When you had it on speed step 10, the jerk point tended to be at the same point in the wheel rotation cycle, roughly about when the connecting rods were in their most forward point. I know this potentially mechanical problem theory doesn't tally easily with your electrical problem theory but it seems a bit coincidental to dismiss at this stage without having a check. 10/10 for your determination with getting this one running 100%.

Love the layout!

Hi again Julian, It maybe something binding, mine is smooth on the level at slow speed hence I kept it. Another viewer suggested the rods maybe an issue, that’s the next thing I will have a look at but not this summer, I want to enjoy the summer before I throw out the window ahhaa. I guess removing the motor and let it free wheel down a slope should prove it there is anything binding. I wish you good luck with this and hopefully find a fix as I’m sure there are many of us wondering what to do with it. It is a very nice model ruined by poor running.

Try changing cv150. If it is set to 1, change to 0. If set to 0, change to 1. This might change the slow speed stutter. Peter at Torridon Rd showed the difference it made to one of his locos.

I shall add to that that the DCC Sound chip is a Loksound 5.

The simple answer to your question is if you had ordered the DCC Sound version of this locomotive, it comes WITH the sound chip, speaker and stay-alive.

Downslope stop-and-go might be caused by gears in the drive system not quite meshing properly, specifically between the driving wheel gear train and the motor worm gear: the free-rooling wheels and gear combination versus the constant speed worm gear.

Just wondering if oiling the valve gear and coupling and connecting rods would make any difference to the smooth running? May be a mechanical bind rather than anything to do with electronics? Good luck Julian.

Good info mate. Hi from Feilding. Bernie

Hmm, clearly Rapido have major issues with this loco. Mine runs fairly well on level track except for a wobble, also mine jerks horribly descending a 1 in 36 slope. Which isn’t really acceptable, so I sent mine back and when returned complete with their analysis sheet which in my honest opinion ion was nothing short of rubbish. All previous issues remain. I contacted them to tell them of my biggest concern that it does and still does not go smoothly down hill. This has to be an issue with the motor,? Maybe. The reason I was given it’s due to inertia, none of the other five locomotives has this issue. I have kept the model although I’m not satisfied with it. I quite honestly don,t run this loco on the slope as it’s ok on the flat. One other test I gave the loco was to run it at full speed on the descent to see if it would then overcome the claimed inertia. It didn’t. Finally and for the reasons given above it is most unlikely I will purchase anything again from this manufacturer. My experience owning this loco is nothing short of dreadful. I am utterly disappointed .

Hi Julian, seeing the opening shots and the loco running beautifully, it's just typical for it not to play ball, lol. Clearly though the model is suffering from issues. It could easily be the B EMF, but you did exchange the decoder, so maybe experiment with any other next 18s, you have, to see if the problem remains. However it might also be worth extensive running in on rolling road. (Check the valve gear screws are tight first though to avoid mishaps.) Im talking hours, maybe days. When I got my Hornby hush hush, it behaved in a very similar way. I ran it continuously on DC for around 4 days on and off. Its a gorgeous runner now.

G/Day Julian, after watching the video, the loco stutters on the long piece of track. Did you solder the droppers on the fish plates? Because I did this on my layout years ago, and after a year of running I started to have stuttering running with a number small 060 locos and after checking out with a multimeter I found that there was no volt drop on that section of the track but when the loco entered that section of the track it did reduce the track voltage and the retired electrician in me realised that you are relying on the fish plates to make good contact with both rails.so you could be feeding just the fish plate because of a poor contact with each rail. You could try soldering or putting a wire across 29:11 29:14

interference suppression capacitor across the motor connections can cause issues with some dcc decoders.

Good day, Justin. While you state that jouring testing off camera the locomotlve would stall, something that I have come across with some of my locomotives left on the layout and not run for several days, is that on first initial starting, the purformence tends to be on the poor side untill, after, a short period of running the motor, then, having warmed up and the lubrication of factory grease thinned, therefure could that be why testing prior to filming, there was your posibly your problem? The problem on the strieght section of track being, proberbly the same fhat I encountered on a curved section of track on my layout, the back to back between the rail sides being a few thousands of an inch narrower than the majotity of my joining track work was causing the wheels of either certain locomptives or rolling stock to pinch and momenterily slowing the train.

Not doing it when being filmed - that's Quantum Mechanics for you LOL. Be interesting to see (difficult to achieve?) how it would run just on DC, in those same locations.

Julian, @ 8:50 onwards, if you look at the coupling rods, it seems to be stopping at the same point on each revolution of the wheels. That suggests to me that its a mechanical problem. Maybe gravity is pushing some part of the motion and causing it to bind. What happens if you reverse it up the slope on the same piece of track? What happens if you turn the loco around and run it down the slope? Do either of those make any difference? One way to be certain is to take out the chip, fit a blanking plate and run it on an "old fashioned" DC controller (one without back EMF detection), like an old Hornby, Bachmann or H&M, to see if the problem still exists.

Hi Julian, This video got me up of the sofa and up into the loft to try my 14xx (1401) to see how this factory fitted sound loco would run now I have not run any trains on this layout for a few months as I am building a new end to end layout downstairs were this loco did have some issues but the layout at this stage only had one feed its 8ft x 1.5ft so on the loft one with the same DR5000 controller as you but controlled be iTrains it ran very well smooth at 5mph in both directions and over Hornby standard points as well as curved ones from them as well it did stop once or twice but a clean of the wheels/track sorted it and having taken it of when moving with the sound on there is no stay alive fitted so I think that these locos are a bit like a Friday built car from the 70's everyone wanted to go home so they were not good. All I can say is if a manufactorer sells a sound fitted locomotive I will buy it as if it does not work its there problem and not ours I think you have been very unlucky with your one but it probebly is worth playing with the settings that others have suggested and looking at Peter Dixons Torringdon Road channel it may help as well as trying other decoders. I hope you will in the end get this as you say super model were looks are conserned but could do better on the running side. I did an out of the box video on mine and was very relived it worked after all the bad ones that were about at that time. Cheers Robert.

A lot of locomotives won’t crawl!! I crawl a train VERY rarely. In fact, the only time I crawl a train is when I’m coupling a train to a locomotive.

Sorry Julian for being too long winded. Did to turn-off the BEMF? Bill from W/Australia

Hello Julian... Should be more like three hours in each direction, at least, with everything greased and oiled. Please try Zimo decoders as they are excellent for slow-control movements...check the motor on analogue at very slow speed. Have you checked the pick-up pins/plungers are moving okay..?? I managed to make two good models out of three...the third being returned. Okay, I've had the sound decoder replaced but the icons don't relate to the functions...it is back in 1500 where it was originally. 1500 Sound..1504 (replacement for a faulty 1506..dup;icate) and one 1506 (I had two). All three running fine. Have you tried to email Dan (at the Warranty Dept.) to ask his thoughts..?? I run DCC and Switch-OFF All Anallogue reference or possible operation. You mention cogging of the gearing or possible valve-gear... I would suggest that you remove the motor and roll or have another loco' pull it along. By holding the chassis and moving it physically you should be able to feel for and mis-alignment or gear issues. I'm a big user of Zimo decoders and won't use anything else until advised of a better alternative. At the end of the day it's process of elimination as it's electrical or mechanical...Best of Luck.

It looks like there must be a glitch in the track!! I wonder what the problem is.

DCC Concepts decoders are not good at slow running. Unfortunately there are not many decoder manufacturers as many are rebadged. I have used a Gaugemaster next 18 in a planet industrial loco really impressed.

Silly thought but could it be weight related?

Oh dear, Julian. It's pull your hair out time!

Morning Julian we must be opposites my engine's and trains run great for hours but as soon as I start recording off the come if they don't derail they just stop grr model railways any way you will sort the problem mate. Stephen

Hi Julian, thanks for the video. My factory sound fitted loco does the same on decent down hill. I believe it is down to too much backlash in the gears and mechanism. DJModels J94 do the same. Bad tolerance in the manufacture I am afraid. see DJM J94 & a Stick. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/qdJ9Z6ug3LHFqH0.html regards Steve

It’s just like my small steam locomotives. Small steam locomotive models are nowhere near as good as larger models.

What are KZfaq Playing at... Not showing friendly replies...Nothing but trouble from KZfaq for many, many, months!!

Blimey, what ever happened to model locomotives running well without having to resort to complex electronics to try and keep it going? I admire your efforts all the same but for me, the fault lays with the design and production of the model.

Hmmm! Maybe not bother getting this loco? Definitely don’t want these types of issues.