Lionel 18056

Thanks for the reply. I did that. Did not help. I have a sealed in the box 18058/773 Century Club Hudson put on the track in conventional worked fine right out of the box same day. Made about same time frame. The 18056 didn't.

If you have sounds on start up, then your sound system is set to RS, ( Railsounds )  and not SS, ( signal sounds ) ……….on start up, only Railsounds will give you start up sounds. Signal sounds does not make any sounds till you activate a whistle or bell. So if you have start up sounds, the most like culprits are a bad chuff switch, located on the smoke piston lever bracket, a stuck lever for the puffer smoke unit ( activated by the cross head on the fireman’s side ) or a broken wire in the chuff switch system. Commonly, I’ve seen the lever get stuck, and this keeps the chuff switch closed as well. The RS system simply ignores the constant ground, and provides no chuff.

Pat

Thanks for that. So much for inspected by so and so tags in the box.

It does smoke nicely though and runs good in silent mode.

@Lionel/MTH Railroader posted:

Thanks for that. So much for inspected by so and so tags in the box.

Inspected by so & so how many decades ago now?……..it don’t matter how new y’all think it is, …..I believe that engine was built in 1997???……it’s now 2023?……So my fast math says 26 years old!!…..things stick & fail that old!……no??..

Pat

Not all things. Could have been bad from the factory. Missed by inspector. I am aware of age. Do you have to remind me?

@Lionel/MTH Railroader posted:

Not all things. Could have been bad from the factory. Missed by inspector. I am aware of age. Do you have to remind me?

Apparently so, ….your reply suggests all should be great after nearly 3 decades…..I wish everything I owned was trouble free after that long……🙄

Pat

Yea Pat I hear you. Well I have a lot of older Lionel Postwar, MPC and Kughn era and most of them work fine. I had these since they came out back in the day. Well stored. I remember the old Pepsi commercial "Always think young" song. So I think young even if I am old and on items too.  Sometimes I am disappointed but that is life. I did switch tenders and locos and found out that the Vanderbilt tender with the CC 773 chug sounds did not work.  So I put the 18056 engine with the CC773 tender and no chug sounds. So I put back the CC773 with the correct tender and it works fine. No issues. So may be issues with the 18056 engine and the Vanderbilt tender. Sound/engine board only maybe or ???? Thanks for your suggestion.

Chuff comes through the IR sensor via serial data, ….the 18056 & the CC 773 both share the same make up as far as electronics. (idea, maybe not the exact same boards) so your test is kinda puzzling, ….with the 773 in front of the Vanderbilt, you should’ve had chuff. Unless a misalignment of the IR sensors happens between the two mismatched loco/tender combos.

a test you can do: place the 18056 on the track. Set it in neutral with power applied. Rotate the drivers so the fireman’s side cross head is at the bottom of its travel. (Furthest away from the cylinders) locate the lever behind the cross head, and manually manipulate it with a toothpick, etc,…see if you can force a chuff. The lever moves forward towards the front of the engine to make the chuff switch close and produce a chuff….

Pat

Done that with the lever and it moves. Lifted off my test track and lever moves and engine piston moves and smokes but no chug sound as wheels turn.

Well, chuff comes through the IR tether regardless if command or conventional. Based on the clues you’ve given, and the fact that neither tender respond to chuff to the 18056 locomotive, let’s look at the IR wiring. Flipping the locomotive upside down, you’ll see the IR wiring follow the drawbar, and plug into a socket on the frame. Inspect that wiring closely, looking for a broken spot, or possibly it just came unplugged,…..a chafed wire can cause a signal disruption as well,….I’m basing this off your findings testing with the 773’s tender. The chuff switch may be ok, and you could have a signal disruption of the IR tether.

Pat

OK I look for things like that. I just opened a sealed War Horse set 11838 with the 704 Hudson does almost the same thing. Starts up sounds first then I increase voltage will chug for 5 to 10 times then quit. Better than the 18068 Vanderbilt no chug sounds at all moving. I put the CC 773 and tender on track works perfect. I swapped CC 773 tender with the 18068 and 704 nothing. These where all made at the same time and bought then. Never opened until now. So one out of three works as it should. On the box made and guaranteed by Lionel.  I read the thread about the bad boards and no support from Lionel and no longer available. I will fool with them awhile then I will send them off to be repaired. At the time I bought them did not have a layout and would run them later when I built one in a different house. Such is life. Thanks for your help.

I doubt this is a bad board issue, ….if these engines haven’t seen the light of day since they were purchased, not only would I expect to see issues like you’re experiencing, but they for sure need full servicing, ie; complete lube and greasing,…..also, the gear box grease can get old & dry up. I’d recommend you have all them serviced by you or, a tech before you proceed any further……It’s not a failed Lionel guarantee, Father Time has simply caught up to them….good luck!!…

Pat

@harmonyards posted:

I doubt this is a bad board issue, ….if these engines haven’t seen the light of day since they were purchased, not only would I expect to see issues like you’re experiencing, but they for sure need full servicing, ie; complete lube and greasing,…..also, the gear box grease can get old & dry up. I’d recommend you have all them serviced by you or, a tech before you proceed any further……It’s not a failed Lionel guarantee, Father Time has simply caught up to them….good luck!!…

Pat

I am aware of all that. I got a NYC 28072 with a bad board issue with the smoke unit. Gunrunner John steered me in the right direction. Thanks again for your help.