I have a ZW transformer like the one my father bought in the late 50's. I am running a CNW GP38-2 (4600) engine which is about 25 years old. When I use the whistle button on the transformer the whistle sounds but the engine stops and then changes direction. Am I right in assuming this is because the transformer is from the post war era and the engine is from the modern era? Is there a way to sound the whistle without the engine going haywire? I am rather a novice at this after a 55 year hiatus. Thanks in advance for your help.
Find the reverse unit lockout switch. Get the train running forward, and lock the reverse unit in forward. Now when you blow the whistle, the train won't stop and reverse.
Larry
Thanks, Larry, that worked perfectly.
Welcome back to the hobby.
What you have described about the engine when the whistle is blown seems odd to me. I have engines that are much newer than 25 years old and none of them do as you describe when the whistle button is activated. There must be something about your engine or the ZW transformer that is causing this to happen. Do you have another transformer? Do you have other engines with horn or whistle? What type of reversing unit does the engine have? I am curious about why this is happening to your engine. Is there an O gauge club in your area or a Lionel service store?
When you press the whistle button on the transformer, there is a short, momentary break in the power to the track as the contacts move. This break will trip an 'E'-unit if the whistle button is pressed too slow. Try pushing the whistle button faster.
Larry
Larry and tfcii,
I will unlock the reverse unit and try hitting the whistle button faster and see if that helps.
Also, I joined the Lionel Collector's Club but have not been very active in it yet. My wife has Alzheimer's so a lot of my time is taken up caring for her. The model trains are a good diversion.
Thanks,
John H.
Sorry to hear about your wife. Best wishes to you.
I have a RW transformer and the whistle button can reverse the direction, as described in the original post.
note: my diesel engine horn is inoperative.
side story not meant to hijack thread: as a kid, I left the D cell in engine, which leaked and corroded the electricals
I had cleaned parts, but never got horn to function. I should research how to repair....
mywong23,
What engine number do you have?
Unless you can completely remove all the corrosion, replace the battery bracket and the horn relay.
If the swivel plate that holds the battery in place is corroded, it can be cleaned up usually with emery paper. Hopefully the swivel point of the plate at the rivet is not corroded.
Take a fresh battery and touch the bottom of it to the horn itself, and get a jumper wire and touch the top of the battery to the connection on the relay where the horn wire is. The horn should blow. If not, the horn may need to be replaced.
Larry