Lionel 28074 TMCC RS Issues

I've never known an LCRU2 to selectively pass some commands (CrewTalk, etc.) and not others (chuff, whistle). 

Since you've already reset the LCRU, I would pull the PIC and ROM chips from the RS 2.5 board in the tender, wipe both with contact cleaner, and re-seat. Does that bring back any of the missing sounds? If not, then the problem likely resides in the loco (LCRU2). 

TRW

After a little more thought, I thought that loco had an R2LC. 

My comments above regarding pulling and re-seating the tender RailSounds chips still apply. 

If that doesn't change anything, try swapping the R2LC in the loco with another. 

TRW

I reset all the chips on to their posts and the whistle sound came back. After putting the tender shell back on it, the whistle stopped again, I reset the sound chip again and all is well. I am gonna have to secure it with a zip tie or something, even though its not loose.

The chuff sound not working seems to be the smoke piston arm not raising or lowering. It then snapped when I tried adjusting it, so I ordered a new one...work in progress for now...maybe now I know why this engine was the last made in America :-)

Well I am still having issues. The sound chip was reset and the smoke piston is now engaging and triggering the chuff sound. I reset the engine multiple times. It was working for a while,  using TMCC and a CAB1, The whistle was responding to the whistle button on the CAB1 but stopped working again,  along with the Brake Feature and Sound. I am still thinking there may be a short in the LCRU2 Board and wondering if I should replace it?

Is the LCRU2 in the engine and the RS 2.5??  In the tender?  Could you have cracked solder joints on the Engine tether connection?  Intermittent wire connection in tether?  Tether may be bad.  I have seem more RS 2.5 failure than LCRU2s.  I would look at that first.  G

GGG

There is no tether. This engine uses the infared.

Intermittent IR.  Same principle but just 2 wires.  G

GGG is right in that the problem could be an intermittent infrared tether sender or receiver.

Here's something to try... when the whistle stops working, can you still operate the rear coupler? If yes, then the problem is likely with the RailSounds boards in the tender. If it doesn't, then the problem could be in the loco or elsewhere in the tender.

Do you have another locomotive with the IR tether that you can put behind your Berk? This would help isolate whether the problem is with the locomotive or tender.

And I still think this loco has an R2LC with RailSounds 4 and not an LCRU2 with RailSounds 2.5. 

TRW

PaperTRW posted:

And I still think this loco has an R2LC with RailSounds 4 and not an LCRU2 with RailSounds 2.5.

From the product page:  Nickel Plate Road TMCC 2-8-4 Berkshire #759

Most Recent Catalog: Classic Trains Vol. 1 2001

I would expect something from 2001 to have the RS4 and the R2LC.

From the User's Manual linked on that page.

Lionel Command™ R2LC reverse unit for use with the Lionel TrainMaster® Command™ model railroad control system

In that case, also pull the two RS PCB off the mother board, remove the chips from the RS board and reseat (Use PLCC Puller or John will yell at you:-))  Reseat everything and try again.  IF still intermittent go after the IR sensor, and swap RS boards one at a time.

TRW test with and using another IR RS tender also is a good method of trouble shooting.  If you NKP tender works with another Engine, then the NKP engine side is the issue... etc,,,,   G

If you don't use a PLCC puller, it's better than even money that you'll crack the socket, then you have an even bigger issue.

PaperTRW posted:

GGG is right in that the problem could be an intermittent infrared tether sender or receiver.

Here's something to try... when the whistle stops working, can you still operate the rear coupler? If yes, then the problem is likely with the RailSounds boards in the tender. If it doesn't, then the problem could be in the loco or elsewhere in the tender.

Do you have another locomotive with the IR tether that you can put behind your Berk? This would help isolate whether the problem is with the locomotive or tender.

And I still think this loco has an R2LC with RailSounds 4 and not an LCRU2 with RailSounds 2.5. 

TRW

The coupler will sometimes not work either, but the brake sounds and feature dont work  along with the whistle.  I have several other engines I can try with this, and I will see what happened. I am starting to think its something with the IR. I will recheck all of the wiring from the board in the loco to the IR sensor.