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Author Topic: Help, no train sounds, whistle or bell  (Read 725 times)

wheaties

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Help, no train sounds, whistle or bell
« on: October 30, 2014, 05:39:42 am »
Santa Fe El-Capitan lost all sound. When I supply power to the engine and directly ground the negative terminal on the speaker, sound is restored. Please advise. Hopefully it is not a bad PCB or train sound board. Thanks.   

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TrainLarry

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Re: Help, no train sounds, whistle or bell
« Reply #1 on: October 30, 2014, 03:30:17 pm »
It seems like the sound board may have a bad ground. Make sure all plugs are seated properly in their sockets. Remove the sound board and check all solder connections with a magnifying glass, insuring no bad solder joints. If all checks well, then the board may be bad.

Larry

djacobsen

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Re: Help, no train sounds, whistle or bell
« Reply #2 on: October 30, 2014, 05:23:10 pm »
wheaties
Hello & Welcome to the Forum!

Check the insulation inside the tender. 
Replace it. If it's decomposed, it will
allow the board to short on the frame.

Happy Rails!
Railroad Crossings: Mother Natures way of thinning the gene pool.

TrainLarry

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Re: Help, no train sounds, whistle or bell
« Reply #3 on: October 30, 2014, 05:51:31 pm »
The problem with decomposed foam insulation affected early electronic sound boards, especially in steam locomotive tenders. I do not know if there are any recent uses of that insulation in more modern trains. Most electronic boards are now mounted with standoffs, or in plastic carriers.
The El-Capitan locomotive is an FT diesel. The parts diagram http://www.lionel.com/CustomerService/ReplacementParts/index.cfm?doAction=productPartFilter&number=6-24568&productID=f39c0a1b-3d88-4b90-8292-84d73496a6a2&CFID=55610727&CFTOKEN=470be726b056f309-E0266715-0D3A-8FA3-D29F963113C5F1D6&jsessionid=8430d78ed46d236187016226405944215262 does not show how the board is mounted, however.
Check all connections between boards, and between the boards and the chassis with any ground wires, if used. Also check all solder connections on all boards as stated above. If everything checks out, then a board may be at fault.

Larry

rogruth

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Re: Help, no train sounds, whistle or bell
« Reply #4 on: November 04, 2014, 07:26:28 pm »
I wonder if wheaties got it fixed.
The answers sound good to me.

 

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