pennsylvania Flyer engine problem

[Anonymous]

Firstoff, I have to say I am impressed with the interest and knowledge the members of this site have...

I have a Pennsylvania Flyer set, used mostly for Christmas.  When you place the engine on the track and give it power, the engine makes a humming noise but doesn't move.  I am thinking repair shop, as I have little experience with these.  But I am willing to learn.  The tracks have been mounted to a 4 x 8 plywood sheet for 4-5 years.

My two older kids loved this set, but now I have a 3-year old that is a complete train fan.  He has a home-assembled wooden train set that is pretty impressive and he completely loves trains.  Yesterday, we discovered this dilema and we would appreciate any advice...thanks 

 

[csxt30]

to the forum !!  The only thing I can think of fast is maybe something got jammed up in the motor area & gears, but there will be others along with more help shortly !! Can you turn the wheels by hand easily ? That will help with future replies.

Thanks for coming on !!  

Thanks, John

[Anonymous]

All wheels move freely.   Transformer wiring is ok.    tx

[ben10ben]

Under one side of the cab, there should be a small switch. You might try flipping this. 

[Anonymous]

I tried this and no change.  Actually, the lights come on the train, smoke comes out but no movement.  The hum is gone.....If I put the switch on, the train lights blink off and on at a steady pace.

[msacco]

Sounds like a busted eunit board. My brother's Pennsy Flyer had this a couple of years ago and it was replaced. Now this year it's acting up again.

Best bet, take it to a service center

Mike S.

[Anonymous]

John Bass,

The advice to take it to a service center is good. However, there are a few things you can still try at home. Are you interested?

[Sturgeon-Phish]

What is the number on the cab?  Is it Gilbert American Flyer?  This will help understand the type of engine you have.  Just buzzing is usually a stuck reversing unit.  These are fairly simple to fix with little or no cost. 

Jim 

[Jumijo]

I think it's a Lionel starter set Pennsy Flyer.

[Sturgeon-Phish]

Oh, my bad, I kind of have a one track (two rail) mind!

Jim 

[Anonymous]

If msacco and jaabat are correct, as I suspect, that loco has an electronic e-unit does it not?

If so, they don't buzz the way the older electro-mechanical ones do.

Even if the e-unit is electronic, it could be the problem as  msacco has suggested, although they are pretty rugged generally. If the e-unit is bad, a new one could be ordered and self-installed -- a lot faster than taking the device to a Service Center or sending it back to Lionel in the middle of the after-Christmas rush.

What is needed is a firm diagnosis. The owner reports that under some circumstances, the lamp in the locomotive flashes. If the transformer is a CW-80, and the green lamp on the transformer is flashing along with the loco, the transformer is trying to tell you that it is sensing a short-circuit or overload. You need to find this short, or at least isolate where it must be, because it could be on the track, in the locomotive, or possibly even in the transformer itself. It just might be in the e-unit proper or its cut-out switch or associated wiring, again as msacco thinks.