Unfortunately, no luck on the first tests. We’re working on some troubleshooting now
So, I redid all of the connections between the tender/motor and the wire extensions to no avail. Guess that means we have to try all of the boiler connections later, likely Thursday or Monday of next week.
Figured this all was doing too well, lol
Eh, it's part of the process, right? Plus you know what to check next. I would be dead in the water at this point if I were you haha
@BillYo414 posted:Why have I never done this? I have made my life so much harder than it needed to be!
Any chance we'll get another video if it works??
I normally add a connector to separate sections to make it easier to work on them.
@BillYo414 posted:Eh, it's part of the process, right? Plus you know what to check next. I would be dead in the water at this point if I were you haha
True, but if that doesn't work I'll have no idea where to go next. It means there's some important piece of the electrical puzzle I'm missing, and I have no clue what that could be. Or that everything is hooked up right and I somehow broke something.
The one positive is that the headlight and firebox light was on, meaning that at least some of the boiler electronics are on and getting power. And the tender sounds are all still working as they should.
Fair call. But I do believe this place can get it resolved. I was helpless when I got here. Now I'm less helpless.
I'll be learning as you resolve this too.
Alright, we’ve redone the connections in the boiler. If this doesn’t work tomorrow… let’s hope it works tomorrow!
The one other idea I had was that the wire gauge I’m using may be too thick. So I may need to drop some money on a thinner gauge that’ll hopefully match the internal wire better. But I want to see if this works with this setup first.
I never thought of the wrong sized wire. I would have expected wonky behavior if that was the case but that's why I'm still on the learning curve.
Fingers crossed for tomorrow! Can't wait to tune in and see what's up.
Well, still no luck. We’ve actually gone backwards, and now the headlight and firebox glow aren’t working either. So, where do we go from here?
Option A: Continue with the “wrong wire” hypothesis. Buy some new wire and redo all of the wiring, and hope that works.
Option B: Try to get someone to double check my work. Preferably someone with the same style 0-8-0 I’m working with. If anyone in here would consider themselves a wiring expert, input would be greatly appreciated.
Option C: Both of the above.
I‘ll think about it and keep y’all updated.
"...the wire gauge I’m using may be too thick."
Based on the photos you've shared and the typical voltage and current our trains require; I don't think the gauge of the wire is making a difference. Too small a diameter of wire could lead to higher resistance, but I don't think 18 or 16 AWG, or larger, would have an impact. But then again, I'm an ME not an EE so weigh my comments accordingly. 
John
@BurkusCircus52 posted:The one other idea I had was that the wire gauge I’m using may be too thick. So I may need to drop some money on a thinner gauge that’ll hopefully match the internal wire better. But I want to see if this works with this setup first.
You can't have too much continuity. The only way thinner wire would be beneficial is perhaps it's more flexible. Matching the wire makes no difference.
CA John, gunrunnerjohn: That’s what I feared. I throw a post up in the electrical forum and see if anyone is willing to consult. Thanks for the advice.
Any chance you have something touching the chassis that shouldn't be? Or would that destroy the electronics and be obvious?
Well, long time between updates, but we finally have a gameplan!
I met with a couple of guys in my local club who are more familiar with repairs. We realized that I had accidently bypassed the Odyssey speed control switch when I was replacing the tether; this is likely the cause of the problem. We also confirmed that almost everything else is working; tender sounds, whistle, headlight, and TMCC programming. The motor just isn't receiving power.
I've misplaced the port for the switch, so I've sent a request with the Lionel parts store for help, as well as for a wiring diagram so I can figure out how to reintegrate the Odyssey switch. Here's to hoping this works!
The Odyssey switch is on some Odyssey equipped locomotives just enables/disables the cruise function. It won't stop the motor from receiving power.
Well, Lionel got back to me, and unfortunately they don't have wiring diagrams for early TMCC engines... somehow. I'll put a post up in the electrical forum to see if anyone here has one.
I did get the part number, however!
@BurkusCircus52 posted:Well, Lionel got back to me, and unfortunately they don't have wiring diagrams for early TMCC engines... somehow. I'll put a post up in the electrical forum to see if anyone here has one.
I did get the part number, however!
Of course they do, see my answer to your question in your other thread. 
