lost my chuff in my 4-6-0

[hobo1]

hello all,I have a problem.I just repowered my big hauler with a annie chassis i goe new from bachmann.I also installed a led light. the loco runs fine forward and backwards.The led works fine. I am not betting any chuffing sound.does anyone have any ideas I sure would appreciate the help once again thanks

[Loco Bill Canelos]

Hi,

Most common problem is dead or weak (sometimes even new batteries can be weak)9volt battery, next review the instructions for turning the sound on, make sure sound wires are firmly in place on the loco, check red switch at the rear of the loco and make sure the switch under the tender is on and that the volume is turned full up.

Link to instructions:

http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,18832.0.html

Glad you got your chassis installed OK.

Bill

[hobo1]

Bill I relaced the  battery and the tender plug is in firm .are the tenders the same,also what is the voltage to the tender to activate the tender sounds

[Loco Bill Canelos]

The tenders can be different, older ones did not have the on off volume switch under the tender.   Did you check to be sure the red switch for the sound is on(pushed down).

The voltage for the sound comes from the 9 volt battery under the tender hatch. The chuff sound is activated by the chuff sensor on the rear drive wheel axle of the locomotive. As the rear driver turns the two wipers contact the metal bars on the axle causing the chuff sound.  The sound plug and wire from the locomotive to the tender is nothing more than an on/off switch for each chuff and carries no voltage from the loco to the tender. The locomotive must be moving to create the chuff sound.

A master switch for sound operation is located at the rear of your locomotive in the cab compartment. Depress the master switch (red color) to activate sound operation. A secondary on/off switch (with variable volume control) is located on the underside of your tender (if so equipped). Turn the secondary switch clockwise to activate sound and also to set the volume level.  If your tender does not have the switch, then just be sure the red switch is on(down).  If you have the switch on the bottom of the tender it must be on

you  can test the sound system by making a small jumper wire and jump it on the sound plug intermittently . If the sound system is working you will a chuff sound each time you jump the plug.  If when doing this you get no sound, then the problem is with the tender. Either the battery is no good or the on/off/ volume switch is not on and turned up far enough If you get the chuff sound when doing this test, and when plugging the sound plug back in it still does not give the chuff chuff sound then the problem is either with the chuff sensor or the red on/off switch on the locomotive is not on.  If the red switch is on and still no sound open up the bottom of the loco and check to see if the metal wipers are in good contact with the drum on the rear axle. 

You MUST test the tender first, and if it works then do the tests on the loco, and remember the loco must be moving to get the chuff chuff sound.

Do the troubeshooting step by step and in 99% of the cases it will be something you overlooked!!!  Don't ask me how I know.  If you have a multimeter, it can't hurt to see if the battery strong. 

Hang in there.

Bill

[Loco Bill Canelos]

Hi all,

Just learned what the problem was.  It was one of the battery tabs that wasnt makiing full contact with the battery.

This was a new one I hadn't seen reported in the past. 

Thanks to hobo1 for sharing the fix.

Bill

[Dr Who 12]

 The chuff drum switch activator is on the front driver of all my 4 Annie 4-6-0 locos. I have a 2-6-0 Russian iron mogul with the drum on the back driver under the cab.  I have ordered and installed 3 replacement 4-6-0  Annie chassis and the sound drum switch was on the front driver as well.

Later Dr Who12

[Dr Who 12]

 I have reread this post and I made a mistake on one of my chassis installations by putting too much grease on the chuff contact drum in the front driver wheels/axel. After assembly I wasn't getting any sound ( I customize the drum by adding 2 more wiper blades/bars to make a 4 beat chuff sound with each driver rotation so I checked everything but the grease and finally took apart the chassis and cleaned the excess grease off and all worked fine. I recon I'll watch that from now on.

Keep chuffing
Dr Who 12