Whistle on Lionel 8050-T or 8204T-30 tender?

[kgstones]

I'm trying to help a friend who has a Lionel 8204 4-4-2 locomotive with  8050-T on the tender shell and 8204T-30 inside the tender.  There's a circuit board and speaker inside the tender.  There's a single wire that connects to the engine.  He claims it has a whistle but there is no whistle box on it.

When power is supplied to the tender it buzzes.   When pulled behind the engine with the wires connected all it does is buzz.  I'm thinking there should be the locomotive chugging sound but I don't think this tender has a whistle unless it's part of the circuit board capability.  Nothing happens when the whistle button is pushed on the transformer.

I'm thinking the circuit board is shot.  However, does anyone know exactly what this tender should do as far as sound is concerned - loco sound and/or whistle?

If it's the circuit board, where can we get a replacement and is the 8204T-30 the circuit board ID?

Any info is greatly appreciated.

Thank you

[rtraincollector]

call jeff at the train tender www.ttender.com phone number on opening page and he will be able to get you the parts and tell you wheather it whistles or just chugs

[SantaFe158]

I'm guessing what he has is a locomotive with the "Mighty sounds of steam" sound system.  It just had chugging (if you can call it that, it was all right for it's time), no whistle.  I wouldn't run it too much how it is though, the foam tape used to hold the circuit board in place breaks down over the years and allows the solder connections on the board to contact the metal frame which shorts and possibly ruins the board.  I'd try replacing the foam double-sided tape and try again, if it still doesn't work you'll probably need a new board (if you can find one, its probably not even worth replacing the sound board)

[gunrunnerjohn]

It's the steam sounds board, I just fixed one of these for a guy.  You can test the board by simply connecting it to track voltage, there should be a common connected to the frame or trucks of the tender that completes the circuit.

 

[Train-O]

rtraincollector, SantaFe158 and gunrunnerjohn,

All are right on track.

I have one and the "Mighty Sound of Steam" just hissed on mine and I had to get it replaced, now it chugs.

Ralph

[kgstones]

Thanks to everyone for their input.  As suggested by rtraincollector, I contacted Jeff at ttender.com and ended up sending him a few photos of the circuit board along with the numbers on the board.  He gave me the part number of the board he thinks should replace it and has several used ones but can not guaranty that they work.  However, what I found interesting is he said the board should not only have sound of steam but also a whistle sound.  Does anyone have or has anyone heard of a circuit board for these older engines/tenders that actually have both.  I've never heard before that there is such a thing.  I have always thought that the only whistle sound came from a whistle box - fan and reed.

I also am aware of the foam that is used to back the board as it was suggested in an older thread to replace it.  I have an tender in which I replaced the foam with a piece of cardboard and the system works just fine.  In fact, I tested my friends 8204 engine by pulling my tender with it and it produces the sound of steam just fine and then I pulled the questionable tender with my engine and the same buzz happens so I'm pretty convinced the circuit board is shot.

Again, thanks to all that have helped me with this.

Mickey

[Train-O]

Mickey,

My C&O steam unit, as advertised, has only the "MIghty Sound of Steam."
There was no mention of a 'Whistle', when bought.

It may be possible the sound circuit board contains a whistle module, I never tried to see if it has a whistle, because the advertisement did not mention a whistle. 
It may be possible a more expensive engine may have a whistle controller. and contains the same sound board unit, having a whistle.  I don't know for sure.

Now, I'll have to dig my engine out and find out about a 'Whistle.'

For sure, Jeff, of "The Train Tender," knows his stuff.

Ralph

[sir james I]

Early MPC Lionel DID make some board's with whistles but the whistle control button supplied with them was of a poor design and often burned out. SO Lionel went back to SOS only till they got better boards and the 6-5906 whistle controller.

[Train-O]

sir james I,

Thank you for your info.

You saved me the trouble of having to dig out my C&O engine, to see if it has a whistle. 
My engine, as advertised only said; "The Mighty Sound of Steam" and "Smoke," but Lionel made a #6-1184--"Allegheny  Steam Freight" set, which had the same engine with "The Mighty Sound of Steam" and "Smoke," but---MAYBE---this engine had a 'Whistle??!!!!'

 

http://www.grahamstrains.com/store/product.php?productid=1049&cat=31&page=1

 

Ralph

[sir james I]

Actually some of the C & O engines had SOS and whistle. Most did not. The whistle sounded pretty good but it was the button that killed the deal. They are easy to spot, looks like a 5906(black) but were made with red plastic. Don't buy a red one.

[kgstones]

Thanks to all for contributing to this thread.  It sounds like there was such a thing as a board that provided the whistle sound.  I'm going to ask Jeff at ttenders.com to at least test the boards he has for the whistle sound.  It should be easy, hook up the power and a speaker and try the whistle button.  If that works then the boards should be OK.

Funny you mentioned the whistle button not being very good.  That's exactly what my friend has, a separate button besides the small transformer.  He says it never worked very good.

Thanks again,
Mickey

[Lionelking313]

This circuit board DOES NOT have a whistle. Just the steam sounds.

Mark

[gunrunnerjohn]

You can add a whistle board to that set, but as stated, that board doesn't have a whistle.

[nickaix]

Will the early MPC whistle boards work with the newer sound activation button and/or postwar whistle controller? Or did they use some different technology that was abandoned when the faulty button was?

[gunrunnerjohn]

The sound activation board should handle any electronic whistle, and most likely even the mechanical ones. 

[kgstones]

Thanks again for everyone's input.  Jeff at ttender.com tested both of the used boards he has and only one provided (worked) the SOS function.  The other one didn't work.  Neither board seemed to have the whistle function.

Now that I know a board with both the SOS and whistle functions exist I'd like to find a couple.  Does anyone have the model number or specific ID of that circuit board?  I'm wondering also if there are any new ones available or if all that's available are used ones.

What would be super is if I could find a Santa Fe tender with an SOS and whistle circuit board.  Anyone know if such a tender exists?  I'm not prototype fussy.  I'd like to find a Santa Fe steam engine to pull a string of MTH aluminum Santa Fe 60 foot passenger cars.

Thanks again,
Mickey