CW-80 North poll Central whistle hookup ?

[Anonymous]

I just bought the Lionel North Pole Central Christmas set and I'm trying to figure out how too get the whistle to work on the train. The instruction book only talks about hooking up the power to the tracks but doesn't give any information on how or if the whistle should work but the box says it has a working whistel and the tender appers to have the whistle speaker in it. The set came with the CW-80 transformer and it has 4 termials on the back. I know this sounds like a simple question but I an unable to get the whistle button the the transformer to work. The set came with an extra wire that with no connectors on the end just sodered.

[MartyE]

The track should hook up off the transformer's track OP.  Be careful to hook the RED terminal or "A" to the center rail of the fast track (red connector) and the Black or "U" to the outside rail (black connector).  At that point the whistle should operate with no additional wiring assuming the voltage is applied to the track.  If these connections are reversed the whistle will not operate.

[Anonymous]

lionelsoni,

Bob, I think Marty is correct. For the whistle/horn button to work correctly, the center rail should be wired to post A, and the outside rail to post U-under-A.

Figure 2 in the Manual ((71-4198-250, page 5) is wrong and contradicts the text above it.  Page 6 shows the wiring for FasTrack as Figure 3.

The text on page 5 and 6 is correct. It is only Figure 2 that is wrong. If you hook it up according to Figure 2, the whistle/horn button will sound the bell (if any) and the bell button will sound the whistle.

Note: post U-under-A and U-under B are not the same, and are not "common" as they are on ZW transformers, for example.

Am I wrong? Anybody?

[wrmcclellan]

Be aware that newly manufactured CW-80's (very recent development) have the red and black terminals wired correctly (as we traditional toy train heads tend to think) where red would go to the center rail and black to the outer rails.

It is unlikely these newer units have made it into sets at this time but it is possible.

Easy way to tell which version you have using an ohm-meter. Test for continuity between the two black or two red terminals. The older units will read a direct short between the two red terminals. Newer units will read a direct short between the two black terminals.

Mike2000 - you did not mention if the Bell button worked. Regardless of which way you hook the CW-80 up, the bell and whistle work with no extra wiring required other than the two wires from the TRACK A and U terminals to the track center and outer rails. If the BELL button makes the whistle work and vice-versa, just reverse the wires on the TRACK terminals of the CW-80 and they should work normally assuming the whistle tender does not have a problem.

[lionelsoni]

You're right, guys.  I had it backwards.  I have deleted my posts, to reduce the confusion.

[Anonymous]

wrmcclellan

Roy,

Very interesting post. May I ask where (how?) you learned of these recent production changes to the CW-80?

Mike2000

I have two of the devilish devices: one dated 0603 and the other 0405. I guarantee that if you hook up post A to the CENTER rail, and post U-under-A, to an OUTSIDE rail, the whistle and bell buttons work properly, everything else being equal -- that is, functioning correctly. Clearly, I cannot speak for any newer models..

But as Roy suggests, all you have to do is to try it both ways and see which one works. If neither works, you have problems with either the whistle, the transformer, or both.

Please let us know your results, and by all means post the manufacturing date from the bottom of the transformer. It would be most welcome to get "closure" on a CW-80 thread for a change.