Does Lionel repair old K line engines or is there a better route to go! I have bought several from Trainz and they all died first time we ran them. trainz was very good about "fixing" them and they were returned DOA.
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Lionel doesn't even repair Lionel engines over 5 years old, K-Line no. If the problem is with the electronics most Lionel repair stations should be able to help. Some K-Line electronics are unique to K-Line but substitutes can be found, other K-Line engines use all Lionel electronics. If you have a mechanical problem, that might be more difficult as K-Line parts and becoming harder to come by.
Pete
Know for a fact that the Train Shack in Burbank California do them but I wouldn't know if other Hobby shops/repair guys do them too.
I've repaired a lot of K-Line stuff, it's not all that bleak as for parts.
Brasseurs at one time had quite an extensive inventory of K-Line parts and and was very good on K-Line repairs.
Ditto on repairing K-line. Tell us what engines? Are you sure they are DOA? If so, return to Trainz to get right. G
I have three K-Line steam locomotives in right now for repairs and/or upgrades. I don't anticipate issues with parts for any of them.
Can the K line driver boards be replaced with ERR boards?
I have a K4 steam engine with blown boards sitting under the layout... The sounds are fine in the tender... but I think I lost the rest.
J Daddy posted:Can the K line driver boards be replaced with ERR boards?
I have a K4 steam engine with blown boards sitting under the layout... The sounds are fine in the tender... but I think I lost the rest.
Cruise Commander M (steam version) was made for this. I have two K-Line K4's and a B6sb 0-6-0 that I've upgraded with CC M. All of them work great.
Doug W. posted:Brasseurs at one time had quite an extensive inventory of K-Line parts and and was very good on K-Line repairs.
The still have lots of K-line parts and do K-line repairs....
I have replaced all the locomotive electronics in a K-Line locomotive and used the stock K-Line tender sound stuff, works fine. I used the ERR Cruise Commander. Many K-Line locomotives used stock Lionel R2LC, DCDR, and the RailSounds boards. Many also used Lionel motherboards.
John is correct on the parts. Just about anyone who is qualified to work on Lionel can fix K Line. Nothing fancy inside. Many times one will come in with the complaint it will not move. Remove and reseat the R2LC board and do a restore features and most of the time you are good to go.
Another complaint is with diesel engines of the engine stalling on switches. I get hit with this very often. Flip the engine over and hit both rollers with your continuity meter and most times you will get none. Those engines are showing up with burned motherboard traces. Old age hits train boards just like it hits us. When you get this, follow the traces and hardwire the board and it will hopefully out live you.
The photo below is a K-Line GP-38. It was hardwired and life is good for the owner. I would rather have a hardwired board in my engine than just buy a new board. Lionel and K-Line TMCC motherboards are very cheap to buy.
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Marty, did you run solder along the lands or use wire jumpers? My eyes can't see clear enough Heh
Pennvalley RR posted:Marty, did you run solder along the lands or use wire jumpers? My eyes can't see clear enough Heh
FWIW looks like solder to me. This is one job I hope never to have to do!
Normally you use wire to jumper between the terminals at each end of the trace. Many times the traces are vaporized so you can't simply apply solder where there is no copper. I use 30 AWG solid conductor to make the jumpers.
Pete
Jumpers. The way to go.
I also peel up the toasted traces so they won't separate and cause issues. I also use solid wire and use a few spots of CA adhesive to hold the wire in place. Makes it better than new.
John, the burned traces can be flaked off. Like you I cover the bad traces with a small brush dipped in CA. I always use a hard wired board for my own locomotives. K Line diesels are the worst violators.
Some motherboards are great, others are not. They are very cheap to buy and it is up to the owner how he wants to go. New or hardwired.
The big tip off for a defective motherboard is stalling on switches that other engines do not stall on.
Marty Fitzhenry posted:John is correct on the parts. Just about anyone who is qualified to work on Lionel can fix K Line. Nothing fancy inside. Many times one will come in with the complaint it will not move. Remove and reseat the R2LC board and do a restore features and most of the time you are good to go.
Another complaint is with diesel engines of the engine stalling on switches. I get hit with this very often. Flip the engine over and hit both rollers with your continuity meter and most times you will get none. Those engines are showing up with burned motherboard traces. Old age hits train boards just like it hits us. When you get this, follow the traces and hardwire the board and it will hopefully out live you.
Input capacity from power supplies is part of this problem, I limited track circuit capacity to 7.5 amps long ago. Some of the TAS boards were rated at 8 amps. Modern power supplies can easily double engine electronics capacity. I had the same problem with early IC Controls Block Power Controllers with double PH 135's paralleled to a TPC 400. Limiting capacity was 15 amps/ both PH135's 7.5 amp resets would trip at the same time. Dead short derails. I have also had Atlas 6924 relay boards fry traces, eventally fused the track circuits at 3 amps even though the boards were rated for 8 amps.
The BPC's repaired.
The photo below is a K-Line GP-38. It was hardwired and life is good for the owner. I would rather have a hardwired board in my engine than just buy a new board. Lionel and K-Line TMCC motherboards are very cheap to buy.
Hi. I have a K-Line GP-38 LIRR engine like this one:
At first, just the sound would cut out, but now the engine only runs and makes sounds in fits and starts.
Is this something repairable? I'm having difficulty finding a repair shop. Any suggestions?
Who to use is the question. The first round of tries ended in unanswered e-mails or being told the engine is too new for the tech to repair. One person even decided to "pass" on the repair, then deleted himself from this conversation. When I ask for recommendations, no one knows.
Bodkin posted:Of course. Who to use is the question. The first round of tries ended in unanswered e-mails and being told the engine is too new for the tech to repair. When I ask for recommendations, no one knows.
Did you try Gunrunner John?
I'm new here, how do I contact you, or Gunrunner John?
a few years ago I sent my K LIne F7s ( bought circa 2005) to Brasseurs for repair. took months to get an answer as to ETA on completion of repairs. in fairness, I think Dean had said a major board was fried, and they didnt have another. I was told, "but wait, we can repair it". It was sent back without motors in the B unit, and the trailing A unit......something that wasn't mentioned. My locos went around the track a few times......and that was it.
Some repair!!!!!!!
Also in fairness......those F7 units have the crappy, MINUTE pin connectors that I think Jim Barrett(?) warned folks about in his review when they first came out. I say this 'cause they arent difficult to mess up!
FWIW, those units also are the ones with the TRULY "off colour" red that infuriated folks..........it's not very close to what it should be.
That's what I've been reading a lot of, REDJIMMY1995, and wanted to find someone local.
Well. Bodkin........why not try GunnerRunnerJohn?.........I've met him.........He seems a whiz at electronics and showed care, concern and patience when I explained a couple of train engine problems to him....so were the Henning Bros. I am NOT trying to show favoritism, rather, if I knew of him at the time of my F7 fiasco, I might have tried him.
Bodkin posted:I'm new here, how do I contact you, or Gunrunner John?
Look at the third reply to this thread above. John’s contact information is in his profile, which you can access by clicking on his name.
Thanks.
Hawkshaw posted:Was this steamer a K-Line made by Marx? The boiler looks like Marx mold. I picked it up for ten bucks.
It was made by K-Line. K-Line obtained many of the Marx and AMT/KMT molds and the early K-Line was all about traditional size locos with can motors and lightweight traditional size fright cars.
Your loco has the body of the 3/16" Marx diecast number 333 loco with the tender from the larger Marx plastic bodied 1829 loco.
Ten bucks was a terrific deal.
Thanks for the info. The little plastic piece on the metal eccentric crank is cracked on the engineers side of the loco. Does anyone know if this part is available or would it be better to make a metal Lionel one fit it?
A Lionel one will not fit. Grossman has parts for Marx and you can use one of those.
http://www.trainpartsformarx.com/
There are four positions in which it can be installed. Make sure you install it pointing somewhat towards the center of the axle. If it is pointing away from the axle center, it will swing too far, reach the end of the rod's travel, and crack the eccentric.
If you do not care to use a rivet, the eccentric can usually be tapped for a 2-56 screw.
This is great information. Never new about this supplier. A million thanks.
