Lionel postwar 154 with PCB auto flasher failure

Oops.  I deleted my explanation.  Please hold.

I acquired two 610-2760-300 flashers to install under two 154 signals.

test figment was fine but during final install I managed to ruin them.

first probable mistake: no TVS protection downstream of my transformer. Since I run only postwar maybe I should do that?  Can someone recommend a spec or model number for that part?

second mistake: I attempted to solder the red bulb connection and even with a quick solder maybe any heat is bad?  The diagram clearly shows wire nuts so maybe the really mean use wire nuts?

third mistake: on fitment for one I know I shorted the alligator clips so that fried it.

Can the boards be saved by figuring out which parts are bad and replacing them? Or is it likely any one particular component?  If so where do you buy these things?

thanks for the help!

Ozzie

The video looks like it works fine?

It appears the alligator clips connect the signal to your train transformer.  If you shorted the two alligator clips this would only short the train transformer; it is unlikely this would damage the signal.  Any chance shorting the alligators tripped a breaker in the train transformer?

At the time of testing the second one not in the video I used two more alligator clips to connect the red wires when that short occurred.

The video show the successful trial set ups. Failures occurred during final installs.

I'm still a bit confused.

So BOTH of your flashers do absolutely nothing - bulbs are dark?

And this happened when you shorted together the two red wires (one red wire to each bulb).  And you made this same shorting error on BOTH signals?

Also is the issue that these boards are apparently difficult to find and hence you're trying to effect a component-level repair?  Do you have a multimeter handy?  In looking at the circuit board, do you feel reasonably comfortable de-soldering/removing components and replacing them?

One board works one light only.  The other neither light woks.

feel reasonably competent soldering a component.  

not sure the shorting happened on both. I only noticed a spark on one.  And it could have been one clip to a tool on the table not necessarily to the other clip

i have an analog dial meter that can measure resistance and continuity among others.

I think the boards are hard to find but if cheaper to find two more that would make more sense I suppose

before I went that route I hope to be schooled on what I did wrong so as not to repeat it —other than the obvious short out.

I've had two of the MTH 154 version go out on me and only have one light blink while already on the layout.  Bulbs & connections were fine.  I'm assuming sometimes there might be normal failures in some of these circuit boards.

What bulbs are in the signal, 1445 or 53 or 363? And what voltage is the input, and also what transformer?

Transformers:  a 1033 on A terminal and I used anywhere from 5 to 12ish volts based on the handle.  And a American flyer 9b same voltage on a 7-15 range based on the handle halfway

bulbs on both are 53s.

Both sound fine.  Lionel designed the flasher circuit for the #53 bulbs, they later went to pea sized bulbs, like the push in bulbs they use now. I think your accident caused the problem and burnt out the little IC chip.

So I’m assuming that’s the little 8-pronged chip. I don’t have the skill set to change that out for sure.  Too may prongs to release at once for me.  Sure you can all tell I’m a noob in all this board stuff.  

Thanks everyone for your help!

Either flood all prongs on one side with solder and lift one side at a time or cut the legs and remove the pieces, then clean the pads and solder a new chip in place.  That is how I do PS2 3v audio amps.

If you need a replacement board, Train Tender lists them in stock for a reasonable price.

You can also use an arduino ir sensor, 2 arduino relay boards and an arduino nano.  I have the arduino sketch if you, or anyone else decides to go that route.  That is how I flash my PW 154.

Jon G ’s hint : If I could find the chip (a bewildering number of choices for “lm358n” with different suffix letters) it would be a challenge to change it out before I admit utter defeat and REORDER from Mr. Kane (favorite parts guy—actually my only because I found him 11 years ago and stayed with him).  I may check with a local electronic supply house Altex first.

Was my error the shorting or the soldering or the lack of TVS Protection or all 3. The temp range seems to be 125f and I held the leads and nothing got that hot.  So thinking the shorts did me in as per Mr Sartor’s thoughts. So lastly does this also need TVS?

Again thanks all. Learning a lot from this site!  Ozzie

If the 610-2760-300 is readily available at a "reasonable price" as Chuck suggests, that's probably your best way forward.

I'd say with over 90% confidence that the failure is in one of the 3 parts circled above.  But there you have it; there are apparently at least 2 variants of the 610-2760-300 board.  By the time we drill down to exactly which version you have, and harass you to report the actual lettering/markings on the parts in question, you'd be better off just buying the boards!

The actual parts are 5 cent or 10 cent parts.  But if your parts cupboard is bare, you can't practically buy just 1 or 2 of anything like this!  By the time you pay for shipping, and minimum order quantities, and so on, you are at $10+ out-of-pocket!  Or to save a few bucks you have to wait weeks (or months!) to get them from some Asian seller on eBay.  I can't imagine how much you'd have to pay to get this "professionally" repaired at your hobby shop or to send it back to Lionel.

But if you are in no great hurry and see this kind of DIY troubleshooting/repair as part-and-parcel of the hobby, then we can forge on.  I find great satisfaction in repairing something rather than sending it to the landfill!  It's not just about the dollars and cents. 

I have the one on the right.  Came from the train tender.  Reordering is most probably the path along with no soldering and adding TVS seems wise from what I read too. Thanks for the input Stan2004.

i guess we learn best from our mistakes right!