Lionmaster Challenger 6-11200

@Joed,

Your Challenger gets its chuff from a chuff switch:

The lever you see at the bottom in the picture rides on a cam on one of the axles.  Lobes on this cam push on, then release,  the lever as the cam is rotated when the axle spins, creating an electrical chuff signal.  This signal is then read by the electronics, which issues the chuff sound out of the speaker.

These levers occasionally need adjustment to make better mechanical contact with the lobes on the cam.   If you feel confident enough take the shell off and find the chuff switch.  A slight bend in the lever, increasing contact with the lobes should solve your problem.  Be careful not to bend it too much though, or you'll break it.

Let us know how it turns out.

Mike

@Mellow Hudson Mike posted:

@Joed,

Your Challenger gets its chuff from a chuff switch:

The lever you see at the bottom in the picture rides on a cam on one of the axles.  Lobes on this cam push on, then release,  the lever as the cam is rotated when the axle spins, creating an electrical chuff signal.  This signal is then read by the electronics, which issues the chuff sound out of the speaker.

These levers occasionally need adjustment to make better mechanical contact with the lobes on the cam.   If you feel confident enough take the shell off and find the chuff switch.  A slight bend in the lever, increasing contact with the lobes should solve your problem.  Be careful not to bend it too much though, or you'll break it.

Let us know how it turns out.

Mike

This loco probably has a plastic chuff cam that has over 10+ years shrunken and split.  This is not uncommon on these older engines.  Maybe now the cam is sometimes slipping on the axle. The cam lobes move the cherry switch lever up and down (pictured in Mike’s reply).

Thank you for your swift response.  I have removed the shell once on another loco and repaired it by soldering a broken wire, however getting it back together proved to be beyond my patience level. I think this loco will have to be given to a service person.

Often all that’s needed is a small bend of the springy lever arm on the cherry switch so that it closes consistently when the cam lobe pushes it. This can often be done without removing it from the engine, but the shell definitely has to come off. Not difficult on LM Challengers.

Rod