheemdalegotrain

That sounds like a bad connection somewhere in your wires. Perhaps dust between the RF motor plug and the IR receiver. If it happens again, undo these and clean them, then put them back together. It might also be a broken wire (you blowing the dust off the wheels will have moved the wires and restoring their connection) in which case you might be able to fix the wire in a working position with some lego. In any case, I wouldn't touch the loco while the problem is gone ;).

[dr_spock]

Welcome aboard. Is it Arriva red or blue GTW you want to build? I think the 7938 passenger train can be easily MOD into a Stadler GTW.

[Scheemdalegotrain]

Hi everybody,

thanks for all the (further) tips I've received. I could imagine it is a bad connection, but up to now, it's all still functioning... I'm crossing my fingers it remains that way! Since I live in the north (the Arriva Groningen/Friesland concession) I would of course have to build a red one - and you're right of course,Dr Spock, there is some overlap between the 7938 and the GTW, especially the ones in the 'northern' colour scheme.. Although I have always assumed that the 7938 was mostly modeled after the (Alsthom?) LINT platform. I might give it a shot, someday, when my building skills have improved...