Help Needed! Issue with Legacy Conrail GP30

Do you have a battrey in the back of it? (9volt) Because my 35 turns on and works in till it moves then the sounds shut off and the ligts flicker and no smoke. (This only happens when my gp35 has a 9vollt in it) 

Obviously it sounds like an issue with the smoke unit.  I would pull the top and make sure, for starters, that there isn't a smoke fluid overflow that is potentially causing some sort of short when the smoke unit is activated.  Smoke fluid is oil, and oil drenching, for example, an electronic board could cause issues.  Use a lint free cloth to gently dab off any overflow.  If you see fluid on anything electronic, I would use a bit of compressed air (air in a can) to try to clean it off.  Perhaps give it time to all dry out and then see how it does.

If still no dice, my sense would be you probably need a new smoke unit.  But proceed step at a time.

Sometimes when the smoke unit heats up the resistor expands and contact the smoke housing shorting it out and causing the electronics to do weird stuff/shutdown.

I would open the smoke unit and inspect the elements.  One may be arcing to the side if the chamber.  Reposition element carefully to center it.  There is not a lot of clearance on Lionel Smoke units from what I have seen.  G

RAL and GGG,

It definitely has something to do with the smoke unit because when I do not turn it on. The locomotive does not act strange. 

I will be the first person to admit if I caused an overflow so I will check it out. I highly doubt it was that since I only added one line full of smoke fluid using the pipette lionel provided and the engine has not been run since August. I still still check.

The resistor sounds like a very unique issue. Interestingly, months ago the locomotive gave 2 blinks for a smoke resistor problem. I was about to send it back but then fired it back up and noticed it worked again even though the locomotive diagnostics were telling me otherwise. 

I think sometime this weekend I will pull the shell off and take a look and let you guys know what I see. 

GGG, should I replace the resistor for a new one anyways? I have two from a friend of mine when the engine originally stated the smoke resistor problem. Apparently, the smoke resistors in these Legacy GP30s have been an issue.

I'd measure the resistor with a meter and determine if it's bad.  As long as it meters OK and doesn't look damaged, it's highly unlikely it's the issue.  As GGG says, check the clearance and make sure there's no contact to the sides of the smoke unit bowl, that's a significant issue, and more likely the problem.

I agree, normally no need to change it unless it is damaged.  If you do have to make sure you have the right resistance value.  G