guys I have a problem and couldn't find the answer using search. I have an RW, and the whistle works if you push the button half-way down, but of course the train sags badly. When you push it all the way down you get the voltage boost, but the whistle stops working. I took it apart and cleaned the contacts real good with contact cleaner and the slider seems to have plenty of tension on the contacts. Am I looking at an issue with the rectifier? Thanks,
Eric
It could be a bad rectifier (high forward resistance). But check to be sure that someone hasn't bypassed the resistor that is meant to shunt the rectifier in the last position, or replaced it with too low a value. It is also possible that the whistle relay is not as sensitive as it should be. Do you have another locomotive that you can compare?
Bob Nelson
I tried another couple engines with the same result. This RW has been in a box for a while and it was like this the last time I used it. I've been running DCS for some time and this week I put a DPDT switch in so I can throw some levers from time to time. The conventional mode of DCS works fine and the horns/whistles all worked fine, I guess I was feeling a bit nostalgic.
It sounds like the rectifier is bad or weak. You can replace it with a modern diode and the whistle should work reliably after that. Also try this- as you push down on the whistle button try pushing it to the right on the way down. Sometimes the mechanism gets bent or worn and makes poor contact. If that doesn't make it blow then you need a diode.
Roger
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