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@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.

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.

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.

Last edited by BurkusCircus52

"...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

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.

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!

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OGR Publishing, Inc., 1310 Eastside Centre Ct, Ste 6, Mountain Home, AR 72653
800-980-OGRR (6477)
www.ogaugerr.com

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