Help with Lionel H16-44 whistle

Hi:

I operate my non command control Lionel diesels (pre-1996) using a MTH Z4000 and the horn and bell sounds work fine.  Are you using an older ZW from the postwar era or a newer one?  Had you tried switching to the other side of the ZW? Another thing to do is to try the locomotive on someone's else's layout or at store with a layout and or a test track. If the sounds still don't work contact the Lionel service department and explain this to one or their tech people. The last resort is to send the locomotive to Lionel along with the sales receipt as the problem might be with the locomotive's sound board. They will email you a return form to send along with the locomotive. How about providing you location below and maybe someone on the forum is in your area has an O gauge 3 rail layout for you to try out your locomotive before contacting Lionel.

Ed Gerson: Along The New Haven Line Of Metro-North and Amtrak In Westchester County, NY

Thanks for the response ED.  Am using a postwar Zw. The transformer activates the horn/bell on other Lionel and MTH engines I have. Problem of no whistle regardless  of which side of the Zw I use

Thanks

Chuck

All of the Lionel command control diesel locomotives that I have purchased in the past 20 years or so have a volume control that is accessed by removing a part that is located on the roof of the locomotive. It is usually the vent cover piece or the dynamic brake cover piece that is attached to the engine roof. The control can be turned using two fingers or a regular screw driver. Maybe your locomotive had the sound turned off which is not usually the case since the sound is tested when the locomotive is being tested at the factory on the assembly line. Consult the instruction booklet that came with the locomotive to locate the location of the sound adjustment control.

Ed Gerson

Thanks Ed. Volume switch turned up. Rail Sounds seem to be working OK. This continues to be a mystery

Chuck

Try adding a load on the track and see if the whistle works.  A few lighted passenger cars will do it.  The old postwar transformers whistle controls don't work well with a light load.

What do you mean by "rail sounds seems to be working ok"? Rail sounds would include the horn and bell sounds, right? As an operator and long time train store manager when and if all is working ok I would strongly suggest using a current model of transformer to operate any locomotive that uses solid state components such as circuit boards. These newer transformers have a solid state circuit breaker that works in less than a second to cut power to the track compared to an older transformer such as your postwar ZW that takes about 5 seconds for the circuit breaker to cut power to the track. I have experienced customers bringing there newer locomotives to the store where I worked the had a blown circuit board caused by using a pre solid state transformer made before the late 1990's. Just for the record what year is your set from? The date is on both the instruction sheet and on the box cover.

Ed G.

2001