I purchased a ready to run set about 3 or 4 years ago. When I first set it up everything was great. Wanted to set the train up for Christmas last yearand the locomotive would on go in reverse. I have done everthing, short of taking it to a Profesional, to get this thing going foward.
Does anyone have any suggestions to help me out. I appreciate your time and patience to the newcomers.
Chuck
South Carolina
If you move this question to the Classic Toy Trains forum you'll get a much faster answer. The Model Railroader forum is mostly for HO and N scale users. Lionel people are on the Classic Toy Trains forum.
P.S. -- Weren't there some instructions with the Lionel set that explain how to reverse the direction of travel?
The HO & N Scale Monthly(MR) forum was DEFINITELY the wrong place to go, they let you off easy, this time.
I have the same set, just not easily at hand, at the moment. First check the directional lockout switch, IIRC, it is inside the cab, there are two switches right where the cab floor and the backhead meet . They are small, black and not easy to see, you probably wouldn't notice them unless you were looking for them. Hopefully the switch just got moved, if not the "E" Unit has likely gone bad. I have several of those locomotives and have never had, or heard of an "E" unit going bad, it is not something that is common to these locomotives. That said, If it was Designed by Man, Built by Man and run by Man, it Can/Will eventually Fail.
If the switches aren't in the cab (and I am pretty sure they are) check underneath the cab. It is most likely the switch got moved.
Good Luck,
Doug
May your flanges always stay BETWEEN the rails
I just checked at www.lionel.com and looked up the owners manual for this set (6-30024) and the switches are inside the cab. Looking in from the back the left switch is for the smoke unit, the right switch is for the reverse unit lockout. for both functions, the switch in the left position is ON (what you want for your E unit to reverse) and the right position is OFF (where your right switch, Hopefully is).
Check that right switch, if it is already in the ON position, you may have to have it repaired.
I have the same train set. Got it as a gift a few years back, and the electronic reverse unit is pretty terrible....sometimes it takes hitting the direction button 15 or 20 times for it to finally change directions. It wouldn't really surprise me if there is a problem with the reverse board, which makes me appreciate my locomotives with mechanical e-units (which work every time) even more.
Just Browsing - This is a long shot, but have you tried cleaning your track and the wheels on the locomotive? Poor conductivity can cause things to go weird. GooGone is a popular product for this task.
Good luck.
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