I recently purchased a 2006 Lionel 0-8-0 with standard E unit activation (non TMCC electronics). When I place it on the track all sound systems are fine, i.e. steam at idle, crew talk, whistle, bell, and smoke. However when I crack the throttle open and barely move the locomotive out, the steam chuff shoulds like a machine gun going off. (sounds like it is going 4x's the wheel revolution). Has anyone seen this and how do I repair it? I cannot return it for a new one because the warrenty is void. Thought maybe I could target which switch is bad, or electronic board and replace.
Thanks for the help.....
J. Daddy:
Ah, welcome to the switcher club. I also have a 0-8-0 C&O, Railsounds, non-TMCC. This is normal. Switchers are for low speed operation. That "machine gun" sound is ok. Mine, smokes like crazy, just dosen't like that high speed. Sorry to tell you that. But it's ok.
I am the monster in your head...And I thought you'd learn by now, It seems you haven't yet.I am the venom in your skin --- Breaking Benjamin
Really? I don't get it though, it fires off 2 times before a wheel revolution in the begining and only get faster.... problem is at low voltage you can barely here the sound! So yours is the same? Have you investigated putting a 9 volt battery or upgrading to TMCC? It just does not seem right....
Interesting... Have you modified yours? When I opened the boiler off of the housing it was just stacked with electronics... can you access the magnets from the bottom of the chassis?
Thanks,
anjdevil2 wrote:It probably is TMCC upgradable, and I'll tell you why. Right now, I have my engine on display at my LTS. RIGHT NEXT to it is the same engine, different road number with TMCC. These 2 engines are like fraternal twins(I got that right, didn't I?), 1 with and 1 without TMCC. I would think that it would be just a board install from Lionel...but I haven't looked at them on the inside and this is just a SWAG on my part.
No I think you are absolutely correct. I checked last night and under the cab there is an Odessey switch that is called out but the switch is missing...also under the water hatch is a TMCC switch that is there but could not tell the difference if it was thrown. Unfortunately the instructions do not mention what this switch is for.
I think this loco should have been made with TMCC only, just because of its low voltage draw in the begining for the motor vs. voltage required to make the sound start. Too bad because she is a beaut....
I have the TMCC version. The chuff is triggered by a cherry switch activated by a four-lobe cam on one of the drive axles. It is a bear to get to the switch on my TMCC engine due to the circuit boards and spaghetti wiring. Some of the circuit boards must be removed and I had to unsolder the wires to the motor to facilitate disassembly.
It is absolutely the hardest engine I have ever worked on due to the small space available and all of the circuit boards with all the wiring. It is very difficult to get the engine back together without pinching wires on the TMCC version.
Four chuffs/rev is prototypically accurate for the engine.
Earl
EIS2 wrote: I have the TMCC version. The chuff is triggered by a cherry switch activated by a four-lobe cam on one of the drive axles. It is a bear to get to the switch on my TMCC engine due to the circuit boards and spaghetti wiring. Some of the circuit boards must be removed and I had to unsolder the wires to the motor to facilitate disassembly. It is absolutely the hardest engine I have ever worked on due to the small space available and all of the circuit boards with all the wiring. It is very difficult to get the engine back together without pinching wires on the TMCC version. Four chuffs/rev is prototypically accurate for the engine. Earl
Thanks Earl,
I think I will be looking to upgrade it and not modify the sensors on the axle, your right on the electronics! I had an issue with the connector to the E unit, and smoke unit has to be replaced, it was like an octopus in there and I could not even see the screws that hold the board circuit boards to remove them to get to the switch!.... no I think I will either sell it or upgrade it.
There seem to be numerous complaints on this engine. The command engine features 4 chuffs per revolution. These drivers are small and the chuffs are rapid if run at speed. The command engines literally can crawl. Even with the cruise feature disabled. I'm assuming conventional engines with the same motor and gearing run similar.
If you go to CTT site. Under the News section you can access videos. Select the January menu. Then the Free On Line extra. About halfway the video. You will see a command 0-8-0 pushing a cut of cars down a siding. This is what a prototypical 0-8-0 with 4 chuffs per revolution would soundlike. Certainly not machine gun like doing it's intended job. Get it out on the mainline at speed and it sure does though.
Not sure of the specs on the conventional engine as to how the chuff is enabled or if it features Railsounds. The command version features to cherry switches activated by a cam to achieve the 4 chuffs.
Dave Connolly wrote: There seem to be numerous complaints on this engine. The command engine features 4 chuffs per revolution. These drivers are small and the chuffs are rapid if run at speed. The command engines literally can crawl. Even with the cruise feature disabled. I'm assuming conventional engines with the same motor and gearing run similar. If you go to CTT site. Under the News section you can access videos. Select the January menu. Then the Free On Line extra. About halfway the video. You will see a command 0-8-0 pushing a cut of cars down a siding. This is what a prototypical 0-8-0 with 4 chuffs per revolution would soundlike. Certainly not machine gun like doing it's intended job. Get it out on the mainline at speed and it sure does though. Not sure of the specs on the conventional engine as to how the chuff is enabled or if it features Railsounds. The command version features to cherry switches activated by a cam to achieve the 4 chuffs.
The main complaint I have is at low voltage the engine is already moving, but no sound is coming out, by the time you hit 3 volts the engine is taking off and the sound is chattering like a machine gun....
I'm not familar with this engine and the complaints I've heard seem to be the same ones associated with the Railsounds boxcar that you place behind a steamer or diesel. With a steamer the chuff rate has to somehow follow the engines movement. It seems it is basically relying on track voltage. There may be a way to slow it down at speed. But then again it wouldn't chuff at slow speeds.
I run command only. I bought one of the early Equalizers that converted MTH Proto 1's to TMCC and retained the stock Protosounds. Worked fine conventionally for years but with the Equalizer installed the chuffs wouldn't start till you moved a few feet. Ended up trashing it and converting to full TMCC.
Not knowing the price of this engine. But the cost of adding Railsounds is close to the price probably of a ready to go command version. As mentioned these are not easy engines to work on and space is limited.
Not getting into a brand war. But it's tough to beat the MTH scale 0-8-0 Proto 2's if you are a conventional runner. You have proper chuff rates that can be programmed through DCS at a local shop and can be retained on you home layout running conventionally.
Im not really an expert on repairing stuff, but a machine gun sound! That is really weird.
The electronic boards need 3 (some 5 volts or more) to operate, so when running in conventional it's weird at low track voltage.
Paul
Pennvalley wrote: The main complaint I have is at low voltage the engine is already moving, but no sound is coming out, by the time you hit 3 volts the engine is taking off and the sound is chattering like a machine gun....When the men get together its always done right!J. Daddy The electronic boards need 3 (some 5 volts or more) to operate, so when running in conventional it's weird at low track voltage.
Yeah, have 3 of them... all are the same. I wonder if a 9 volt could be hooked up to make the sound constant like the TMCC versions, then you could really hear the chuffs when your going slow. Of course I have not added anycars on them, so maybe a drawbar pull will help out.
Kooljock1 wrote:On a Mallet such as an early 2-6-6-2 there would be 8, while on an articulated with two "engines" under a single frame such as a Big Boy, you might have the "chuffs" going in and out of synch with each other, creating quite a cacophony!Jon
Most early Mallets were "compound" engines, meaning the exhaust steam from the smaller rear set of cylinders went to the larger 'low-pressure' front drivers, and then were exhausted up the stack (so the steam was used twice). On those you would only hear four chuffs, since the chuff is the sound of the steam exhausting up the stack. On later "simplified" (or "simplex") engines like a Big Boy, all four cylinders get steam directly and all four exhaust from the stack. If the cylinders/drivers are in synch you would hear four chuffs, but you could get the off-beat sound you describe if one set slips a little.
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