Need Help Troubleshooting

[Jumijo]

 

I recently won a 2466W tender on eBay. The seller said the whistle works, but I can't get it to do so, even with 15 volts. All it does is hum until I press the whistle button. Then the relay closes and the humming stops, but no whistle sound.

What is the most common cause of this, and what needs to be done to fix it?

I'd appreciate some help on this one.

Jim 

[lionelsoni]

The whistle-motor field winding and armature and the relay contact should be wired in series.  So, if the relay is open, the motor should be completely shut off.  Check to see whether it is wired that way.

[bfskinner]

Jim (jaabat)

First of all, I would remove the shell and place the chassis on a single length of straight track. Hook up the transformer (preferably an old "postwar" type) with a whistle controller that is known to work. Give it about 12 volts or so and just listen. It should be dead silent. If there is a hum, try to isolate where it is coming from, but take care not to let it hum for more than a few seconds lest something overheat and burn out.

If there is no hum, move the armature with your finger or a wooden stick to be sure that the armature and fan assembly are free to turn freely. If so lift the relay contact by hand to see whether the motor makes any effort to rotate. If it doesn't, check the brushes and springs. If it goes a little, clean and lube it. When its working well, check the operation of the relay via the whistle button on the transformer.

If there was a hum back in the first step, let us know what part seems to be humming.* If the relay is open (down) and there is a hum, something must be mis-wired or shorted. Consult the diagram at the link below. Olsen's shows your tender by number in its "Library" but provides nothing but a parts list. However, there is a "generic" whistle pictorial and wiring diagram under the word "whistle" a short way down the page. You should be able to find a key to the Library at the lower right corner of this link. See whether it helps.

http://pictures.olsenstoy.com/

* Note that I did not succumb to the temptation to advise you to "teach it the words."

[bfskinner]

Bob (lionelsoni)

Sorry. Our posts crossed. You have the ball.