Electric train set not working - even though the light is on My son just received an old LEGO 9V electric train (no model numbers or instructions) from a family member. 

I've set it up and turned it on. It lights up but when I put one of the trains or just the train motor (refer to image below) on the tracks nothing happens. 

I've connected the Train Speed Regulator to the power adapter and turned it on, then connected (to the top of the speed regulator) the extension wire with the train track clip things to each side of the tracks - refer below. 

Is this the correct way to set it up?



And set up the track in the smallest possible loop for testing:



If anyone has any suggestions or solutions on how to make this work or the correct way to set it up it would be greatly appreciated!
The speed regulator light being on is a good start. It looks like you have things set up correctly as far as I can tell.

The first step is to identify which part is having issues. All of these parts can be purchased on Bricklink, so once you know what has failed, you can replace the defective part.

Here are some ideas for testing components:


If you have a 9V light brick or similar, you can attach it directly to the speed regulator to see if that is delivering power.
It's fairly easy to test if power is getting to the track if you have a volt meter handy. You can simply measure the voltage between the tracks when you have the regulator turned all the way up. If this reads around 9 volts, then everything is working except the train motor.
You can test the motor by connecting one pole of a 9V battery to one side of the wheels and one side of the battery to the other. You'll need to use a paper clip or something to bridge the gap. If the motor spins, you know that it isn't the issue.
You can also directly power the track using a 9V battery. You just need one pole on one rail and one on the other. You can make the connection using a small wire, paper clip, or whatever you have handy.


If any of that doesn't make sense, let me know and I can add more detail and/or pictures. Let us know what works and then we can go from there.