K27 Query

[Stevelewis]

I have  just  bought  a  K27  Fitted  decoder  today    loco0  works  fine,

But  one  query!

When stationery on  track  with  digital (massoth)  power on, irrespective  of  whether  the  loco's ID is  selected  or  not  I hear  a noise from  the  area of  the boiler near  the  gearbox, it  sounds  like a  FAN running,  if  I cut  the  Massoth  power,  the  noise  ceases,  and  restarts  when I switch Massoth power  on  again.

Would  appreciate  any  answers!

many  thanks
Steve   North Wales   UK

[Steve Stockham]

Yes. You are hearing a fan!

[Stevelewis]

Steve
Many  thanks  for  your  fast  reply,  I thought  I was  hearing  a  fan but didnt like to  say it,  particularly as  it  does not  show up on  the  diagram sheets included  with the  loco!

Incidentally do  you  have  a  K-27?  If  so  was  there  a DVD  and  instruction book included?
They seem  to have  forgotten  to  include  them in  the  UK  shipment so  theres  no  lubrication  info   included!!  Luckily   as  I have   Shays etc  its not  a mystery  to  me.

Its  a  Nice  loco  I would  go as  far  as  to  say  probabhly  one  of  the  best I have  owned in  30  years  of  Garden  railwaying!
Steve

[jimtyp]

Steve,

I have a K-27 and am very happy with it. 

Yes, I got a DVD with mine.  It showed the model running and how to lubricate it.  There was also a small manual that had the lubricating info and some brief history on the K-27.

If yours came with a decoder then it was probably the reseller that forgot to add these items back in, as Bachmann doesn't sell the loco with a decoder.

I've also heard the fan when idling.

In case you haven't heard the counterweights should be replaced.  Here is a link explaining the details:
http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,4303.0.html



-Jim

[Jon D. Miller]

Here's a picture taken looking up inside the boiler.



To the left of the picture is the cooling fan. It is mounted so it will move air to cool the motor.  Not sure just how much good that will do since the motor is not finned nor does it have any openings in the case.  But what the heck, it's there and like chicken soup, it can't hurt.

JD

[Tony Walsham]

SNIP
To the left of the picture is the cooling fan. It is mounted so it will move air to cool the motor.  Not sure just how much good that will do since the motor is not finned nor does it have any openings in the case.  But what the heck, it's there and like chicken soup, it can't hurt.

JD

As the fan blows air down it also sucks the air away from the smoke unit and prevents the smoke from rising out of the smoke unit.
If you reverse the fan it sucks cool air up and forces copious amounts of smoke out of the stack.
If you decide to turn the fan around, DO NOT replace the two long screws.  They will be too long.  Replace them with two shorter screws.

[bobgrosh]

As mentioned above, the fan seems to play no part in cooling the motor.

It does suck any smoke produced by the smoke unit back inside the loco.

While removing or disconnecting the fan may reduce the noise, and it will allow some smoke to escape up the stack. DO NOT REMOVE OR DISCONNECT THE FAN.

It's real purpose seems to be to cool the circuit board, including the two 12 volt regulators seen in the above photo on the board just to the right of the fan.

One of those regulators is for the smoke unit, the other is for fan itself.
If you remove the fan, the regulator for the smoke unit will fail. The regulator might take out the bridge rectifier on the dummy board, decoder or RC unit when it fails. The fan will also prevent any problems with the lighting regulator circuits this summer when temperatures start to soar. Even If you leave the smoke generator turned off, I'd advise not removing the fan, just reversing it. Reversing the fan also improves the air flow and therefore the cooling of the board.

When reversing the fan, be sure to discard the two longer screws. Also inspect the wiring running directly over the fan, they may have been damaged by the long screws during assembly, Tape up any wires where the insulation is damaged.

One final note. The fan is a DC brushless motor, You can NOT make it blow the other direction by reversing the wiring,

[Stevelewis]

Thanks  for  all  the  replies

Re  the  Manual & DVD  etc,  its  a case  of  them  not  being  there  in  the  first  place!,  I fit  my own  decoders  & Sound  etc.  experience over  the  years  has  shown  me  this  is preferable  to letting someone else  do it, !!

Re  the  counterweights,  there  is  little  info  forthcoming  here in  the  UK.------------  Bachmnann Europe dont  seems  to  have  much  idea  of  what the  problem  is  perhaps  if  MR BACHMANN reads  this  he  can offer  some  specific  advice  and  at  the  same  time  advise  Bachmann  in  Barwell ,Leicesterhire UK!!

[Bud Steinhoff]

I noticed the fan but it did not interfere with the smoke probably because I installed a Aristo blown smoke unit in mine.
Next time I have the boiler off I will flip the fan over and maybe blow more smoke.
I also run a fan in the tender to cool my on-board and battery eliminator for the sound board.
Gets hot in Florida.
Bud

[Stevelewis]

Hi  Bud

thanks  for  the  info
I wish  it  got   HOT  here it.......  never  does....in  Sunny  (ha-ha)  North Wales

Steve

[HoboHarley]

Bud Steinhoff. I would like you to know there are three of us with K 27s all within a few miles of one another in the area of The Villages, FL. We appreciate all the info coming out on the beautiful K 27 and are awaiting the counterweight replacements. Wonder if you are anywhere near us?

[Stevelewis]

Bud Steinhoff. I would like you to know there are three of us with K 27s all within a few miles of one another in the area of The Villages, FL. We appreciate all the info coming out on the beautiful K 27 and are awaiting the counterweight replacements. Wonder if you are anywhere near us?
[/
Just  a query  from  the  UK!

I notice  that  you  have  quite  a few  folks  with  Garden  railways living  close  to  each other  over  there,  Is  the  hobby  popular in  the  USA?

I have  done  garden  railways  since  '76  and  for  many  many  years  it  was  quite  a lonely  hobby  with  not  many  others   having  any interest,  however  these  days it  is  getting  very popular,  there  are  5 other  Garden  railways  within a 3 mile  radius of mine that  I know  of,  and  quite  a few more only 10 or  so  miles  away,

( I am in  North Wales  )   

[HoboHarley]

Steve, there are many garden railroaders all over the US and here in Florida we have a state orgn. with about 200+ active members. In North Central Florida we have a small close knit club of 20+ guys. Here we meet monthly at one of the members to run trains and socialize. We knock off in the summer as it is humid and hot.