True Blast horn not working

[bonitatrains]

I just purchased a Williams o gauge santa fe gp-9 locomotive and the true blast horn does not work.
I am new to Williams and looking for any suggestions on what may be wrong.
Is there a battery or sound board?
Before I start tinkering, I would like input from those who may know about these locos.
Thanks, as any input would be appreciated

[Ron Sims]

I would look inside first and make sure the boards are all plugged in ok. There is a silver reostat that can be adjusted for sound level and maybe that needs a slight budge.
Ron

[phillyreading]

There are a few things that could be wrong on your end. First did you hold the whistle or horn button for at least three seconds? Second is the polarity to the track could be wrong, try switching wires around, that should help if a polarity issue.
Third, what kind of transformer are you using?
With my Williams and True Blast 2, I have found MTH Z-1000 to work the best, then the post-war ZW by Lionel. Another transformer that should work well is the Atlas or Williams 80 watt.
Have not used the CW-80 by Lionel as it don't play well with some of my other engines.

Lee F.

[jpstrainyard]

JP of Acton MA USA writes,

Generally, Williams locos do not use batteries for sounds, just a circuit board with a speaker. I have a pre-WBB SF FP45 loco. It just has a standard horn only unit (no true blast), and it works fine with any controller, postwar or modern. So long as the polarity is correct, the horn should work.
JP

[cantrellwd]

Tried the polarity reversal and it works now, but the bell doesn't.  One way bell works, the other way the horn works.  Is that normal?  I am using a Lionel 90W transformer.

[phillyreading]

Tried the polarity reversal and it works now, but the bell doesn't.  One way bell works, the other way the horn works.  Is that normal?  I am using a Lionel 90W transformer.

Are you using a Lionel type R transformer from what is called the postwar time?
If so, there is an option that will prevent you from having to swap wires all the time.
First you could install the Lionel horn button, for use with transformers that don,t have the whistle or horn, add the horn button so that it will work the bell feature.

Second thing you can do, install a double pole double throw toggle switch, power goes to either end of switch; wires from A terminal and common go to one side of switch, reverse hook-up of wires on other end of switch and the center terminals of the switch go to track.

Lee F.

[Joe Satnik]

Heavy duty (15 Amp) Bell button discussion:

http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,21385.15.html

Hope this helps. 

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

[GG1onFordsDTandI]

Tried the polarity reversal and it works now, but the bell doesn't.  One way bell works, the other way the horn works.  Is that normal?  I am using a Lionel 90W transformer.

YES it is normal.

[M1FredQ]

GG1on Ford

I just what you had written and I lost it.

Yes I do have the Post War ZW.

Can you post what I need to do again and what parts I need?

Yes that ZW had been sitting in storage for many years had never been serviced or cleaned.

Thanks in advance you probably saved me a lot of problems!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[GG1onFordsDTandI]

GG1on Ford I just had what you had written and I lost it.

It was in a different thread :"true blast sound kit". If this Isnt it/ or incomplete/ you have ?/ let me know.
I may have a keyboard virus or something, replies are disappearing, and self-posting, before I finish editing them
3-4 so far, one I cant find at all, or it never posted. Or maybe a moderator was editing, moving stuff. Getting ready to combine the true blast theads (do they do that here?). Sorry for no link, I am new here too, still learning this forums abilities, leaving the messege creating screen, for any reason, seems to cause an auto-post sometimes.