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Recently purchased 20-2718-1 ABA set from an auction. No DCS using ZW transformer. Out of the box the unit seemed to run okay. Allowed battery to recharge for approximately 30 minutes. Unit worked with sound, horn but no cab or marker lights. Sound soon stopped and now unit sits and buzzes with voltage approximately at 10-12 volts. No movement or sound. Should I assume board is blown and must be replaced? If so what is the recommended replacement. Any help is appreciated. Thanks

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Remove the battery from the shell and check the voltage. 30 minutes is not long enough to charge a totally dead battery. In fact it may get the voltage only high enough to start causing problems. The manual's 15 minute test is assuming a good battery, or totally shot battery, not one of the partially degraded states a NiCad can wind up in.

NiCad batteries that have gone bad, but not totally dead, will either only take a partial charge and /or rapidly do an internal self discharge once voltage is removed.

I'd bought a 2-8-8-2 used and asked the seller if he knew if it was charged and he said it had been in the box for over a year. So I followed the manual's instructions for a full charge on the track and let it sit for 7 hours. Ran it fine, but checked the battery voltage the next day.

SO you should
1. Get a new battery
2. Have the board checked out to ensure it hasn't been damaged by trying to run with a bad battery.
3. Put a TVS diode and fuse on the output of the transformer if you'll be using it to run the loco in conventional mode.

Last edited by Quietman

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