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Walthers Non-DCC 130' Turntable (933-2829) - No Power In Control Box

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  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,281 posts
Posted by richhotrain on Wednesday, August 22, 2018 9:12 PM

selector

The device might have a simple fix.  It is well past any warranty.  Can you remove the cover of the mechanism or controller and look for an obvious defect yourself?  

Yes, the circuit board is inside a 4"x4" plastic box, and access to the circuit board can be accomplished by loosening four screws.

Rich

Alton Junction

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,281 posts
Posted by richhotrain on Wednesday, August 22, 2018 8:12 PM

rrinker

When you say power is reaching the control box, is that based on measuring the voltage present at the connection? What about with everything connected - is the voltage still whatit is supposed to be?

Yes, I used a voltmeter to measure the voltage present in the wires at the input connections on the control box.

Let me ask my question in another way. When I removed the turntable and control box back in March, I thought that I had marked the connections on a piece of paper, but if I did, I cannot find that piece of paper. Those wiring connections were in place for 14 years, so I can no longer rely on memory to re-establish the connections.

Here is what the instructions say. The drive operates best at 15 volts AC or DC, a minimum of 12 volts is required. Regarding wiring, B1 and B2 connect to the rail supply; powers the bridge rails. U and V connect to the AC terminals on the power pack; powers the drive mechanism.

This is a DCC layout. When the instructions say, B1 and B2 connect to the rail supply, does this mean to connect B1 and B2 to the DCC bus?

Rich

Alton Junction

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Wednesday, August 22, 2018 5:42 PM

 When you say power is reaching the control box, is that based on measuring the voltage present at the connection? What about with everything connected - is the voltage still whatit is supposed to be? A short or a problem with the power supply may manifest as the voltage dropping, but only under load.

                                --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

  • Member since
    February 2005
  • From: Vancouver Island, BC
  • 23,330 posts
Posted by selector on Wednesday, August 22, 2018 5:38 PM

That's too bad.  I am in a similar situation in that I haven't run my pre-DCC "built-up" Walthers turntable with indexing in about eight years.  I cut out the roundhouse and TT by removing a 24" X 48" slab of plywood before I dismantled the rest of the layout, and it has moved once, been set aside here and there,...dunno if it will ever work again. The wires are all there, nothing damaged that I can see, and the centeral well with its nested power rings have been covered with masking tape all this time.

The device might have a simple fix.  It is well past any warranty.  Can you remove the cover of the mechanism or controller and look for an obvious defect yourself?  A broken solder, broken wire, burnt/detached something or other on a board, board split or cracked for some reason.  If you can be sure power is getting to a board or to a motor, but nothing else happens, and there isn't a simpler problem like sticky or tarry lubes after all this time, or dirt, ground foam bits, and/or pet hairs in the mechanism (ask me how I learned about this...), then it's the board or the motor.  Or, a faulty button if there is a paddle or pad with buttons on it.

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,281 posts
Walthers Non-DCC 130' Turntable (933-2829) - No Power In Control Box
Posted by richhotrain on Wednesday, August 22, 2018 5:05 PM

I called Walthers this morning at 9 AM to discuss this issue. It is now 5 PM and no return call although I left a detailed description of the problem on a voice mail to Tech Support.

Here is the problem. The turntable has operated flawlessly for 14 years on my old layout. I recently tore down the layout, and I am in the process of building a new layout. Today, I re-installed the control box, But I have no power in the control box. I am powering the turntable with an MRC Railpower 1370 power pack. Power is reaching the control box, but the Power light does not come on and the control box is inoperable.  Any ideas or suggestions?

Rich

Alton Junction

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