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So, the locomotive from the Pocahontas set I bought 5 weeks ago that has spent all but 2 days at my house is back from its second visit to Lionel for problems.  So, I wanted to fire it up and try it out tonight.  I put it in Program mode and fired up the track and Legacy system, but the loco immediately makes that "clunk clunk clunk ... Clunk clunk clunk" sound it would have at idle in conventional. I tried programming it but no whistle to tell you it's set.  I put it in run and the loco will actually move forward and backward but no other effects work - basically, it only makes that same "at idle" clunk clunk sound regardless of what the loco is doing or what other buttons I press. No puffing smoke, no whistle or bell, no back up light, nothing.  I tried the Programming thing 3x but like I said, from the second the loco gets juice, the idle conventional sound is running.  I checked the wire running from the Legacy to the common post on the TIU and it is perfectly secure. The track is getting 18v. Legacy is plugged in.  Help.

 

Peter

Last edited by PJB
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PJB,

   I am relatively new to Legacy, however make sure you put the switch on the engine in the program mode, and then follow the directions while using the engine module.  If you can not get the engine to sound while programming something else is either wrong, with the engine or your 990 Legacy Base.  Maybe Guns or GGG will join in and give you some further help.

PCRR/Dave

Sounds like the loco is not communicating with the tender for whatever reason, broken loose infra red drawbar wire, misaaligned infra red, or possibly something electronic in the loco.

 

When a legacy loco and tender is placed on the track, the tender should remain silent until the loco is programmed and/or addressed.

 

A legacy tender powered up by itself on the track will make the idle sounds you describe. It needs the loco to "tell" it when its "off".

 

If the loco moves, it is programmed, but for whatever reason it is not sending a signal to the tender, or the tender is not receiving it, because the tender is acting if its on the track alone.

 

Having said that, if its merely a loco-tender communication problem I would think you should still get smoke, just no synchronized chuffing sounds. Check the smoke on/off switch on the loco in case they shut it off in service. You will not have any other correct /synchronized sounds either i.e. bell whistle crewtalk etc.

 

If you have another legacy steamer you can further confirm the issue by swapping tenders/ locos.

Last edited by RickO

PJB, 

      Just a thought, when you say the Legacy wire is connected to the common post on the TIU. Is it connected to the track side common of the TIU? i.e. Not the transformer side. 

 If the Legacy signal has to go through the TIU I understand it(TIU) will kill the signal.

 

Try running in conventional and see if the loco runs correctly with all sounds.

 

Out of interest did Lionel tell you what they fixed/replaced?

 

Nick

I figured out the issue - it seems the loco side IR sensor shroud was pulled back so that the IR sensor was not aligned with the housing in order to "see" through the housing hole and communicate with the tender. I pulled the shroud up as much as I could but it still isn't as far over the housing as those on my other Legacy of VL locos.  But the N&W works find now. 

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