Lionel steam chuff rate

[Anonymous]

I recently purchased a Lionel 4-6-0 "ten-wheeler". This is my first Lionel steam. (I have two diesels that have excellent sound.) I also have several MTH steaners. I'm impressed with the quality of "Rail Sounds" that comes with this model but am perplexed that I can't change the chuff rate as I do on MTH models. Is there any way to do this? I get only one chuff per full rotation of a wheel rather than the prototypical 4 chuffs. It spoils what otherwise is a most realistic portrayal of a steam engine running. This is only my second questio on the forum. Last time I received excellent advice.

[Anonymous]

There is no way to alter the chuff rate on Lionel models. But if I'm wrong, I'm sure someone will come forward. Welcome to the forum!

[#welcome] [#welcome] [#welcome] [#welcome] [#welcome] [#welcome] [#welcome]

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the reply. I'm disappointed. I wonder if anyone out there knows exactly how the electronics of this engine work the chuff. I did find something on the site about small magnets and some type of switch that was used to increse the chuff but the explanation was beyond the "basically-mechanical" me.

[spankybird]

This may not be much help as it seams that there is no way to program the change but you can make changes with the desing. Please read this thread on it.

http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=15873

tom

[daan]

You have to find the switch witch triggers the chuff. It can be a microswitch or something which works on a magnet. Then simply add magnets or bumps for the microswitch to trigger extra chuffs.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the suggestions. I have located the switch. It is operated by a protrusion on the right side drive rod that trips a lever which in turn trips a switch as the drive rod comes forward - hence only one chuff per wheel revolution. I'm hoping to utilize the "reed switch" and magnet setup that I read about in the reference above, but don't know where to buy such a thing. I'll have to do research but I won't give up until I have a prototypical chuff. I'll post my success or failure here and meanwhile will swear off any further purchase of Lionel steam. Lionel doesn't deseve the reputation it once had.

[ben10ben]

You can get the rare earth magnets from Radio Shack in packages of two for about $2.50. Radio Shack does not currently carry a reed switch, but shop around and you may be able to find one as old stock in a store.

You can also get a kit that contains a reed switch and either 2 or 4(not sure which) rare earth magnets from Digital Dynamics( www.digitdynam.com ). It's listed as a "magnetic chuff activator kit" on their price list.

[Anonymous]

Thanks ben10ben. I already found the magnets at RadioShack and have cemented them with contact cement to the inside of a rear wheel. I was installing a reed switch (the only one I could find in the area) and I broke it. Now to wait, wait , wait. I ordered some over the internet and should have then soon. I can't wait to see if this all works. Tracing the leads from the chuff switch was quite a deal as they were bundled with several othe black wires, but by tugging back and forth I found the plug where they "entered the system" and now all I need do is rig up the reed switch to my new circuit. I'll try the reference you gave for the kit if my assembly proves unsatisfactory. More to follow.[:)]

[Anonymous]

At last the job is done! I wrecked three of the reed switches before I finally alligned one properly so that I could get the four prototypical chuffs. I found out that the switch (actually a small sealed glass tube with two reed-like wires that are brought tobether by a magnet passing thus closing a circuit - for those who have never worked with one) had to be alligned so that the four magnets (RadioShack rare earth 1/4") would cross the switch crosswise rather than along its length. Crossing along the lenth had given me double switching and too many chuffs. This took quite a bit of experimenting and frustration but the result is worth it. I still can't believe that a $600 engine would not carry a programmable chuff. I hope Lionel gets its act together before the competition swallows it up. I must say that the Railsounds are superior to any of the MTH steam locos I have and with the four chuffs per rotation it's about as realistic as you'll get , I guess. Many thanks to all who advised me.