Rail King 30-20014-1 csx switcher almost caught fire

Seems to be an electrical short or charge circuit issue. I'd figure out which one before attempting to power the unit up. Probably have a MTH tech look at it. I'd have to guess that there is a good possibility the PS2 board in that locomotive is toast.

Perrys toy train exchange on ebay has been selling a large amount of  shells lately,

Moret

One thing I did do, not sure if it was correct. When I took the locomotive apart and removed the fried battery. I place it on the track and started it up and it seemed fine. Is that something you should do to check it?

I'd use a BCR or a BCR clone instead of a battery.  If it started up and actually ran (it'll do that under command control without a battery), the board may well be fine.

It looks like either that battery had a flaw or the charging circuit went nuts!  The good news is, I still have some of the power supply boards for the 3V PS/2 board sets if it's the charging circuit.

Chef ,  do you have a photo of the board in the area where the battery plugs into ? 🤔

Yes I do please see below

What does that tell you Dallas? Also thank you all for the help it really means a lot!!

I can't see much by the photo.   Is there any signs of anything on the board itself that looks discolored or misshapen  ?

There does not appear to be but I will take a closer look later and take a couple of more pictures.

It looks like the battery may have had an internal failure like a short.  The only board issue I can imagine is the charging circuit wigged out and overcharged the battery.

John , is this one of the types of batteries that have been safety issues with fires in things other than model rr ?

No way the PS-2 can wig out with the components involved with charging.  The .03 ohm resistor would open, the charging fet would open, and the 5V power supply only sources about 1 amp and starts to shut down after that.

Maybe the battery had an internal issue, or maybe the wires from battery shorted to each other or the chassis.  A battery can source a higher current though.

No these are not the type of batteries that can do that.  G

Glad you caught it, before you shut down the session! That woulda been a real problem.
As an aside, as a warning to everyone, FDNY Fire Inspectors have told me, repeatedly, that the most common cause of residential fires, eclipsing both candles and smoking, is the non USA manufactured power strip. This is an area where you don’t want to scrimp on safety. Spend the $80 or so for USA produced power strips, and surge protectors.

@chefmarkt69 posted:

Can someone help me with were I could get a .... new skin .....?

If by "new skin" you mean a new locomotive shell, try Perrys toy exchange. He is on eBay. He bought a LOT of MTH surplus stock and has a lot of locomotive shells for sale.

Hi Roy,

I did check with Perry and they don’t have any. I also emailed Midge at MTH but have not heard back from her. I hope she is still working there at MTH.

Dallas please see more photos, thank you.

@chefmarkt69 posted:

Dallas please see more photos, thank you.

That second photo of that area on the board doesn't look good . Was the battery pack directly over this area when it lit up ?

Hard to tell , but in the photo of the battery pack, it looks like the connections could have possibly touched.

Maybe GGG or GRJ could tell better what might have gone wrong.

Yes it was right above that area, I believe. Also there was a plastic battery holder that melted. I was able to separate it from the melted batteries. I have been looking for a replacement one, but no luck so far. I still have not heard back  from Midge at MTH. I’m not sure if they are even open anymore?

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

I'd use a BCR or a BCR clone instead of a battery.  If it started up and actually ran (it'll do that under command control without a battery), the board may well be fine.

It looks like either that battery had a flaw or the charging circuit went nuts!  The good news is, I still have some of the power supply boards for the 3V PS/2 board sets if it's the charging circuit.

I go along with John......skip the battery holder and just install the BCR or the BCR clone.

IIRC, Midge will be manning (womanning?) the Parts Dept. until 5/31.

Take a look on eBay.

MTH MP15DC SHELL FOR 30-20569 NORFOLK & SOUTHERN SWITCHER # 2427. NEW.

There's also a ton of K-Line MP15 engines for cheap.  I wonder if the shell from one of those could be adapted to fit this chassis?

Now that is a good idea and thinking outside the box!!

Hi Gun runner John, Thank you and yes that is the type I need. Just wish it was a csx one. I also heard back from Midge from MTH and they do not have any also.

Well, finding a CSX shell may be a bit harder.

This K-Line MP15 sold for $21 because one of the wheels had zinc rot.  Finding something like that might work if you could retrofit the shell to yours.  With all the inexpensive K-Line MP15's around, I think that option is going to be the affordable one.

Hi Gun runner John, Yes you are correct and thank you so much for helping me with this. I am really new to this hobby, I have to say you  guys are great!!!

The NS one that you showed me on Ebay will fit right on my locomotive.

Since you're really keen on a CSX replacement shell, do you have the skill to repair the damage?

@chefmarkt69 posted:

The NS one that you showed me on Ebay will fit right on my locomotive.

That's certainly the painless way to at least cover it back up with a good shell.

@ironman1 posted:

Since you're really keen on a CSX replacement shell, do you have the skill to repair the damage?

I suspect he'd be working on it if he did.   In any case, the NS shell would be a step up, to go to CSX you'd just have to paint it.  After the repair on that CSX shell, it'll surely need to be repainted in any case.

I have never repaired a shell, is it very technical? I could Re paint the NS maybe? The only thing is that the locomotive deck is blue so it would look weird with the NS body. It would have to be all re done.

Truthfully, repainting the shell to the CSX wouldn't be too bad, not a huge amount of detail on it.  I suspect the CSX and number decals are available, and the gray and blue looks simple, one masking line.

My suggestion to repair the shell certainly wouldn't consider a whole repaint. Only the most skilled could achieve a factory fresh finish, if that's your desire.

I, personally would remove the front stack, back up the damage on the inside with sheet plastic, fill the hole and melted section with modeling putty, & sand smooth. Re-glue the stack & feather in CSX grey paint. I have little doubt the paint will match perfectly & my answer would be some light weathering and call it a day.

Honestly, I'm not very critical but too each his own. Of course if the exact same shell was available at a reasonable price that is the easiest answer.

I may be missing something here, but has the OP verified that this loco is mechanically viable? Nice to talk about repainting and new shells, but does it run?

@Mark V. Spadaro posted:

I may be missing something here, but has the OP verified that this loco is mechanically viable? Nice to talk about repainting and new shells, but does it run?

Well, he did say...

@chefmarkt69 posted:

When I took the locomotive apart and removed the fried battery. I place it on the track and started it up and it seemed fine. Is that something you should do to check it?

I only suggested repairing the shell since chefmarket69 did imply that the engine seemed mechanically functional, and he likes CSX, & 95% of the shell looks undamaged. The repair suggestion is a cost saving answer.

Another solution would be to make the repair as a paint patch & not worry about a perfect paint match,see attached image. Put the $300+ to another engine. If not fully functional, then maybe it's time to sell it off for parts & search for a suitable replacement. 

Would the frame for the MP15 be the same as the SW-1500 ? You might be able to convert it to a different model unit. Just a thought.

Saw that, but...without a battery, was it able to got through F-N-R? And is there any way to know if it will do it once the battery is replaced?

They will run fine in DCS without a battery, it just likely won't save it's ID when you power down after adding it to a remote.

I have repainted an K-Line mp15 shell to CSX  colors.  It was my first try at painting a shell, also added ERR dc commander.   The painting will be easy if you use the gray color CSX uses.  The hard part was finding the decals.

Marty

Nice paint job Marty!

My point to the patch job is, no need to strip an other wise nice paint finish, find/purchase decals, purchase 3 CSX colors, prime, re-paint, clear coat the finished paint job for best decal application & final coat of clear (gloss, semi-gloss or flat) to seal the decals. Not impossible for many on this forum, not to mention the need for an airbrush.

If the patch job is done carefully, & if chefmarket69 doesn't own an airbrush, the repair could be painted in a suitable spray can primer from Home Depot, or a close match to the grey with some light weathering with pastels & a spray can clear coat to seal it.

To each his own.