Athearn Challenger gone pop!

[tillsbury]

My Challenger, after running absolutely fine for a few weeks, has developed a short.  Takes the area out as soon as I put it on the track.  Now, I'm sure that Chulvis would happily fix it if I sent it back, but it's a darned long way over there and back... 

Is this a fault anyone's found before?  Is it a tricky thing to take apart for a relative newcomer to dismantling large steam?  Is there something obvious it's likely to be that I might be able to fix fairly easily without resorting to returning it?

Cheers in advance to anyone who knows...

Charles

[UP_Phill]

My Challenger, after running absolutely fine for a few weeks, has developed a short.  Takes the area out as soon as I put it on the track.  Now, I'm sure that Chulvis would happily fix it if I sent it back, but it's a darned long way over there and back... 

Is this a fault anyone's found before?  Is it a tricky thing to take apart for a relative newcomer to dismantling large steam?  Is there something obvious it's likely to be that I might be able to fix fairly easily without resorting to returning it?

Cheers in advance to anyone who knows...

Charles

A few things to check....

Place the loco on track with the tender isolated, see if the short occurs

Place the tender on the track with the loco isolated and check same.

I'm thinking that if it's in the tender that the decoder may have shifted or one of the wires may be loose.

Anyway try the above and get back to me.

[tillsbury]

I knew that would happen...    Ok, since I'm completely dumb, how exactly would I best isolate the tender?  Something pops off and there's a plug somewhere?  Words of one syllable please...   ;D

Charles

[UP_Phill]

I knew that would happen...    Ok, since I'm completely dumb, how exactly would I best isolate the tender?  Something pops off and there's a plug somewhere?  Words of one syllable please...   ;D

Charles

Just place a piece of paper under the tender wheels or just hold it off the rails. Do the same for the loco.

[tillsbury]

Oh sorry, yes I've done that.  All the wheels are electrically connected still, so touching any pair shorts the track (except the leading truck of course).  The back wheels of the tender or the front drivers both short out.

[UP_Phill]

Oh sorry, yes I've done that.  All the wheels are electrically connected still, so touching any pair shorts the track (except the leading truck of course).  The back wheels of the tender or the front drivers both short out.

How good are you at pulling things apart??

[UP_Phill]

Oh sorry, yes I've done that.  All the wheels are electrically connected still, so touching any pair shorts the track (except the leading truck of course).  The back wheels of the tender or the front drivers both short out.

This is prob a simple fix but I think if you want to go further your going to have to get into the bowls of the loco. If you like send it to me and I'll have a good look see.  The turn around would be quicker. If it turns out to be un-fixable I'll ship it off to Chuck for you? I do have a spare MRC decoder as well.