question on Lionel Starter Set Steam engines

[msacco]

Several years ago i bought my brother the Pennsy Flyer set. He had the eunit replaced a few years back under warranty but It's acting up again.

   I can easily fix a traditional eunit but what's to be done with these. I just checked Dallee site and these boards go for almost 50 bucks. Is it worth replacing these boards on such a low end engine.

  According to my brother the engine runs for a while but will just slip into neutral for no reason.

 thanks,

Mike S.

[1688torpedo]

 Hello Mike!   You can bypass the e-unit & just wire the Motor to use a D.C. Transformer if you feel that a new e-unit is not worth the cost or maybe you can find a 2034 Motor which will fit into your Brother's Engine & it will run for you with no problem as it is a Pullmore Style Motor from 1952. Try Jeff Kane at the Train Tender Website & he may have a complete motor for you at a reasonable cost also. Take Care.

[jefelectric]

Several years ago i bought my brother the Pennsy Flyer set. He had the eunit replaced a few years back under warranty but It's acting up again.

   I can easily fix a traditional eunit but what's to be done with these. I just checked Dallee site and these boards go for almost 50 bucks. Is it worth replacing these boards on such a low end engine.

  According to my brother the engine runs for a while but will just slip into neutral for no reason.

 thanks,

Mike S.

Mike,  I've got a Lionel electronic E unit on my shelf that came out of a Trainmaster that I converted to TMCC.  You are welcome to it if you want to give it a try.  If you want it send me an email with your address.

[prewardude]

I have one of these engines that does the same thing - but only when being powered by modern transformers that use a "chopped" sine wave. When powered using a postwar Lionel 1033 (or any other pure sine wave transformer), it runs fine. So... you might want to tell him to try a different transformer first. Hope this helps a bit.

 

Regards,

Clint 

[brianel027]

I have several of those style locos, one being almost 16 years old and they all run fine on my Lionel #1033 transformer with no such problem as described. There are quite a few of us on this forum who would vote for the 1033 as being the best mid-size transformer Lionel has ever made to date. You can't beat its versatility, durability at the price you can find them for used.

I DO run my layout on DC power: rectified out of the 1033. I remove the circuit board reverse units on my diesels and find they run much better and smoother. But I would caution you about removing the circuit board from this steamer. The circuit board is made to help the loco use a little more current than without. Removal of the circuit board will effect smoke output, notably, to reduce it. I leave the circuit boards in my Lionel steamers of this type. Not that it wouldn't smoke, but you would need to run a slightly longer train (ie: more weight, more current to the track) to get the smoke output.

Try Clint's idea. I also have loads of extra reverse unit circuit boards and I could sell you one cheap. The type that come with the loco are around $12-15 new from the TrainTender if I recall correctly.

[lionelsoni]

Whether the locomotive has a traditional universal motor or a DC motor you can operate it with an electromechanical e-unit.

For a DC motor, wire the blue and yellow e-unit leads (the ones that would normally go to the motor brushes) to the motor.  Insulate the e-unit frame from the locomotive frame and wire it and the green lead  (the one that would normally go to the universal motor's field) to one side of the output of a bridge rectifier.  Wire the e-unit's red lead (the one that would normally go to the pickup) to the other side of the bridge-rectifier output.  Wire the bridge rectifier's inputs to the locomotive frame and the pickup.

If you want directional lighting, insulate the light from the locomotive frame and wire it between the e-unit frame and either the blue or the yellow e-unit lead (depending on which direction you want the light).

[otftch]

If you have the engine without sounds Lionel sells the boards for about $14.00.Price good early this year.Williams also sells a very nice board with great instructions and extra wiring for $29.95.

                                                                                                                             Ed

                           

[msacco]

Thanks for the help on this guys. John has offered one to me, so I emailed him.

as for the transformer, My brother set predates the notorious CW 80 so it shouldn't be a problem. Besides it always worked well previoulsy. I am almost certain it's the eunit board. I don't believe there's really much else.

 MIke S.