Lionel TMCC "TEN Wheeler" stopped chuffing - any ideas?

Chuff is controlled by a micro switch driven by a cam on the axle. A few things can disrupt the switch’s function. Smoke fluid can impregnate the switch, and kill it, sometimes the switch just croaks. They can come out of adjustment, and on rare occasions, the cam splits and spins on the axle,…….Ten wheelers are jammed packed with wires and boards, getting it apart, not so bad, getting it back together is a little fidgety……the switch itself is not horrible to replace …..

Pat

Did you run the smoke and did it puff ?   These came I think with only one chuff per rev.
Pretty sure these have a plunger style smoke unit that has a lever that also triggers the chuff. If the piston hangs up in the smoke unit. It will effect the chuff.

As Pat mentioned it could be the switch itself. Once your in there. You will see how it all works.

Pat, is this something  you can repair?

Thanks,

Don

@DGJONES posted:

Pat, is this something  you can repair?

Thanks,

Don

I would love to, but I’m jammed to the rafters with custom work,……unfortunately, I’m not retired yet, so that dang day job gets in the way, …..😉

Pat

I'm not familiar with that locomotive but I know a few of my steamers lose their chuff if the wireless drawbar gets misaligned or if the wired tether comes unplugged.

If your locomotive goes silent, then it could be a bad connection between locomotive and tender. If you still have background/whistle/etc sounds, it's probably a switch gone bad.

The chuff switch on these is under the smokebox, actuated by a lever on one of the piston rods.  If that is bent, it might be the issue, as it was with my C&NW version. 

I believe the lever on these is plastic and is known to break. That happened on an engine owned by one of my club members. Its made of plastic like delrin that can’t be glued. I think I used a soldering iron to melt the plastic back together until a new part arrived.

Pete

@DGJONES posted:

I have a Lionel Virginian 4-6-0 (item number 6-38004).  This engine has TMCC and Odyssey speed control.  Everything function worked perfectly when it was last run about two years ago.  When I ran it today, everything worked except the chuffing.  I might hear one chuff when I first run it but that is all.

Any ideas as to wha t may have caused this and how to repair it.

Thanks for your help,

Don

Don if you are interested in someone fixing the chuff issue for you, I would be happy to help you. However, the chuff switch is very easy to find and adjust/replace. It is right near the smoke unit on this engine at the front of the chassis. A simple unscrew and two wires to solder is all that is needed. Email me if you are interested.

sidstrains773@gmail.com

@Cheap&NothingWasted posted:

The chuff switch on these is under the smokebox, actuated by a lever on one of the piston rods.  If that is bent, it might be the issue, as it was with my C&NW version.

I stand corrected, ….you & Pete are correct, the switch is indeed driven by the lever and not a cam ……good call,…

Pat

One thought on the cause. If only the sounds stopped but the smoke appears to puff then the problem is the switch. If you get neither sounds or puffing smoke then its more likely a problem with the lever.

Pete

Thanks for the responses.  This engine has a tethereed connection between engine and tender.  All the sounds work except of the chuff.  I will take the boiler off later today and check the actuator.  I will post my findings.

Thanks again,

Don

  The portion to the left in Pete’s pic. I’m guessing drives the plunger for the smoke unit. If the plunger sticks in the smoke unit. Does it just get hung up in no man’s land or can it tweak or break the lever ?

Don, mentioned he hadn’t run it for a couple of years. Can the smoke unit just get gummed up from sitting causing it to seize up ?

I just opened the engine up and the lever and cam seem to be functioning.  The lever on micro switch is being pushed down but I cannot tell if the micro switch button is being depressed.  I will hook the tender up later and seee if it will chuff and will depress the button with a screw drive blade to make sur it is traveling as it should.

Thanks,

Don

You can also use an ohmmeter to check and see if the switch is closing as you rotate the flywheel on the motor to actuate the linkage.

Well, what I can see of the lever is in tack but it only seems to travel about 1/16 of an inch.  When I depress the microswitch with a small screwdriver blade, the switch activates the chuff.

It looks like I need to remove the smoke unit to see the bottom of the lever to determine why the lever has such limited travel.  Am I correct that the TMCC set of boards bracket needs to come off and then the screws holding the smoke unit?  What should I be slaking for?

I really appreciate all the help I get on this forum!  Thanks,Guys!

Don

@DGJONES posted:

Well, what I can see of the lever is in tack but it only seems to travel about 1/16 of an inch.  When I depress the microswitch with a small screwdriver blade, the switch activates the chuff.

It looks like I need to remove the smoke unit to see the bottom of the lever to determine why the lever has such limited travel.  Am I correct that the TMCC set of boards bracket needs to come off and then the screws holding the smoke unit?  What should I be slaking for?

I really appreciate all the help I get on this forum!  Thanks,Guys!

Don

It would help if we had a visual of what was going on. Asking if something needs to be done without seeing it makes it hard to answer that question.

@Norton posted:

I believe the lever on these is plastic and is known to break. That happened on an engine owned by one of my club members. Its made of plastic like delrin that can’t be glued. I think I used a soldering iron to melt the plastic back together until a new part arrived.

Pete

Norton, where would I find this part.  While working in the area , the part broke (very easily by the way).  I went to Lionel support and put in the item number 6-38004, the number came up but only listed 4 or 5 parts available.  This part was not listed.   I tried putting in the PN you posted above but it was always shown as  invalid.

Do you know where I can find this part or is they engine now doomed to no chuff or puffing smoke?

Thanks for your help,

Don

@DGJONES posted:

Norton, where would I find this part.  While working in the area , the part broke (very easily by the way).  I went to Lionel support and put in the item number 6-38004, the number came up but only listed 4 or 5 parts available.  This part was not listed.   I tried putting in the PN you posted above but it was always shown as  invalid.

Do you know where I can find this part or is they engine now doomed to no chuff or puffing smoke?

Thanks for your help,

Don

Don, you can use the part number at the bottom of the photo. Just leave out the dashes. You can search on item number, (your engine), or by part number shown above.

https://www.lionelsupport.com/...?keywords=6208098302

Pete

  I typed in Virginian. It’s on page 4. Click on it and then click view locomotive parts. It’s #74 on the list. Shows it’s available for $5.00.  Just in case you may need something else while your in there.

Thank you Norton for the link.  I was able to get it ordered.

Hopefully I will not break it trying to get it installed.

Thanks to all who replied,

Don