thomas the naughty tank engine

mike

mike

Master at annoying..
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i have been asked a question...
hi mike
dont know if you can help or not.
i just set up an out&back with an aristocraft shuttle unit. the problem lies with thomas!!!.

he will only go in one direction and carries on after passing the track with the diode in it.

the bachmann tram & little critter both pass the diode and stop then reverse back along to the next diode where they stop wait then return. when run on the mainline loop.without the reversing unit thomas runs normaly and in the correct directions. can u help???.


some one mentioned a switch needs fiiting.. can any one shed any light on what needs doing?
ta
mike
 
As I understand it, Thomas is wired opposite to LGB standard and needs to be rewired and/or a polarity switch fitted to play nicely with other brands? I was reading a thread about this very subject last night in MyLargeScale.com (I think it was)

Opposite wiring to "normal" running would be enough to prevent him working correctly with diode-controlled auto-reverse systems.

I think it was also mentioned on MLS that some of the later Thomas' sold "stand-alone" (not in a set) may now come fitted with a polarity switch.
 
I think the reason is that the Troublesome loco is to NMRA standard, hence it runs the reverse way to normal large scale. The motor needs the wires reversing.

Beat me to it!
 
I have a Bachmann Percy and he has a switch underneath so you can swap between 'NMRA', 'Large Scale', and off so he can match the direction of my other locos (1 LGB, 1 Piko) or be isolated.

The switch is not obvious when looking underneath the loco - maybe worth a check on your loco?
 
i think its the new one, yes the Bachmann one, its not mine, ive just trying to find out what/how too sort it out ,
 
yes the problem with your shuttle is Thomas' polarity. I just took the bottom of mine and swaped the wires around. The issue is in the direction of current relative to the direction of travel. so when he approaches the diode the current is flowing the wrong way for it to stop him.

amusing it is Thomas - it must be like he really does have a personality. however my bachmann 45 tonner did the same, and it confused me for a bit too.
 
yb281 said:
All of this explains why, when I converted a Bachmann loco to battery control the other day and I wired the positive battery wire to the positive motor wire, it ran backwards. I thought it was just me :bigsmile:.
Click to expand...

8| It IS just you, no one else runs backwards! :bigsmile:
 
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