70's Sound of Steam circuit board

I had the same issue with my beloved Blue Streak Jersey Central.  I had great success in finding tenders at shows where the foam was still intact.  It took a while and a lot of looking, but I was able to source a couple of decent boards.  They work so well now the wife has requested I unplug them when running on the Christmas layout, LOL. Good luck!

Ah, the sweet sound of static! LOL! PS: I once owned the Milwaukee Special set when it first came out about 1973. It also had a rudimentary whistle sound!

Time has come for someone to reproduce these fairly simple boards.

^^what Chuck said.  My first set was also the Blue Streak (6-1385.)  Unless I'm mistaken, when the Electronic Mighty Sound of Steam made its debut in 1971, there were NO integrated circuits on the board, only discrete components.  In my personal experience, the '73 Sound of Steam in the Blue Streak (without whistle) sounds much cleaner than the Milwaukee version with whistle.  The whistle was dropped after 1973.  The boards were redesigned over the next several years, and by 1980 when Lionel restored the whistle feature the chuff just didn't sound the same.  

The best part is that until the use of Hall effect sensors on the U.P. Berkshire (8002), the chuffing was truly synchronized to the drive rods and the puffing of smoke.  That's something that wasn't achieved again until the advent of DCS speed control circa 2000.

I dont see contact info for you Vinny but i think i have a sos board kicking around from a lionel 18001 northern. I can pull it out and test if you are interested. Pm me my contact is in my profile.

Vinny

welcome to the forum,if NYC does nt pan out,i have one ,tested ,works fine. email in profile.

Rich B,

Here is a guy in Michigan that says he can fix these boards I hope he doesn't mind me posting this.

I have the same Jersey Central blue locomotive from my child hood I need to get the tender board fixed.

His name is Tim Bates here is his E mail-

trains@pmrcs.com

NYC/ Rich B thanks for the offers. I have mailed you both. I suspect the board 18001 is a newer one with the 3 pin connector, bell/whistle? The one I need has the flat copper tab and just "chugs".

Rockstars- Thanks for the info! Definitely worth exploring if i can get a replacement.