Getting a Playmobil shuttle unit to work

[landymad]

Small update but no new news. The shuttle unit has taken a backseat for the past few weeks until last weekend when I decided to have another look. I noticed that the solder for the diodes hadn’t stuck as well as I thought (due to me not heating the rail enough. Anyway I got the rails removed and soldered diodes properly. Checked both diodes that the train stopped once it had passed then I could manually drive the train out with the controller. Had circuit board checked by friends tutor and he said it all seemed to test well and he couldn’t see any problem with it. I’ve just put it all back together and tested and I’ve still got the same problem as before. So back to the drawing board or wait until the open day at the local g scale club in March.

Small update but no new news. The shuttle unit has taken a backseat for the past few weeks until last weekend when I decided to have another look. I noticed that the solder for the diodes hadn’t stuck as well as I thought (due to me not heating the rail enough. Anyway I got the rails removed and soldered diodes properly. Checked both diodes that the train stopped once it had passed then I could manually drive the train out with the controller. Had circuit board checked by friends tutor and he said it all seemed to test well and he couldn’t see any problem with it. I’ve just put it all back together and tested and I’ve still got the same problem as before. So back to the drawing board or wait until the open day at the local g scale club in March.

 

[landymad]

Another update.
Decided one last go before I came in for the night.
Ran to the right
5 seconds later
Shuttled to the left
Over and over again
Sped it up, slowed it down all was well.
Turned controller knob to the middle (off) turned it back on and nothing.
Tried multiple times with train in different positions and no luck.
So it is all working but I don’t know the proper start up procedure to get it going again.
I thought surely I should just be able to plug it all in and switch on and it would shuttle automatically.

 

[Paul M]

Another update.
Decided one last go before I came in for the night.
Ran to the right
5 seconds later
Shuttled to the left
Over and over again
Sped it up, slowed it down all was well.
Turned controller knob to the middle (off) turned it back on and nothing.
Tried multiple times with train in different positions and no luck.
So it is all working but I don’t know the proper start up procedure to get it going again.
I thought surely I should just be able to plug it all in and switch on and it would shuttle automatically.

Sounds like the IT we use at work. Something that should be simple is made as complicated as hell

 

[playmofire]

Another update.
Decided one last go before I came in for the night.
Ran to the right
5 seconds later
Shuttled to the left
Over and over again
Sped it up, slowed it down all was well.
Turned controller knob to the middle (off) turned it back on and nothing.
Tried multiple times with train in different positions and no luck.
So it is all working but I don’t know the proper start up procedure to get it going again.
I thought surely I should just be able to plug it all in and switch on and it would shuttle automatically.

If the loco is at either end of the line beyond the diode, it won't move immediately until the current has been reversed. If the loco is between ther diodes, it should move straightaway.

A 5 second pause seems short. My Playmobil shuttle is round about19 seconds if memory serves me right. However, IO think the pause time is related to the length of track. I have just looked at a video of a PM shuttle of mine running about the length of a radiator, and the pause time is about 2 seconds.

 

[landymad]

If the loco is at either end of the line beyond the diode, it won't move immediately until the current has been reversed. If the loco is between ther diodes, it should move straightaway.

A 5 second pause seems short. My Playmobil shuttle is round about19 seconds if memory serves me right. However, IO think the pause time is related to the length of track. I have just looked at a video of a PM shuttle of mine running about the length of a radiator, and the pause time is about 2 seconds.

Yes the test track is short Gordon.
4pieces of 1ft track so the train has 2ft in the middle before it reaches a diode. I’m going to have another go tonight if I get chance.

 

[landymad]

Yes the test track is short Gordon.
4pieces of 1ft track so the train has 2ft in the middle before it reaches a diode. I’m going to have another go tonight if I get chance.

Just come into the garage, put the loco inbetween diodes, turned power on and it’s shuttling straight away. Just need to do some scenarios to see if it’ll work every time now

 

[-bbbb]

Another update.
Decided one last go before I came in for the night.
Ran to the right
5 seconds later
Shuttled to the left
Over and over again
Sped it up, slowed it down all was well.
Turned controller knob to the middle (off) turned it back on and nothing.
Tried multiple times with train in different positions and no luck.
So it is all working but I don’t know the proper start up procedure to get it going again.
I thought surely I should just be able to plug it all in and switch on and it would shuttle automatically.

Could it be something as simple as the need for cleaning of the track and loco pickups/wheels? When my track and train was left uncleaned, it would sometimes stop on a poor connective spot of the track and not move unless I'd give it a little push onto a better conducting section of track.

The commutator of an electric motor (if left unclean) can also have dead spots so that the motor will not run unless the motor shaft is rotated to a position so that a clean part of the commutator is connecting. I've had electric motors which would not start unless I'd rotate the motor shaft a bit. When turning the motor off, sometimes it would stop on a good spot and be able to start again the next time, and sometimes it would stop on a dead spot, needing a little more rotation to start again. If it's not starting while on, try pushing it a little on the track, turning the wheels as you push. If the push start works, you may need to open the motor and clean the commutator(that is if the track and pickups are already clean). Failing brushes on the motor might have a similar effect?

 

[playmofire]

I've found that when a loco has not been run for some time it is often initially slow to respond until it has done a few laps im forward and then in reverse, and the same happens when running a shuttle.

 

[landymad]

The loco has recently been disassembled and cleaned contacts etc.
I have a feeling the first time it wouldn’t work before Christmas was due to my poor soldering and then the other day was me just not being patient enough for the relay to flick over.