The handle bracket, gears and potentiometers only affect AC voltage. The worst of that is when they jump and you can't get zero voltage or it's so bad you can't raise the voltage. Stop at full throttle. Don't make it jump anymore. Just be gentle.
If you take the top off of the 6-18056 tender as if you were checking the battery, can you see the two really small wires coming from the coil coupler to the control board?
They will be on a small connector. I would try disconnecting electrocoupler connector from the board.
Also, if an old battery is in there, remove it.
Please correct the brick connection order to the ZW. brick, jumper, Brick, jumper.
Lastly, where are the bricks plugged in? Do you have it on a circuit or power strip where a small wall wart (power adapter) is plugged in? Try a clean circuit for the bricks.
For example, a bad wall wart providing DC to a cable box, Dept. 56 lighted house, etc could be feeding.
I really suspect the brick connection order and the electrocoupler.
Ok... brick and jumper connection is now AC with BD jumpers. I thought because I ran on A and D that's where the bricks had to be.
Tore the tender apart and no diagram made it a trial and error trace the wires unplug plug till it stopped. I had to disconnect both the red/black pair on the right towards the front disabling the rear light, rail sounds, and I guess the IR tether. Then I thought... I know I changed this battery BUT... plugged everything back in, pulled the battery... so far so good. I'm a little embarrassed. Not 100% sure yet. Want to run it longer and buy a battery so there's no doubt it's new.
I love that over the past few years I've gone from just putting them up and running them to learning about them and maintaining them. You guys have been a huge huge help and I cannot thank you enough. Your patience with my newness into this area is greatly appreciated. Once I run it some more I'll let you know if it was truly the battery or not.
Attachments
Images (2)
Ken (?),
If the battery somehow affected the coupler, and a new one fixes the problem, that's good. But more than likely, moving the wires around did it. As Carl asked, "......can you see the two really small wires coming from the coil coupler to the control board?"
Carl, one of the reasons for fixing the mechanical defect first was, in the video the bell button also jumped around; usually provides the --DC.
Dave
Stick your tongue between the posts.
You have the meter ... 5v or less it's dead.
- reconfigured powerhouse connections and jumpers
- unplugged and replugged board connections
- replaced battery for sounds for conventional running
Is everything ok now?
By the way, the plug in setup looks ok from there. It just depends what other outlets are on the circuit and what's plugged into those.
Dtrainmaster posted:Ken (?),
If the battery somehow affected the coupler, and a new one fixes the problem, that's good. But more than likely, moving the wires around did it. As Carl asked, "......can you see the two really small wires coming from the coil coupler to the control board?"
Carl, one of the reasons for fixing the mechanical defect first was, in the video the bell button also jumped around; usually provides the --DC.
Dave
Dave, I understand, but his handle bracket wasn't really skipping gears and I could confirm from the videos that all four whistle/bell switches were actuating on/off by sound and the meter.
So, I was looking for a DC source from a bad transformer board, bad wiring or the DC powered coil coupler shorting.
Perhaps moving the plugs and wires moved a chafed wire away from shorting position.
Anyway, I hope he is saying all is well. The littles I heard in the background want their trains running.
Well, yes and no... Had them running and then the whistle started acting up again on the old one and it uncoupled. One "band-aide" solution, keep the volts around 15 or under. But even then it will still uncouple or whistle. I'm puzzled for sure. Probably need to hunt down a modern shop after the holiday season. Like I stated, there was a shop in Fayetteville AR but he doesn't really work on the newer computer controlled pieces. I'll be driving to Joplin or Springfield MO or Tulsa OK... think there's places there.
Here it is all running for a good while and then once I turn off the video it uncoupled and the whistle goes crazy 
Thanks again for everything! Now if only my wife would let me get the new Tuscan red vision line gg-1
Attachments
Images (1)
Videos (1)
Ken,
I was able to find the Lionel service documents for your NYC. (attached) The schematic depicts the coupler connector on a small board. You should be able to locate it and unplug it. Look at the board number and size on the schematic.
I did discover looking at another tender diagram that the two small coupler wires may pass up into the tender through a hole in the center of the rear truck. That could be the location where one of the wires was chafed and is shorting.
I think the easiest fix for the holiday is to remove the tender shell and unplug the electrocoupler power wire.
Oops. I see that the hot side plug is also the hot for the rear tender lamp. I suppose you could live without the lamp until you find the wire chafe or replace the coil coupler. So, you had the correct plug earlier and most likely moved the wire. That's why it took a little running to pull it back to the chafed/rub position.
Let us know if that provides the temporary fix.
Attachments
Files (1)
