Hi all,
I just purchased a Lionel PRR F-7 ABBA set (24584 and 24588) and it arrived on Monday. I put it on the track and it performed flawlessly. I went to run it for the 2nd time last night and I had no sounds. Well, almost no sounds - I can very faintly hear the bell and the horn if I put my ear right up to the lead engine. The other sounds probably are there too, but are too quiet to hear. Running in conventional mode didn't make any difference. Needless to say, I am very disappointed that a set so expensive (nearly $1000) would have such a defect after only 1 operating session.
I called Lionel and one of the things they asked me to check was the volume knob. I asked why I would need to check it if I had not touched it. The person I spoke to said that they have a problem with volume pots, that some of them are touchy. She recommended I try moving it through its range and see if the sounds return. If so, she will send me a pot to install myself and save the 2-month-plus (!) wait for factory service. If not, then she was out of suggestions and I will have to have someone look at it. I hesitate to take it to an authorized service station because the last time I did so with a Lionel product, it sat there 3 months before they finally called me to tell me they couldn't fix it and would have to send it to the factory. By then the warranty had expired. Fortunately the repair was still covered. That repair took 5 months total. Needless to say, I want to avoid a repeat of that scenario.
I sure hope the volume pot is to blame, and I am wondering if other forum members have had the same type of problem. I would feel better knowing I am not alone in this.
By the way, the set is fabulous and I really like it other than the sound problem.
Joel
lionroar88 wrote:Joel,How close are you to Sykesville?Brent
I am about 18 miles away, roughly a half hour door-to-door from my house.
Hi all, and thanks for your input. Update: last night I tried adjusting the pot - no luck. Then I tried flipping the sound on/off switch a few times. I thought that worked because after I flipped it one time, I got some hiss and static from the speaker. I flipped it a couple more times and the sounds returned, only to drop out again a few minutes later. I was able to get the sounds back again - I don't know whether the problem is related to the switch - but they keep dropping out. As before, I can faintly hear them when I'm up close. I will pull the body off this weekend and look for bad connections, which this is acting like. I would not expect a sound board to "repair" itself several times.
Purkey's is my favorite hobby shop and I know Tom as he has serviced several of my MTH engines. However, Wiley once told me that they are not a Lionel Service Center and that I would have to pay for repairs done there, even if the item is under warranty. That's what led me to take my TMCC crane elsewhere, where it sat for the 3 months I wrote about last time.
Good news, it is the volume pot. I had to take the body off to confirm, but wiggling the terminals of the pot made the sound come and go. I thought it was a cold solder joint on one terminal so I took off the shrink tube and resoldered it. The problem moved to the next terminal. I called Lionel yesterday and they are sending me a new pot with wiring harness. Apparently this is a widespread problem. I'm just glad I don't have to send this in and wait 2 months or more.
God bless TCA 05-58541 Benefactor Member of the NRA, Member of the American Legion, Retired Boss Hog of Roseyville , KC&D Qualified
Joel wrote...
"...and I am wondering if other forum members have had the same type of problem..."
Joel,, I have that same set but fortunately mine has worked flawlessly. Sorry to hear that yours doesn't. Hope you get it fixed with out too much trouble. Like you, I really like the set too.
IronHoarse wrote: ...Hope you get it fixed with out too much trouble. Like you, I really like the set too.
...Hope you get it fixed with out too much trouble. Like you, I really like the set too.
Lionel sent me the pot quickly. Looks like I'll have to move the smoke unit and possibly some other things out of the way in order to unplug the wiring harness. But I'm glad I didn't have to send the lead unit in and wait several months. I call this a happy ending.
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