Last night when I was running trains all of a sudden my RW started to smoke and smoke a lot but the trains never stopped running. Well I shut everything down and after the smoke cleared I tried it again and everything seems to work and no more smoke. I took off the cover this morning thinking I would find a shorted wire or some bad insulation that could be the cause but nothing everything looks fine. I have noticed the whistle button is sort of erratic but it still speeds up the engines and sound the whistle. It does not work every time but it did that ever since I started using this RW last year. The thing stinks to high heaven of brunt wire when I removed the cover but like I said I see nothing burnt.
What do you think is the problem? Should I stop using it? I am stumped.
Thanks,
Kev.
Joined 1-21-2011 TCA 13-68614
Kev, From The North Bluff Above Marseilles IL.
The fact that you didn't notice any difference in function when the smoke event happened suggests to me that there was no short-circuit event, but rather that the circuit breaker failed to protect an overloaded transformer. If you were literally running trains (more than one), that may also be significant, since the RW is meant to supply only about 70 watts through a 5- or 6-ampere circuit breaker. I would look into the possibility that the circuit breaker is out of calibration or not working at all. Even if it trips on a short circuit, it can still be bad if it won't trip at its rated current.
Bob Nelson
Bob,
I was running one train with dual pulmore motors a 1992 6-18207 Dash 8
I was not running two trains. Sorry. I am using post B & U 6-15 volts.
I have been running it today with the cover off and I forced a short and the light comes on and you can hear the breaker clicking on and off. I hooked up the voltmeter and it will trip at 6.36 volts. Takes a moment but it will trip. At 12 volts it trips right away. Volt readings are low of 6.36 high of 15.86
It should trip at 5 or 6 amperes. Tripping with a short circuit means only that the breaker responds to a high but otherwise unknown overcurrent. That's good, but says little about the circuit breaker's calibration.
I have no way to check Amperes. So out of luck there. I have noticed that some of my horns will not blow now but others will for instance my new RMT bang will not sound but my railSounds box cars do.
Guess I will start looking for something else to use.
The whistle diode is an easy swap out. Maybe have a transformer guy check the RW out.
Roger
This may be a problem with the primary winding which is not very visible in the Lionel transformers that I have worked on. If it stinks, I would assume there is a serious problem
servoguy This may be a problem with the primary winding which is not very visible in the Lionel transformers that I have worked on. If it stinks, I would assume there is a serious problem
servoguy
OH it stinks all right, but the killer is it still works and has not smoked yet today but I have not used it much
I am thinking it is toast and it is not worth an expensive repair.
l would have lt looked at just for piece of mind. l bought an RW last summer for under the tree platform. like lt alot.
Dave
It's a TOY, A child's PLAYTHING!!! (Woody from Toy Story)
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