lionel conrail lionmaster not working with classic transformer

[wahoo4db]

i have an old 125 watt transformer that i use.  it only has 2 buttons, ( whistle and direction).  the whistle button does nothing but rev up the diesel.  i cant get horn, whistle, bell or crew talk to work.  i hate to take that off and put the new cw80 on if i can get it to work.  any ideas thanks

[lionelsoni]

What transformer and how connected to the track?  You may have a bad copper-oxide rectifier.  They are obsolete; but you can get them from train-parts dealers.  Or you can replace it with a modern silicon rectifier (if that is the problem).

[wahoo4db]

its a lw 125 watt lionel transformer.  it is hooked to the track by a lockon.  the whistle button works on my 736 postwar berkshire and blows the tender like a champ.  but the whistle button will not blow my 2008 pennslyvania flyer tender.  go figure. 

[lionelsoni]

Which transformer terminal is connected to which rail?  The transformer blows the whistle by combining some DC voltage with the normal AC track voltage.  Postwar locomotives were insensitive to the polarity of this DC component; but modern locomotives usually are.  If it is a polarity problem, swapping the wires between the transformer and the track may make a difference.

[wahoo4db]

i could try but the funny thing is when i put my postwar berk on the fastrack with a cw80 transformer it wont blow the tender and i have no accesorries on it.  take the berk off and put it on my layout with tube track with my lw 125 and it will blow.  but the fasttrack will blow my pennslyvania flyer tender.  this probally sounds confusing.

[Ole Timer]

If I'm not mistaken you'll never get the tmcc crew talk to work with only a conventional transformer of any type .

[wahoo4db]

i did some digging and found out that the crew talk will work with a conventional transformer.  if you have legacy you will get a lot more options and features that the loco will do but it should still work with just a transformer.  i guess it has to be a new transformer since my lw 125 wont work with it.  i put a new cw80 transformer on it and it does work.  crew talk, bell, horn, power up etc.  i will not get rid of my old transformer bc the new ones wont whistle my old berkshire tender for whatever reason.  i guess i will keep old with old and new with new.  thanks guys for  your input.  by the way this set is awesome