I have my train with a 2671 whistle tender running on fast track using a KW transformer. When I activate the train whistle with the orange lever nothing happens. The whistle relay contact points do not close when the lever is activated. If I manually close the contacts with track power on, the whistle works. I checked continuity with a test light across A and U. The test light lights when the whistle lever is activated. Where do I go from here? Thanks
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It sounds to me that the problem is in the KW's whistle rectifier, very common in KW and ZW transformers who share that rectifier; especially so because the Tender whistle relay is not closing, at all. Years ago, I used to repair this stuff for several LHS's, but now I only work on my own stuff.
It's not a difficult fix, but not recommended for someone unfamiliar with these post-war items.
There are several on the forum who can point you in the right direction.
I have replaced the rectifier disc with a 1N1190RA diode so the train does not slow down when the whistle is activated. I have done this modification to 2 other KW transformers and the whistles work fine.
Found the problem. When I installed the diode, I did not notice the copper arm was touching the top edge of the diode. I moved the arm away from the diode and now the whistle works. Thanks John Nagurney for your reply isolating the problem to the rectifier disc.
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