6026W Tender relay problem

[Anonymous]

I recently purchased a nice clean 6026W Tender.
The only problem is that the steel plate on the bottom of the relay will not drop down after I release the whisle control knob. The contacts remain closed and the whisle keeps running. The plate does not appear bent, the contacts are clean, the plate appears to have adaquate clearance side to side. With only slight pressure from my finger the plate drops down as it should and if I move the plate up with my finger to close the contacts it falls back down when I remove my finger.

Thank-you,
Rich S.

[eZAK]

Have you tried contact cleaner?

[lionelsoni]

It can take very little residual magnetism to hold the armature closed. Try creating a very small gap between the armature and the pole piece to keep them from coming completely into contact with each other, by putting a small piece of masking tape between them.

[daan]

Yes Bob, you're right. A piece of masking tape will do the trick. The iron core of the wistle relais can be changed too, or may be lifted up a little..
May be a little spring can help the relais contact move down too.

[Back2Trains]

I have successfully demagnetized them using an audio tape bulk eraser. You do need to remove the relay from the tender to do it this way. Just be sure the bulk eraser operates on AC and puts out an alternating magnetic field. There were some cheap ones out there that operated on batteries.

Jim