Audio board for Lionel Polar Express Tender

First off, that's not an ERR board, so that's not an option.  Garbled sounds are usually the board hardware, not the chips.  Any RS 5 hardware board will support those chips.  My first test would be to use a RS 5 board (NOT a RS3 or RS4 board) and move the chips over and test them.  Note that you MUST have a PLCC puller to move the chips, trying to pry them out will break the socket and then you have a dead board.

You can identify the RS5 board by the fact that it has a TO225 packaged triac on the board, the earlier RS boards do not have this.

Note that the RS 4 board doesn't have that triac at the lower left.

Thanks for the reply. Where go I get the RS5 board and the puller I need?

Well, the puller is easy, here's one on Amazon, many others as well.

PLCC Chip Extractor on Amazon

Lionel sells the bare boards, of course you could buy one with chips for the same price.

If it ends up being the chips, I just might be talked into parting with my board.  I was intending to do an upgrade, but I haven't gotten around to it, could be I'm the reason they're out of them at Lionel.   I picked it up last year, but it's still in my parts box.

691RS55045     RAILSOUNDS 5.5 / POLAR EXPRESS TENDER #1225

Thanks again John. I will order a board from Lionel and once I get it I can check the chips. If they are bad I will get in touch with you unless you are will to sell the board you have with the chips? I will hold off ordering the board until you get back to me.

Send me an email.  It probably makes sense to send the board to me and I'll test it.  If the chips are good, I have a brand new RS5 board with no chips that I keep for just this kind of issue.  If it's the chips, then we can make a deal on my board.

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