Not a great design-see photo. Model 2033472, late model Lionel SD-40. Not having a lot of luck with couplers, this week. Anyway, the leads for the auto couplers are tucked in like butterfly wings, under the car body. The coupler assembly and the trucks are separate. So I think in a fluke or from a dislodged wire the truck caught a wire on a curve and pinched it. (pointing with paperclip in photo). The wife is definitely broken, the auto coupler no longer works. I am really not anxious to take the loco apart. Do you think it is possible to use a shunt and solder the wire together, and then cover with a sleeve? I am guessing it is 22 gauge wire, pretty frail. There are a couple holding plates supposedly keeping the coupler wires in place, which I guess I can remove. Is it easy to remove the auto coupler and reinstall with that single screw? Have not done that before, So I don't know what I will find. Otherwise, will have to bring for service.
Meantime, solved the problem temporarily. This was the trailing engine of a two engine lash up. So I just swapped positions so that road #3069 is now the lead facing forward with the non-working coupler upfront and not needed. There had to be a better way for Lionel to secure these wires.
