MTH loco is smoken hot ! Danger Will Robinson Danger

[RRaddict]

This is something I just found out the hard way.  If you have a ZW PW transformer and want to add the bell button becareful when hooking it up. I had a strange situation.  I had a new proto 1 premiere locomotive that for some unknown reason wouldn't work with my Z 1000 MTH transformer.  I took it to the MTH technician and tried it on two new  Z1000 but no luck, he then hooked up a Z 4000 it ran great.  He hooked up the Z 1000 again and no dice.  I thought well the ZW and 4000 look a like so I got home hooked my ZW up and bingo it ran with with no problem except no bell button to activate Proto 1 sounds.  I hooked the bell button up and the Horn button activated the horn and so did the bell button so I switched the wires around like they tell you in the bell button manual.  I got a nice puff of smoke and burning smell. I immediated took it off the track let the smoke go away and removed the bell button and reconnected.  The sound was garbled and low but it did run in forward and reverse so I guess that's good.  My question is what can I do now? Can I remove the soundboard and still run it or do I need to send it back to MTH to make sure everything is not fried?

[KRM]

WOW Kevin, sounds like it was a bad day at Flat Rock.

Better send it back

 I too have been looking at getting a new transformer but the Z4000 is costy.

I only have 3 newer engines A docksider, Plymouth switcher and NS from 1992. Everything else is PW so I may go with the ZW

Kev.

[phillyreading]

If you bought it directly from MTH you might be able to send it back. Otherwise the warrenty is probally way out of date! Just bight the bullet and replace the burned up parts with new ones, sorry Charlie, but that's the way your ball is going to bounce.