Lionmaster Challenger Issue

WOW, that's as odd as it can be!  I've never seen anything like that happen, I'm looking forward to seeing what the resolution is!

At first I thought "loose speaker wire no doubt about it". Then the sound clip restarted from take off so I thought a corrupt sound file. Then it seemed to pick up in the middle of the chuff when you picked up speed.

Check your loco-tender tether though if this engine has one. Hopefully that will explain your intermittent sound. I use a dab of super glue to hold my tether in on my B6. I mean we're talking a super tiny amount. You can't even see it without tilting the engine toward the light upside down. I had intermittent sounds much like yours until I did that. I just didn't have the restarting cycle.

It seems too regular to be a "loose wire" or similar.  This one seems to be something internal to the board if I had to guess.

Yeah, I’d say you’re right. Looks like a trip to the dealer is in store. Thanks guys!

Uh, the product number please?

6-11201

I had this same exact thing occur with my CP 914 Ten wheeler. The Chuff switch is causing that issue. I replaced the chuff switch on my 914 with the new resistor on the one wire that runs to the DCDS. Fixed the issue. Just buy a whole new assembly from Lionel. Simple fix.

Since it's brand new Sid, he shouldn't have to buy anything.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

Since it's brand new Sid, he shouldn't have to buy anything.

Well that's not always how it works. I wish it worked like that. I had this issue with my 914 and I'm almost certain this locomotive is also a old modular setup. If the smoke unit is puffing and the sounds are cutting out like that, I suspect it is just like what my ten wheeler was doing.

I probably should have mentioned this originally as well, but the smoke unit also seems to have some issues. It works, however it does not puff in line with the chuffing. It seems that it only puffs about twice per revolution when it obviously should be 4. It’s also not consistent. When the engine is running, the smoke frequently stops coming out of the stack and starts leaking out from under the boiler as well as underneath the cab. After a minute or so of this, it will start coming out of the stack again, and the process repeats. I’m not sure if this is related to the chuffing issue or not.

@Gmorri29 posted:

I probably should have mentioned this originally as well, but the smoke unit also seems to have some issues. It works, however it does not puff in line with the chuffing. It seems that it only puffs about twice per revolution when it obviously should be 4. It’s also not consistent. When the engine is running, the smoke frequently stops coming out of the stack and starts leaking out from under the boiler as well as underneath the cab. After a minute or so of this, it will start coming out of the stack again, and the process repeats. I’m not sure if this is related to the chuffing issue or not.

This is exactly what my ten wheeler was doing. The chuff switch drives both the sounds and puffing in this engine and if it doesn't work correctly both systems will go haywire. My fix for it was the replacement of the chuff switch assembly, but if that isn't something you can do or want to do then your best bet is to take it to a service center and have them take a look at it.

Gmorri29 - Just out of curiosity, is the Dealer from whom you bought the engine one of the bigger establishments (who often have a service person available to repair problem issues) or just a smaller local hobby shop who might not have such a person?

I bought the engine from a small local shop. He told me it was second hand and he hadn’t run it, but the price was so good, I didn’t care. I will definitely take it to a larger dealer for service however.

Guys, if this is the Western Maryland LEGACY LionMaster Challenger 4-6-6-4 Steam Locomotive #1201 SKU: 6-82698, it has no chuff switch, the chuffs are generated by the RCMC.  Let's get our stories straight!  You're not going to fix this model by tinkering with the non-existent chuff switch!

If it's a different model, how about the EXACT Lionel Product Number so we can stop wasting our time speculating on fixes when we don't know what we're trying to fix!!!

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

Guys, if this is the Western Maryland LEGACY LionMaster Challenger 4-6-6-4 Steam Locomotive #1201 SKU: 6-82698, it has no chuff switch, the chuffs are generated by the RCMC.  Let's get our stories straight!  You're not going to fix this model by tinkering with the non-existent chuff switch!

If it's a different model, how about the EXACT Lionel Product Number so we can stop wasting our time speculating on fixes when we don't know what we're trying to fix!!!

Well John I can look at the cab and see it is not 1201. It is 1204 and the only legacy 1204 was from 2009. That's back when these engines still had modular setups, but yes the part number would be helpful. I assume it's 6-11201.

OK, now we're talking, I didn't notice the cab number.  I still am amazed that the chuff switch can do what is being illustrated, but knowing the electronics of the early Legacy, I don't see how the electronics would do that either!  Skipping four chuffs in a row like that is really odd.  I wonder if this is the case where they're getting one chuff from the switch and the articulated sound is generating a bunch of them.  That would explain missing every other one if the chuff switch was only hitting half of the lobes.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

OK, now we're talking, I didn't notice the cab number.  I still am amazed that the chuff switch can do what is being illustrated, but knowing the electronics of the early Legacy, I don't see how the electronics would do that either!  Skipping four chuffs in a row like that is really odd.  I wonder if this is the case where they're getting one chuff from the switch and the articulated sound is generating a bunch of them.  That would explain missing every other one if the chuff switch was only hitting half of the lobes.

That could be. The issue I was having is the wire running to the DCDS was missing the resistor. The new assembly with that resistor, a fresh cherry, and clean wiring seemed to fix my issue. You also have to remember that all these old modular setups are strong boards, but they are a little odd in their operation. They activate the smoke and Chuff different from tmcc, they have the whole smoke reg setup, and overall is much more old school in design than the RCMC setups we have now. Sometimes the simplest things can make a big difference.

Gmorri29 - Well G, care to chime in with your product number to clarify this issue once and for all?

@PH1975 posted:

Gmorri29 - Well G, care to chime in with your product number to clarify this issue once and for all?

He did   It's 6-11201.

He also mentioned it is a used loco bought from a local small dealer.

G, have you checked page 15/16 of the owners manual for messing with the chuff?    Maybe a quick reset of that to manual mode may make a difference?    If not, sounds like a trip to a shop that can repair.

The Manual

EscapeRocks - You're absolutely right, I missed G's earlier short, sweet Post stating it was 6-11201.  However, I'm in good company because apparently gunrunnerjohn did too and Sid initially 'assumed' it was the aforementioned product number (lol).     

He slipped that in with invisible ink, I swear I looked through the thread, don't know how I missed it.