Hello does anybody have any thoughts on why my new lionel F19 Pacific with the Vanderbilt tender loses power and sounds for a second when it goes over the fast track switches. Once it clears it comes back on. It seems to be the tender that’s causing this because the engine stays lit. Any thoughts? Thank you.
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Could be several possibilities. Spacing of pickups, gauge spacing of wheels, defective track. Run the train slowly and see if you can pinpoint the exact time. Try some photos so we can see the bottom of your train.
You have to treat Lionel’s steamers as 2 separate units as far as powered units. The tenders rollers are supplying the only power to the tender if they feature a IR tether. The 2 wires are only sending the signal from the engine. Telling it what to do. A meter can provide a quick check to make sure there is continuity between the 2 rollers. For a quick test you can place a short piece of tape on the center rail and roll the tender over it and see if the sounds cut out. You will be isolating one roller at a time. Some engines do have spacing issues on large long turnouts. Shouldn’t happen on Lionel’s own track though.
Just make sure the IR tether between the engine and tether stays in good alignment. Unlikely but it could be moving around as it navigates the turnout. As a last resort. You may need to add a battery or one of Gunrunner John’s YLB to keep the tender alive through a quick power dropout.
Hey guys, I bought 2 of these. The Christmas f19 which has the non Vanderbilt Tender and the Halloween F19 with the Vanderbilt Tender! I hear the Vanderbilt Tender is the issue. Thank you for your comments!
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