All of a sudden, my 2-10-2 has gone from all wheel pickup to pickup only when front tender trucks are on the track. It doesn't even energize when just the engine is on track. I cleaned wheels and track, which leaves either a wiring problem or a decoder problem. Is it possible that this could be caused by the decoder in the engine? I understand the decoder in the Tsunami's leave a lot to be desired, but could this problem be a decoder? What are the usual symptoms when you know you need to replace the decoder and what's the best decoder that will drop in the Tsunami engines? thanks
If it's all-wheel pickup then I would check the red and black wires:
Either one of them could have come loose; the latter especially if the wires on the decoder are held onto the contact tabs with those black plastic slip-on covers.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
If your wipers elsewhere are making decent contact, I would bet you have a soldered connection iffy someplace. I would guess the decoder is okay if it lights up even for a bit, but it doesn't necessarily mean it isn't part of the problem.
This question ought to have been posted in the DCC and electronics forum, BTW.
Crandell
Do yourself a favor and look closely at the diagram that came with your loco. The decoder, speaker, the PC board that the Tsunami plugs into is on the tender. One tender truck picks up on one side, the rear tender truck, the opposite side. The loco picks up on both sides. A two wire connector brings track power from the loco into the tender. The four wire connector has two wires for the motor and two wires for the loco headlight.
Below is a link in case you do not have the diagram. Download it to your PC.
http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/dwg/dwgs/H838X-IS001.PDF
Be advised, some Spectrum tenders both tender trucks can swivel all the way around and then cause a short. Yours might not do this.
I do not know where you heard the Tsunami can be a problem but that only happens to those who do not know how to use the decoder properly. I have Spectrum's with on board Tsunami and some I put my own Tsunami into.
You cannot buy a replacement Tsunami from Bachmann. You can buy a Tsunami from a DCC supplier but it needs the eight pin connector you can soldr to the wires or a 9 pin to 8 pin adapter that plugs into the shrink wrapped Tsunami.
Rich
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
selector This question ought to have been posted in the DCC and electronics forum, BTW. Crandell
Are you loosing it Crandel ? This is the Electronics & DCC Forum.
And for the OP, Pull the shell off the tender check electrical connection to the rear truck also make sure the two wire plug from loco to tender is seated all the way when pluged in.
You can test the tender without the locomotive connected to it, to check the loco leave the tender unpluged and set loco on track use a volt meter to see if you are getting track voltage to the two pin plug connector, if not a wire to the drive wheel wiper board is broken or wipers are dirty.
It is also recommended to add weights to most Bachmann Spectrum tenders for better reverse peformance and electical pickup.
Truck.