Lionmaster 6-38020 PRR T1 No Smoke

Just do a reprogram on the engine using your engine ID and code 74

 

Put engine in program mode, apply power press engine and the ID then press set

press engine again and the ID then press AUX1 then 7 then 4. shut power down

put engine back in run position. Should be fixed

 

Alex

Somethings not right there, thats the smoke unit fan motor but it shouldn't make any noise with the loco sitting still.

 

Secondly, it shouldn't zing, zing, zing, like that for that model. That model has a constant/ steady fan, not "chuffing" smoke timed with the drivers.

Its sounds like it is programmed as a strobe. Reprogram as Alex mentioned and it should be alright.

 

Bill

Hi Rick,

 

Whether the smoke unit is a steady fan driven smoke unit or a chuff and puff unit

when it zings like that it needs a reprogram. Reprogramming should correct the problem.

 

Thanks,

Alex

UPDATE

 

I reprogrammed the engine like Alex said. The blower fan doesn't cycle like my first post. It is constant. When I hit the + and - on the Cab control it shuts the fan off and turns it on. There is still no smoke.

 

Next idea?

 

Thanks,

Steve 

Real silly question, but did you try blowing down the stack?

Steve,

 

If the fan is now running constant, that means the reprogramming worked. Next issue

either not enough smoke fluid or too much smoke fluid. Start the engine up, put your voltage up to 19 on your transformer, press number 9 on your repeatedly and you should see smoke after a minute or so. if not add some fluid and try it again.

 

Alex

Yes I tried blowing. Seems like it just bypassing everything.

I will try that in the morning.

Thanks All

Steve

Take your ohm meter and touch both ends of the heating element.  You should see 27 ohm on the meter.  If you see that, follow the black and red wires from the smoke fan motor to the white Leoco connector and plug in the connector to the plug on the PCB.  Next take your meter set to continuity and touch the red wire where it connects to the motor with one probe and the other end to the area on top of the PCB where the red wire plugs into.  Do the same with the black wire.  If you show no continuity, you know what to address. 

 

Go AUX-9 and then AUX 8 with the engine sound shut off.  See if you can hear the fan motor spinning. 

 

Check for good heater then fan motor continuity then see if the fan motor is spinning with the fan motor off.  I had one do that and by pulling and reseating the R2LC all was good  I have replaced many fan motors in that engine.  Let us know what you see.

 

Take a 9V battery with jumpers hooked to it and quickly touch the fan motor contacts to see if your motor is any good.  Do this split second and do not hold it on.  By touching, you will know if it is any good.

Just to offer my thoughts on this. I have this same engine. If I use command control it works as long as my voltage is at or above 19 volts. I did the Mike Reagan smoke unit upgrade that he shows on YouTube, it did work a little bit more better but only in command with the higher voltage unlike no smoke in conventional due to the lower voltage for that type of operating. My engine may have a weak unit, but this seams to be a common issue that us guys have with that particular engine.

Good points Erik.  I would always advise people with the TMCC locomotives to Reaganize the smoke units.  Before doing the job on that engine or any other, you must have a good resistor and an operating smoke fan motor.  The best smoke fluid does not hurt good operation. 

For the standard 27 ohm dumb smoke units and plain TMCC control, I've taken to putting a 20 ohm resistor in, fresh wick, and drilling out the intake for more air volume.  That usually does the trick for most of them.  While I have it open, I soak the wick with fluid so I know for sure when I put it together that it should smoke as I know how much I put in.

We'll you all got me through that!  Thanks

 

i increased the voltage to 19 and that worked. I am also using an old ZW. I just checked the voltage. With the ZW set at 19 volts I am reading 16.8 on the track. Resetting the engine and increasing the voltage got me smoke. When I get a chance I will do Mike Reagan's fix.

 

if I lower the ohms on the resistor I guess I won't have to increase the voltage so much. Correct?

 

Thanks

Steve

Steve,

 

I'm glad it all worked out, you can even raise the voltage to 20 or 21 and you will get even more smoke output. Doing the Mike Reagan fix will also help a lot

 

Alex

Reducing the resistor from 27 to 20 ohms will increase the smoke volume, and obviously give you more smoke at a given voltage level, that is correct.

 

While you're in the smoke unit, I make sure the resistor is firmly seated in the wick material, but also that there's an air path from the fan outlet in the smoke chamber to the stack.  If that's blocked off, you'll get very little smoke output, and you'll quickly burn the wick as well.