K-Line Transformer

[Anonymous]

 

Sent similar post to friends & one of the magazine forums but so far haven't met with success,but then I am experiencing old-timers.......

Ok,here goes I'm relatively new to toy trains 40+ years,need help! Have K-Line Power chief 120V varible voltage transformer here's my dilemma:

Regardless of power hookup situation (phasing etc.) erratic behavior will take command at some juncture. Train runs fine at all speeds secondary controls whistle,bell and direction buttons respond properly WHAM HERE COMES THE BANSHEE. .Without warning engine launches at full throttle.

Some of the preventive measures taken; reverse polarity,operate motive power on segregated section of track and run other engines same results.

I also have K-Lines 120VAC model to my knowledge identical to aforementioned unit minus the fixed voltage output capability. Unit operates flawlessly.

Do have many Lionel transformers but for current project the K-Line models are the preferred choice.

Hopefully I've just overlooked something,can't afford dumping bucks realizing K-Lines situation what a shame only company truly serving all factions of our hobby is gone.

 Anybody got a schematic ? 

 

 

[brianel027]

Can't help you on the Power Chief K-Line transformer. But I hardly feel sorry for K-Line because they helped bring the situation on themselves. For one thing, they didn't not serve all factions of the market, as towards the end they forgot about the customers that got them started in the first place.

Secondly they were caught stealing Lionel engineering information. And then when an agreement had been worked out that allowed them to still remain in business, they foolishly posted another entirely different take on the agreement, stating they had reached a shared technology agreement with Lionel.

The millions in debt they owed Sanda Kan was not over the early products that got K-Line started... it was over the scale high end products offered later that involved so much new tooling investment. Matter oif fact, K-Line's founder told me what I already knew, that more profit was made on the older 027 types of trains K-Line offered than on the newer ones that everyone raves about.

Seems funny to me, that a hobby base that seems to be so intelligent cannot understand the millions of dollars it takes to bring all these new scale detailed products that they are crying for to market.

[Anonymous]

Appreciate your response think I have resolved the problem with a little reverse engineering...........

I am in agreement with the majority of your comments particularly those relating to Sanda Kan.My intent was to profile the energy  and direction K-Line impacted on the industry.

Maurys' comments pertaining to profits made from older 027 tooling are amusing due to the Marx parentage

We would not have the choices today had companies such as Williams,MTH,Lionel etc. pursued normal channels of commerce,but some operate smarter than others ,that's what makes private enterprise challenging. 

Again thanks