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The recent purchase of an old Commodore Vanderbilt (NIB) brought some disappointment.  All the features but one worked...it wouldn't chuff. It would go through the motions during start up...chuff a few times then quit.   I immediately suspected the cherry switch which I've had issues with in the past.  No biggie... I was planning an upgrade to 4CR anyway.  Diving into the modification, I discovered the switch to be good but went ahead and attached magnets to one driver and installed a reed switch.  End result was as expected...still no chuff. 

 

A curiosity found on some of these early TMCC engines is the optional feature of a CC coil coupler.  One comes as a replacement for the factory installed regular coupler once your layout was upgraded to TMCC.  So I set about removing the tender shell to attach the coupler wires.  The battery compartment in the CV tender is accessed from outside so unless you were performing the coupler change there's no need to take off the shell.  Once opened, there, looking as obvious as an exploded capacitor, was a blue wire from the tether squashed flat by the tender shell and chassis.  Chuff fixed...Easy Peasy!

 

Bruce

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It had me worried initially, Dave, especially when I discovered the cherry switch was good.  I naturally assumed the worst, thinking it required all new electronics.  It's odd that the faulty chuff wasn't caught at the factory.  Maybe the pinched wire required time to work thin enough to cause the short.

 

It's finally getting some run time now and with new lube the balky Pullmor is smoothing out nicely.  Too bad it won't take a Cruise Commander upgrade.

 

Bruce

Last edited by brwebster

Found another one!  This time the bared wire was the antenna in the boiler of my Lionmaster T1.  I bought this puppy used, retired by the previous owner because it ran erratically.  It wasn't until today that i got around to having a look inside.

 

  The flickering headlite was intermittent yet telltale that signal issues were to blame.  Seems the adhesive wire hanger on the inside of the boiler let loose and allowed the antenna wires ( one from each handrail ) to ride against the rear flywheel.  A ticking time bomb so to speak.  Although it's not Legacy, there's always room on the layout for another loco with cruise.

 

Bruce

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