# MY USAT GP38 SMOKING!



## cape cod Todd (Jan 3, 2008)

Hello All

I have a haunted 15' long tunnel that has struck again. Usually it waits til the last run of the evening to derail a car or 2 or simply disconnect a few even after dozens of safe successful runs through it before but this time it struck on the first run. My USAT GP 38 was pushing the plow around to push aside any leaves that may have fallen on the track since yesterday. I got into the tunnel and the train stopped cold, backed it out and tried again with no luck. I popped the 2 hatches to check and besides a few leaves nothing was found. The train entered the tunnel again and this time while watching it through the hatch I SAW SMOKE!! coming from both ends of the engine??? I cut the power and pulled the GP out of the tunnel.
I inspected it and put it back on the track. The smokers worked, the lights worked and the engine worked in both directions. No more smoke.

QUESTION what was all the smoke from?? I thought the engine was fried but it seems to be ok?? What could have caused this? 
It wasn't wet and there wasn't any smoke fluid in it and the switch was off til I went to check it after the incident. Should I keep running this engine or take it apart to see what is up? 

Any ideas ???


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## Nicholas Savatgy (Dec 17, 2008)

Run it and see if it happens again.

If not remove the shell and inspect

the boards and wiring to see if water maybe got in on something some how

Also check to make sure your traction tires are still on and not caught between wheel and motor block houseing.


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## cape cod Todd (Jan 3, 2008)

I did run it to see if anything was burned out and it did not smoke up again. I got thinking that smoke from underneath both ends probably means the trouble was inside and not one of the trucks. More evidence was collected tonight. With engine flipped over I applied power to front truck, first the pickup skates then the wheels and skates, nothing happened. I moved to the back truck , same test and both trucks sprang to life with all 8 wheels turning. I think the power pickup for the front truck is what fried. I pulled both bottom covers off the trucks and what I could see looked ok. 
The engine is practicly new the only thing I can think of is it jumped the rail causing a short and instead of popping one of the fuzes in my train engineer it fried the wires at the board from the front truck pickup. I doubt it was wet. 
Looks like I will need to remove the shell for further inspection. 
Thanks.


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## Nicholas Savatgy (Dec 17, 2008)

Todd

Check the wiring from the frt motor block to the main board to see if its ok

You might have over loaded the motor in the frt block some how.

And always install a fuse between the track and the TE

DONT rely on the one in the TE to protect you against shorts.

I use automotive in line blade fuse holders from the auto parts store.


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## cape cod Todd (Jan 3, 2008)

Thanks for the tips. 
My TE has 2 fuses a blade type and older glass round one rated at 10 amp. The 10 amp is rather sensitive and has blown in major derailments before but this one with the GP was minor. 
The wiring from the engine block looks ok from what I can see but I suspect the damage is at the main board. I have not been too succesful in finding a diagram here on the forum or elsewhere that will tell me how to take the shell off the body to have a better look. 
Can anyone direct me to a diagram? 
Todd


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

No pictures, but text description:

*http://www.elmassian.com/trains-mai...-36/gp38-2*

Greg


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## Curmudgeon (Jan 11, 2008)

Track pickup goes to the lighting board. 
Motor feed comes from the lighting board. 
If you're running on-board T/E, you had to have split them apart. 
If you're running track power T/E, you probably took out a pickup wire or track from the front truck at the board. 
Possibly a spring in the truck, but that should not have killed the skates. 
Look at the lighting board carefully. 
Unplug the track pickup plug from front truck (4 wires in tracke end of plug) and feed power into the 2-wire end of that plug, leaving motors connected. 
If it works, problem in truck. 
If it doesn't, remove the board (three screws), unplug everything (make notes on plug orientation, especially lights), inspect tracks. 
You can jumper burned tracks with wires. 
Done it a lot. 
Might be smart to solder in a polyswitch across the break to prevent it from happening again.


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

That's the dragon that has taken up residence in your tunnel. He objects to being disturbed by the train.


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