TMCC Culvert Loader problem

[garysh]

My TMCC Culvert Loader blinks continuously and the light in the house keeps flickering. It should only blink when a car is in front of it and ready to receive culverts. Any ideas on how to fix this? Please email me at [e-mail]. Thanks, Gary

[wrmcclellan]

garysh,

Welcome to the CTT forum!

We had one of these sets on our club layout which is now disassembled and the set went back to its owner. 

As you are likely aware, this accessory uses an optical sensor to detect a car in place. That is when the warning lights flash and the control room light turns on. The warning lights flashing is normal. It may be that the device that flashes the red warning lights is affecting the control room light. Does the control room light flicker alternately with the warning lights? If so there is not much you can do about this. Does the warning room light flicker erratically? Check to see that the bulb is secure in its socket. The action of the accessory running may be vibrating the bulb if it is loose.

You did not say the blicking and flickering is affecting the accessory operation.

Regardless, you may wish to call Lionel service and ask them a few questions.

• Phone:[phone]
• Technical Services repair techs are available Wednesday - Friday from 10 am to 5 pm. ET at ext. 9106 to answer technical repair questions concerning specific product requiring service.

 

[garysh]

Roy,

 Thanks again.  I guess I didn't make it clear that the warning lights that should go on and blink when a gondolla car is in front of the unit, blink all the time, even when no car is breaking the sensor beam.  The flickering of the control room light is not alternating with the warning lights. The control room light goes on and off all the time too.  I cannot find a way to remove the roof from the control room to check the bulb. The accessory works fine but will also work when no car is in front of it.

Gary 

 

 

 

[wrmcclellan]

Gary,

Could be the sensor is no longer working - ie the IR LED transmitter or receiver detector is dead or blocked and the unit thinks there is a car in place. I went and found the manual on Lionel's web site and it unfortunately says the lamp in the house is not easily accessable (service station repair).

Question  - does the light in the house blink regularly or erratically? If regular I speculate it may be associated with the blinking red light sequence - except instead of staying on it is resetting.

As I said yesterday - try giving the Lionel techs a call.