Lionel Penn Flyer 565 Headlamp

[Old Jimbo]

So last year for Christmas, I got the kids their own set.  It was the Lionel RTR Penn Flyer with engine #565.  I was amazed by the detail compared to all my MPC era trains.  But as time went on, I am not so amazed by things like cranking up the transformer to breakneck speed to get it to smoke and the click click click noise it makes in forward.  I've worked on all my MPC trains and I love how you can take them apart and change the brushes and lube and oil and change light bulbs, etc.  Which gets me to the light bulb on the 565.  It went out with 2 hours of cumulative run time, if that.  I read the manual and it said to leave it to the professionals.  And btw, it's an LED so it should never go out, etc.  It's kind of difficult for me to bring an engine in to change a lightbulb when I changed quite a few on my other engines.  I'm fairly decent with soldering also.  But before I start taking this thing apart, has anyone else had issues with the new Lionel headlamps?  Is there an easy fix?  It is weird that the LED would go out.  I thought those things were supposed to last forever.  Also, there's a light on the tender that never worked, but I always thought that was for decoration only.  Is that supposed to light also?

Thanks so much in advance.  I thought this would be easy to find on the web, but googling "replace light on Lionel Penn Flyer 565" came up with nothing.

Thanks!  Jim

[lionelsoni]

You're right that it should never have had to be replaced.  It may be a defective part; or the circuitry upstream of it may be the culprit, either defective itself or poorly designed.  A problem with just replacing it (even if you can find out the part number) is that circuitry between the LED and the track.  Unlike an incandescent lamp, you can't just connect an LED to a voltage source, AC or DC.  The source has to regulate the LED's forward current and prevent any significant reverse voltage.  Lacking specific details about the LED and the circuit, it's really an engineering job to fix the thing.

[TrainLarry]

Here is the parts list for the engine. Your problem may be a bad LED, or a bad E-unit circuit board that powers the LED.

The tender does not seem to have an operating light installed.

Larry

[brianel027]

Jim, I run nothing of what you would call "high end" locomotives. Everything is starter set kinds of engines. I've tried all the different brands of smoke fluid, and find the Lionel Premium smoke fluid a true improvement.

The difference in smoke output between the regular fluid and the premium fluid, (with the non-fan based, puffer-types of smoke units) is worth the extra cost. Give it a try.

[Old Jimbo]

Thanks, guys, so much.  Funny how a grown man gets upset about smoke and lights...  My kids aren't taking it half as bad!

So it's an engineering issue.  I was afraid of that.  I didn't even know there was a board in there!  Thanks, Larry, for the exploded view.  I'm turning into my dad when he would complain about the switch from carburetors to fuel injectors.  Yeah, the technology is better, but when it's broken, you can't fix it.

So has anyone tried this repair?  Or should I just live with it?  Anyone have experience sending the train into Lionel?  Wonder what the cost would be to fix it, and if it would even be worth it.

Brian, thanks for the tip about the smoke fluid.  I tried every EXCEPT the premium (JTT smoke, MTH, Lionel Smoke).  I will definitely get the premium!

Thanks again, guys!

Jim

[lionelsoni]

Since Larry was able to find the parts list, you could try replacing the LED itself.  Here is where I get the imitation-incandescent LEDs that I use:

http://www.richmondcontrols.com/WhiteLED.html

If you do replace the LED, be sure to note the polarity.  There should be a flat on the otherwise circular base of the part whose orientation you should match with the replacement.  (One lead is also shorter than the other, but the leads will have been cut on the one in your locomotive.)

[Old Jimbo]

Thanks, Bob, for the info.  I've never done anything with LED before, so I'll probably check back with you guys in a couple weeks when I could roll up my sleeves and see what's going on in there.  Looking forward to things calming down a bit so I could get that light going again.  Thanks!

Jim