Lionchief problems?

Since the LC doesn't look at track signal to activate the sounds, it appears you have some sort of internal connection error or perhaps a board failure.

Thats what i figured.   Is there any sort of antenna in these? (I know there is not an obvious antenna as such. Just the board)

It appears to happen more/or less in relation to where in the room the remote is in relation to the loco.

There is an antenna of some sort, I don't recall now if it's obvious.  Try taking it to a different room and see if it still goes nuts.  Maybe it's some sort of RF interference?

Ok. I got the engine back a while ago, and it was still  doing it . Maybe to a little lesser extent. They sent a new remote.   I kind of put this engine on the back burner for a while, and started running it again lately. Narrowed it down to a puzzling situation. Even though the sounds are activated via the remote control, the Sounds go off randomly at times due to insulated track sections! For the life of me I can't figure out how this could happen, but if I unplug my accessory voltage to the insulated track sections it doesn't happen at all.  Does anyone have a clue how the sounds could be going off randomly due to insulated track voltage/sections? It's baffling me!!

How in the world can you get a repaired item back and it still does the same thing. I would call and try to speak to the repair person.

Rod Miller

I have had that issue, though it only happens on old O-27 switches with the steamer. For some reason the lower end Lionchief models go off with there is a slight spark, like an insulated track section or a switch with anti-derail, though mostly i got the whistle.

Train Nut posted:

Ok. I got the engine back a while ago, and it was still  doing it . Maybe to a little lesser extent. They sent a new remote.   I kind of put this engine on the back burner for a while, and started running it again lately. Narrowed it down to a puzzling situation. Even though the sounds are activated via the remote control, the Sounds go off randomly at times due to insulated track sections! For the life of me I can't figure out how this could happen, but if I unplug my accessory voltage to the insulated track sections it doesn't happen at all.  Does anyone have a clue how the sounds could be going off randomly due to insulated track voltage/sections? It's baffling me!!

Well, you found the cause, now check the wiring.

Accessory voltage transformer possibly not in phase with track power transformer. If it's DC, the minus (ground) must be on the outside rail.

Are all insulated outside rails on the same side, ie. all inside rail or all outside rail?

If it's an activation track or uncoupler is the center coil insulated from the center rail? Also, with track transformer off, check that the activation rails and coil are not leaking to the outside rails or the center rail.

If you are powering something or triggering something with the outside rail the transformers need to be phased and the common is the trigger. The acc power hot is wired only to the accessory.

Some ramblings...

Transformers are definitely in phase. I might have one activation track with the insulated rail opposite the rest...  i will disconnect and see if any change... will also check for any leakage.

Train Nut posted:

Transformers are definitely in phase. I might have one activation track with the insulated rail opposite the rest...  i will disconnect and see if any change... will also check for any leakage.

That would break a contiguous common. Depending on the track feeds, it may not matter.

Are you using DC for the accessory?

Try running it in the other direction, see if it's sensitive to which side the wheels lose power.

Im using ac power only.   Im using fastrack where the ground rails are connected underneath by a bus bar. Not including the insulated sections of course.  Between that and the feeds, i do have a continuous  ground. I checked with a continuity  tester.

The only way I see the opposite insulated rail being a problem would be if I had multiple insulated track sections with opposing insulated rails all in succession resulting in a break of my ground.   Am I correct in thinking that?   If so, I guess my only thing to check at this point would be for leakage around my operating tracks?  The thing I'm not understanding about all this is how the track is factoring into setting off the sounds. It was my belief that the sounds were controlled exclusively by a remote signal.

just a thought, do you have any sort of wifi signal booster or bluetooth speakers or really anything else that uses the 2.4GHz band near by?  perhaps some other sort of remote controlled device?   Regular LionChief's radio set up is not particularly picky and may end up being triggered by 'noise' on the band.  The insulated sections may serve as a larger antenna for the engine causing it to pick up noise from further away.  This is just throwing an idea out there.  

moving away from the radio as the culprit,  it may be a combination of dirty track and insulated sections and traction tires.  Here the engine may be getting random pulses of power which might be scrambling the brains of the sound board, causing it to 'reboot' while other boards remain active in the LC package.  

Is there any other hic-ups in the engine's movement or sounds?  or is the only symptom that the bell,whistle and crewtalk go off?  

JGL

I do have a Wi-Fi router in the house. But no enhancers. I had thought of that and I unplug the router one time. Still had the issue.  Also as previously stated, it seems to totally disappear when I unplug the Transformer to the operating tracks and switches.

I've had freshly clean track and wheels and still had this happen.

 

Starting to think that the insulated track may be acting like an antenna to some outside source.

 

Nothing else quirky happens with the engine prior to or while this is happening.

 

Maybe it has something to do with my Transformers? I recently discovered they were BW - 80 Transformers as opposed to CW - 80 Transformers that I thought I had.

The BW Transformers are operating the track voltage. K line Transformer is hooked up to the accessory voltage/ ins tracks/switches.

Train Nut posted:

Im using ac power only.   Im using fastrack where the ground rails are connected underneath by a bus bar. Not including the insulated sections of course.  Between that and the feeds, i do have a continuous  ground. I checked with a continuity  tester.

The only way I see the opposite insulated rail being a problem would be if I had multiple insulated track sections with opposing insulated rails all in succession resulting in a break of my ground.   Am I correct in thinking that?   If so, I guess my only thing to check at this point would be for leakage around my operating tracks?  The thing I'm not understanding about all this is how the track is factoring into setting off the sounds. It was my belief that the sounds were controlled exclusively by a remote signal.

Interrupted power can cause weird surges. It doesn't sound like that would be the case.

Train Nut posted:

The BW Transformers are operating the track voltage. K line Transformer is hooked up to the accessory voltage/ ins tracks/switches.

Do both transformers have polarized plugs to ensure that they will be in phase? I know the BW does. By the way, nothing wrong with the BW. The brick has a nice fast acting breaker.

So, from your previous post, the issue lies somewhere with the accessory power or hook up. When that is unpowered, there is no problem.

Yes. The BW's have polarized plugs and even so,  i had double checked them for phase. Both ok. 

I was even thinking it might be the       k line accessory  transformer, but i even tried disconnectong it and hooking the accessory leads up to the BW's and still had the same results.    Puzzling...   It doesnt do it constantly. Sometimes more than others. 

I have Run a Lionchief Plus 4-6-4 Hudson over the same switches no issues, only the 2-4-2 has the issue, of random button issues, it is unique to the lower end Lionchief. It makes no sense, since it should not happen. The only answer I could think of is they used a 60hz signal some where that gets confused for the lower end engines.

Check the tether and speaker connections for a loose or pulled wire. Also, speaker may be bad.