Lionel sound activation button

[trainlivebob]

I have a Lionel 6-5906 button I am adding to a PW KW transformer to get the bell sounds on a few engines. 

I cant get it to work.  nothing. The  KW whistle handle works as normal.   I reversed the wires just to make sure it was the right polarity of 5V shift.  Still no response.

So just to check, I put it on my work bench test track.  About 3 foot of track with a lionel 1033 transformer clipped on to it.  It works for at least 2 of my engines that I tested.  So I have no idea why it works there but on my layout I get nothing.

Any ideas?

Thanks. Bob

[ADCX Rob]

ALL of your center rail power for that loop MUST go through the 5906 for it to work, and connected to Lockon clip 1 / center rail. All of your track feeds have to be connected after the 5906 or it will simply be ignored.

[trainlivebob]

Thanks Rob. 
that explains it. But I really don't want to collect all my many drops and put it through the one little box and then use a clip. 

I have the activation button connected right at the transformer which then goes to a bus line to feed all the drops for my track.  So this doesn't work I guess. 
Any ideas besides this activation button to here the whistles?    I saw on the internet where you can build your own but that probably won't work either. 

[ADCX Rob]

trainlivebob

...I really don't want to collect all my many drops and put it through the one little box and then use a clip. 

I have the activation button connected right at the transformer which then goes to a bus line to feed all the drops for my track...

You don't need a clip... as stated above,  clip 1 OR center rail, so you can make that connection at the transformer to your bus which feeds the center rails of that loop. One 5906 controller per loop / power district is required to access the bell function.

[trainlivebob]

ADCX Rob

ok I think I understand  

the activation button is feeding my main bus line  it's between the transformer and the bus strip  so it is feeding my whole loop that's isolated from the rest of the layout  

so I don't know why it's not working 

neither is my k-line box   It works the bell but when placing the switch in "other" it shorts out the circuit  

 

 

 

trainlivebob

...I really don't want to collect all my many drops and put it through the one little box and then use a clip. 

I have the activation button connected right at the transformer which then goes to a bus line to feed all the drops for my track...

 

 

 

You don't need a clip... as stated above,  clip 1 OR center rail, so you can make that connection at the transformer to your bus which feeds the center rails of that loop. One 5906 controller per loop / power district is required to access the bell function.

 

 

[ADCX Rob]

trainlivebob

...the activation button is feeding my main bus line it's between the transformer and the bus strip so it is feeding my whole loop that's isolated from the rest of the layout so I don't know why it's not working...

There is an errant /stray wire running around the switch to your bus or track.

trainlivebob

...neither is my k-line box It works the bell but when placing the switch in "other" it shorts out the circuit

K-Line made a few different sound buttons, some with the same catalog number. There shouldn't be a short, though, in changing the polarity unless it is a four-wire / four post model you are using on a common ground layout, then shorting is normal. You are swapping the ground and power leads.  To fix this, the loop with the K-Line controller must be completely isolated from the rest of the layout - no track touching, no connected crossovers or track switches, no common ground connections to any other part of the layout.

[trainlivebob]

OK, thanks Rob

That give me an idea.  I have 1122 027 switches that have been converted to transformer power and also feed the track.  this may be the problem.

i will hook up the boxes to a stand alone loop with no switches and see if it works.

[trainlivebob]

I tried it on a single stand alone track and it worked.

Then I put it on the main tracks with the switches and put the power leads to those switches on the activation box.

Everything worked as it was suppose to.

Thanks Rob for the lead.  All this time I thought the box wasnt working.

Bob

[ADCX Rob]

trainlivebob

Everything worked as it was suppose to.

Terrific!