Lionel not working

what kind of train set are we talkin about here, like a thomas set, pennsylvania special, new york central? Did it come with an operating manual? Could be the reversing unit is locked into reverse....

Yes you need to clean your track and i would try that first see that helps before ruling out being the controller or engine problems . I use scotch brite pad to clean rust off my track. The lionel controller the one you got is not very good the buttons are loose on those. I have one it started to short out on me if you want something cheap you can buy lionel CW80 for around 50.00 for now.    

Not sure. It didn't come with the original box. It was just all thrown together in a cardboard box. If you can tell me where to look on the train itself that might tell me, I'll take a look.

Thanks. I was wondering what would be best to clean the tracks. I'll give that a try. So can you buy this controller at a hobby shop, or is there an online source?

Well, first is it a steam or diesel locomotive and what is the number on the side of the loco. underneath on the bottom might be a label or wording of some sort.

I'm sorry. I don't mean to sound dumb here, but how do I tell the difference between steam or diesel? The number on the side of the engine is 8633. Only wording I can find is Lionel. Under the coal car is the wording: Lionel Tains, Inc. Chesterfield MI 48051. The other cars have Union Pacific on their sides. I'm attaching a photo of the engine if that will help.

Sometimes they are forsale on the Ogr forum here and also ebay several dealers has them for 59.00. Here is a pic of lionel cw80 and a pic of the one you have now. 

No need to say your sorry, especially if your new to the hobby, there's no such thing as a dumb question. That locomotive is usually pretty solid, got one myself. Yes any Lionel transformer would work with this one. you can find them all over the place at hobby shops that carry lionel, internet websites, train shows, (f)Ebay, etc.

There is a little teeny on/off switch underneath the cab windows that turns the reversing unit on/off. When in the "ON" position, the locomotive will cycle between "forward/ Neutral/ Reverse/ Neutral/ forward/ etc. etc." when you hit the direction button on the transformer. If that switch  is in the "OFF" position, that can lock the loco into one direction only. IE; forward only, or as in what you described, may be locked into reverse only.

I always go for the easiest fix first and see if that wont solve the problem....

Yep, that's the one I have. I'll be on the lookout for the one you recommended. Thanks for sending the photos.

So what kind of train is this and is it steam or diesel?

We've tried the switch in both directions, and nothing seems to be working. Even when it does go in reverse, it's only sometimes. When I hit the button on the transformer, the light on the train blinks, and it will try to move, but not always. That's why I'm thinking it's the controller. Like it has a short or something.

You mention going with the easies fix first. What do you think that would be? The transformer?

Your description sounds like the locomotive needs lubrication.

A steamer would look like this, the locomotive and the tender.

A diesel would look like this, a single unit.

Okay, so it's a steamer. What exactly do I need to lube? Just the wheels, I assume? I'm just not sure that's it though, because I can manually turn the wheels, and although they seem to need a little lubrication, they do move the same both ways.

It is a Steam locomotive. Here is a link to what the set looked like 6-11736.

Dirty track and poor connections will cause problems like you are having. Clean the top of the rails, and the connector pins quickly with a scratch pad or kitchen sponge pad to determine if it will help. Just enough to see if it helps.

Also check the track connector for the power supply plug for corrosion underneath and looseness of the connector.

If any of those do help, you can ask here about thorough cleaning methods.

John, Olson's Maint. link? I can't find it.

That's probably a bit new for Olsen's.  It's a DC motored locomotive, so no motor lube should be necessary.

I'd start by lubing the gears and axles with a drop of lightweight oil.  Also, make sure nothing is stuck in the gears.

Here's the Lionel Exploded Parts Listing for the locomotive and tender.

Thanks! That's great information. By the way, if I wanted to buy new track, would any metal track work, or do I need something specific. In addition to the rust, some of the connector pins are missing.

You can use any track lionel fastrack,atlas, mth, gargraves track in 3 rail. I think you need to clean your track and also clean wheels on the engine and pick up rollers if the switch not working lock in one direction then either the switch is bad or the electronic e unit board is bad. Also forgot to add that engine if it has two switches one to  turn the e unit off the other for smoke unit if it only has one just for e unit. Some the older engines didn't have switch turn smoke unit off and the newer engines had the switch turn the smoke unit off but you can add the switch. I have a lionel mopar express train set with same engine wish mine had switch turn smoke unit off. I may have one put on some day.     

Thanks for the info. I will definitely do some cleaning. I can only find one switch.

Only thing I'd add to all the previous advice on track cleaning is: do not use steel wool to clean the track. 

If it were me, I'd probably just replace the track altogether.  New 027 (I'm assuming) track isn't expensive.

I found the manual for a locomotive similar to yours, but as Chessie1971 mentioned, this one has two switches underneath the cab, 1 for the reverse unit and 1 for the smoke unit. Yours only has the reverse unit switch. But its pretty much the same locomotive in all other aspects.

It's a PDF file found on Lionel.com

http://www.lionel.com/media/se...ents/70-8616-250.pdf

please keep us posted on your progress....

Neither dirty track nor transformer are the likely the reason the steam locomotive only goes in reverse.

If it will go until stopped in reverse, it is not something stuck in the gears, either.

If that little switch's position makes no difference, and also that the revers motion is intermittent, it does seem that the electronic e-unit (or "reverse board") has failed.

There's good news.  Replacements are available used for about $15 (and new ones available for not too much more).

 If the reverse-only is reliable, a fix for while you wait for parts, is possible.  You could open it up, and swap the motor wires, and then it would go forward-only.

  --Joe

Or, if worse come to worst, you could always pick up another similar loco, pretty cheap, like this one;

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lionel...;hash=item4610876a2d

Use some pliers, try not to squeeze the connector pins out of shape and move them until all of the center rails have connectors.

Then try to get at least one an outside rail. If you have leave two outside rails open somewhere, that's better than a missing center rail connector.

Again, this is for a quick test and to be sure that you have continuous power because the center rail carries the power.

From a Lionel maint. manual:

As previously mentioned, something like a scoth brite pad, no sandpaper.

Thanks to everyone for your suggestions. I'll let you all know how it turns out.