PROTO GP15-1 Not Working

I just got a second Proto GP15-1 yesterday and it has already stopped working. I don't know what's wrong with it or anything, but it's making me angry.

I got the shell off of it and couldn't find anything out of the ordinary (loose wires) that could be causing this problem. So now I am really stumped and really angry.

Ken S. wrote:I got the shell off of it and couldn't find anything out of the ordinary (loose wires) that could be causing this problem. So now I am really stumped and really angry.

While you had the shell off, did you try turning the drive train to make sure everything was free? Do the lights operate? If the lights work then that eliminates a power pick-up issue.

glennk419 wrote:

Ken S. wrote:I got the shell off of it and couldn't find anything out of the ordinary (loose wires) that could be causing this problem. So now I am really stumped and really angry.

While you had the shell off, did you try turning the drive train to make sure everything was free? Do the lights operate? If the lights work then that eliminates a power pick-up issue.

Nothing works and it's overloading my power pack. I had it coupled to my other Proto GP15-1 which is still working.

Ken S. wrote:

glennk419 wrote:

Ken S. wrote:I got the shell off of it and couldn't find anything out of the ordinary (loose wires) that could be causing this problem. So now I am really stumped and really angry.

While you had the shell off, did you try turning the drive train to make sure everything was free? Do the lights operate? If the lights work then that eliminates a power pick-up issue.

Nothing works and it's overloading my power pack. I had it coupled to my other Proto GP15-1 which is still working.

That definitely sounds like you have a short somewhere. It most likely is a wire that is pinched or somehow grounded to the chassis. Another possible cause, although unlikely, is that the circuit board has a short on it.

I still haven't sent this thing to Walthers to get fixed since they told me it would take about 3-4 months before I heard back from them. Is there a way to swap out shells between the 2 of them so I can have the Conrail one working while the NS one is demotored and slugged to GP40-2 3037 (NS converted the prototype 3037 into a Slug Mother last year)?

2 Questions,
1.did the headlight(s) turn on? if not,possible wiring problem
2.When you pulled the shell off,did you smell any "burnt" odor? if you did,possibly a bad motor from the factory.


Shells and frames from the same model should be interchangable,unless there was a design change between runs at the factory.
Most drives are "clones" of the Atheran drives,pull out the worm gear and drive shafts will "Dummy" the engine.
put those parts in a safe place untill you send the engine back to Walters.
If you can,isolate the motor by removing 1 of the wires to the motor.

Backshophoss wrote:2 Questions,
1.did the headlight(s) turn on? if not,possible wiring problem
2.When you pulled the shell off,did you smell any "burnt" odor? if you did,possibly a bad motor from the factory.


Shells and frames from the same model should be interchangable,unless there was a design change between runs at the factory.
Most drives are "clones" of the Atheran drives,pull out the worm gear and drive shafts will "Dummy" the engine.
put those parts in a safe place untill you send the engine back to Walters.
If you can,isolate the motor by removing 1 of the wires to the motor.

1. No lights at all turned on when it stopped working.
2. No smell coming from the motor.

Have you removed the worm gears from the trucks along with the drive shafts? The wheels in the trucks should be able to
"freewheel" like freight car truck wheels.IF they don't,there maybe a problem with the gears in the truck or "cracked" axle gears.

Now test the motor and see if the motor runs without the "load" of the driveshafts and gears? if the motor runs,
the problem is in the "drivetrain" of the model,if motor doesn't run, motor or circut board is bad.


Do you still have the "exploded view" part sheet that came along with the model? it will show you how all the parts are placed
together.
There have been some defects that were "created" at the factory, when the wheels were pressed into the axle gear,the gear "cracked"
(split)and will not mesh with other gears in the truck.

This is an attempt to "troubleshoot" the reason for the model not running.
let me know what you find out.

Backshophoss wrote:Have you removed the worm gears from the trucks along with the drive shafts? The wheels in the trucks should be able to
"freewheel" like freight car truck wheels.IF they don't,there maybe a problem with the gears in the truck or "cracked" axle gears.

Now test the motor and see if the motor runs without the "load" of the driveshafts and gears? if the motor runs,
the problem is in the "drivetrain" of the model,if motor doesn't run, motor or circut board is bad.


Do you still have the "exploded view" part sheet that came along with the model? it will show you how all the parts are placed
together.
There have been some defects that were "created" at the factory, when the wheels were pressed into the axle gear,the gear "cracked"
(split)and will not mesh with other gears in the truck.

This is an attempt to "troubleshoot" the reason for the model not running.
let me know what you find out.

It ran for about a day then suddenly stopped working.

The fact that it is overloading your power pack indicates that there is a short. This could be in one of the trucks, something in contact with the frame that shouldn't be or possibly the motor. Have you tried disconnecting one of the motor wires to see if the lights then work or if it still trips the circuit breaker? The only way that you are going to figure this out is to start eliminating the different parts of the loco that could be causing the problem. If you can't figure it out, then your best bet is to just bite the bullet and send it back for repair before the warranty runs out.

glennk419 wrote:The fact that it is overloading your power pack indicates that there is a short. This could be in one of the trucks, something in contact with the frame that shouldn't be or possibly the motor. Have you tried disconnecting one of the motor wires to see if the lights then work or if it still trips the circuit breaker? The only way that you are going to figure this out is to start eliminating the different parts of the loco that could be causing the problem. If you can't figure it out, then your best bet is to just bite the bullet and send it back for repair before the warranty runs out.

I have no idea where to begin which is why I'm thinking of swapping shells between the 2 of them and converting the bad one into an unpowered slug. NS sold the prototype 1446 to Larry's Truck & Electric and from there I have no idea where it went.

Glennk419,That was my next thought,however would like to eliminate "mech"(driveline)problems 1st.
Ken S,There should be 2 wires from the circut board to the truck,1wire per side,TAKE a good look at the wires,
if any are missing insulation or broken,that could create a short.the wires are very fine looking and FRAGILE!
Take a good look at the "dummy plug" in the 8-pin DCC socket,there might be a stray wire strand.

6 of the 8 pins will be connected like the letter "L" any stray strand of wire between the "L"s will short out.

IF thats where the problem lies,you will need a new circut board,other parts on the board will be damaged,
along with the motor.

Proto geeps aren't too complex. Have you considered just rebuilding the locomotive? I often find that fixes mystery issues. take photos of where things connect, and try to keep parts assemblies together. Be sure you know how to put it back together.

Once you're confident you can reassemble it, go for it. When you put it all back together, double check all connections as you go, then try running it before you put the shell on.

The Proto drives could be considered "clones" of Athearn drives,the parts are about the same,part for part.
Use "rubbing alcohol" to remove the factory "lube"(grease?) from the gears ,axles,other driveline parts.
Test the motor "unloaded" before putting on the driveshafts to the trucks.
Replace any broken parts as you go,"borrowing" parts from "deadlined" models if possible,some of the parts maybe
stocked at your local hobby shop.