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This might be a touch out of the ordinary...

 

The resurrect-ee is my 30-1129-1 RK Big Boy. I figured it would be a better fit for test running my 24-pack of Menards flatcars than the scale one, which is having issues with the vertical alignment of a couple of my test-track curves.

 

Now, it is a PS1, and last night, I stuck the original battery in a dual 9v charger, along with a RadioShack NiMH. The oddball thing is that the MTH NiCd's charge came right up to spec and is holding steady while the NiMH is still half-baked (this is using a battery tester that supposedly puts a load on the battery being tested). This loco  has only been run once since new, and that run was just back-and-forth on the dining room table. Thus this particular battery has had only one discharge/recharge cycle.

 

My digital voltmeter is showing a steady 9.4 (NiCD) and 6.5 (NiMH) volts respectively, but I don't know if I'm using the proper setting on the voltmeter (looks like 20V DC range, but I can post a photo of the settings dial if needed). I put the original battery back in, and this is where things get odd, at least in my experience.

 

--Loco runs in both directions without hesitation (starts moving at about 12v) and the headlight works...but I get no chuffing during movement, only 'white noise'.

 

--During the inital "try to get it moving phase", it would throw off a few chuffs while sitting still, but since I got the unit moving, no more of that.

 

--Sounds cut out immediately when power is interrupted.

 

--In neutral, all the usual idle noises play (in fact, it's doing so as I type this)

 

--While moving, I can trigger the whistle and bell (I'm using a Z4000)

 

Anything I'm overlooking? I have the unit idling at about 10V with the tender shell off right now.

 

---PCJ

Last edited by RailRide
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The first one I retired went into a Ethernet cable tester, where it served quite well for a number of weeks on a single charge (I was making my own cables while building out my home network).

 

I get it that it should never see the inside of a train ever again. I just have a few devices that won't poot their magic smoke if the battery voltage suddenly dives under load

 

---PCJ

For some reason my Z4000 wil only display a "function" number 52 when 'Program' is pressed, and will only scroll between numbers 50 and 99. 

 

I ran through the function select manually, performed the Reset 18 and everything is operating normally, save for some drawbar adjustment (for some reason the engine drawbar is sprung upwards and the tender drawbar is sprung downwards) to get the two units to stay together without too much disagreement with switches.

 

---PCJ

Last edited by RailRide

Hi the reason your getting a 52 reset you have to have the transformer all the way closed for no voltage output, then you can get 1 to reset 18 no problem,try it and let me know. i have the exact same big boy engine and i know the reset 18 will work but the throttle must be closed before you hit the program key then you can count up from 1 to eighteen or what ever you want OK.

Try and let me know how you make out!

Alan

 

 

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