RailKing Proto 2.0 broken plug

I'd forget about it unless the owner is willing to fix it before buying.  If it blew the breaker, he may have done significant damage to the boards at this point.

The prong on the engine side can be straightened, but the engine and tender harness need to checked out for shorts.

Is this a PS-2 5V board engine.  Sometimes the PS-2 5V boards die via shorted diodes inside the board and they will draw high current at start up.  So the bent pin and the short can be two different issues.  G

I don't know GGG, but I still wouldn't buy this in the present condition, unless it was at a giveaway price.  There's no telling what actually happened.

What he said. 

I didn't tell him to buy it, I told him there is a good chance the PS-2 board is dead.  G

You're right, I guess I was just trying to be very clear that I thought it was a risky purchase.

This was a
Railking 4 6 2 B&O.  It was in near new condition and when it was tested, the seller found the bent prong on the plug and when he straightened it and plugged it in nothing worked and it blew the fuse in the transformer, I guess.   He called to inform me and see how I felt about doing a deal and me trying to fix it or whatever.....

It was an auction and my winning bid was $70.   It would have been a great deal at that price.   I don't need another project, but I might have tried to  work a new deal at a lower price if anyone had ever easily fixed this issue before.   I passed and appreciated the seller testing and letting me decide.   Hopefully he wasn't upset about the low price and just wanting to re-list it in a couple months!!

I'm always suspicious of this kind of deal on eBay.   I think he just found that it was dead and decided to see if he could unload it anyway.  I have great difficulty seeing how a bent pin that was fixed causes the thing to suddenly start popping the breaker.

Caveat Emptor.

Squared.

Matt if this is a ready to run engine, then not worth it.  If this a nice RK engine with good features, and if this is a PS-2 3V engine it might be worth it.  A new (as you said) engine that MSRP for $400 received for $70 may be worth the gamble, especially if you have the repair skills.

As I implied, the pin once straightened should not be causing the dead short.

If this was a PS-2 5V system, good chance you have to replace the boards, speaker, and battery so the deal because much less attractive (again only if this is a nice RK).  Otherwise it should be considered a parts donor.  G

I passed on it.   I posted here just in case someone had the same issue and it was a simple part swap/fix.   It was a nice engine and appeared new/near new still boxed.  It was listed as in "running" condition.   When tested before shipping the issue arose.   I usally test before I list anything, so that is kind of a warning light.

It might still be a good deal for $70 and just pay the repair charges, but I didn't need it and only bought it to have an old style small engine with sound.   I know nothing about the new sounds systems so they have to be plug and play for me.   I have enough projects to not want to learn and experiment with one more!!   I do see how a prong can easily be bent when plugging it in.   These electronics being what they are, I can also see how easy it can be to have major damage.

I really wanted sound, but have decided to purchase a Polar
Express tender with sound.   I should be able to repaint it and run it with my old 2025.  Sound for my old 2025 is what I really want.   thanks for the replys.

A RailKing with a toasted board is not worth that much, you were smart to pass on it.

I got a polar Express tender yesterday and it is a great addition to my postwar steam.

It's not as good as the proto in my MTH Comet, but it makes the old 2025 more than just something to watch.  Nice, low priced way to expand the experience.   Looks like may the old tender body will even fit it, if not, I will just paint it and re-letter it.