Another Question on the 2025

[Anonymous]

Thanks Jim for the pictures. Now I think I understand what I need to do. I'm Still new to the O guage stuff. I've done HO, N, G, and last year I started putting together some O guage with items from my dad's childhood. Unfortunately he loaned most of his stuff to a neighbor who passed away and now someone in their family has most of his things. I've tracked everyone down to try and find the missing items but with the long span of time no one knows who has it. Last year I dug out his tender and everyone on this site has been helpful enough to give me a list of engines that went with it. I remembered the 2025 at the nighbors house so I went on ebay last year to buy one to match it. I still have my dads 60 Trolley and 50 gang car, the ice house and fruit car. I purchased a New York Central Flyer set to get started. My dad still can't believe he loaned everything to the neighbor. Hopefully if I can get my digital camera to work I will post my first O guage Christmas Layout on the Sunday Photo fun pictures this week. Thanks again for all the help from everyone.
Rich

[fwright]

Power is not the issue with the CW-80. It's design does not necessarily zero the voltage when using the direction control. One workaround I have heard of is to install a small load - a lighted lockon or similar on the track terminals. Some E-units cycle at higher voltages than others, which is why one worked and the other didn't.

The whistle problem on an older transformer is usually caused by a rectifier going bad. It can be replaced with diodes fairly inexpensively.

A search through the forum for CW-80 and/or transformer whistles will give more details.

yours in transforming
Fred

[Anonymous]

It is running ok now with the cw-80 with an e-unit out of a 2035 - go figure. Thanks for the reply, it makes much more sense to me now. Only reason I have the cw-80 is to power my christmas layout while I get around to having the older transformer reconditioned do to the whistle function having "issues."

thanks again!

[1688torpedo]

Hello Mantronik! The short answer to your question is that today's modern power supplies put out a much lower current than the Pre-Post-war Transformers of yesteryear.The reason for this is that Can Motors and Electronics do not require as much current as the older A.C. Motors and Mechanical E-Units did. As a result, If you use a modern tranformer with a 50 year old engine, Most likely there will not be enough current to power it at all.The best rule of thumb is to use the Old Z.W.,Z,KW,R & other such Tranformers with the Trains that were manufactured at the same time they were.And to use the newer power supplies with todays trains.

[Anonymous]

ok, I got one : what would make an e-unit function perfectly while running on an old trainmaster transformer (110RW is one and I had another 80watt one as well) and not function properly on a new cw-80?

by "functioning" I mean cycle properly and remain in position and not "chatter" as the train runs?

[Jim Duda]

One of the contact fingers on mine was burned through - I'm not the surgeon that Bob is so I took the easy way out and put a COMPLETE NEW UNIT in mine. Wires on the new one are color coded so it's a piece o' pie to install it. Hardly any buzzing and it never "misses a shift!"

I think a complete new unit runs about $25 or so...I ordered mine from Jeff Kane, The Train Tender - [e-mail]

(click to enlarge)

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the info. I might wait until after Christmas to try and make that repair.

[lionelsoni]

If you once get it going forward, then stop and change the switch to the other position. That should keep it in forward.

Your problem is with the e-unit ("the transmission"). It has a pawl that is pulled up by a solenoid every time you start the locomotive, to rotate a plastic drum in the bottom of the e-unit that rewires the motor for the next move. The switch simply shuts off the solenoid so that it can't turn the drum.

The teeth on the drum over the years will develop notches at the ***es (c.r.o.t.c.h.e.s) where the pawl digs in while pulling up. The notch then snags the pawl and won't let it fall freely when you stop the locomotive. You can cure this by replacing the drum, which is very tricky to do. Or you can try to smooth out the notches by shaving the top of each tooth flat, most easily with a sharp narrow wood chisel. You will probably want to remove the e-unit from the locomotive to get at the drum more easily. Whatever you do, don't bend the fragile contact fingers.

Many believe that this problem is caused by a magnetized e-unit. Yet those of us who run our trains on DC have no more of a problem with it than anyone else. It is possible that the problem with yours is something else, like dirt or grease in the mechanism; but, considering the locomotive's age, I would bet on notches.

[Anonymous]

Got motor oiled - Had to diassemble engine to find where the motor shaft was. It's running smooth and quiet now. I seem to have another problem. The transmission seems to be sticking. Sometimes it cycles from forward to neutral to reverse normally sometimes it sticks. If you wait a while you will hear the click then it will change. It seems like a relay is sticking. I'm not sure which way the switch should be thrown on the engine - If I could lock it in forward that would be fine. I currently have the track wired on a 1033 transformer posts U and A. I tried U and B it only slowed the train down. I appriciate any help.

Thanks again
Rich