Smoke question. PROBLEM found FIXED

Anyone have idea what's wrong, or wired wrong?

JOSEF: Terminology is impeding helping you (at least to me...). Is there any way you can draw a simple wire schematic of EXACTLY how the engine is presently wired?

From that we may be able to better assist your troubleshooting efforts.

I do know that when wiring the ERR components (do you have a CruiseCommander installed or some other component?), the "positive" smoke unit supply comes off the "feature" lug on the CC, but the "ground" wire from the smoke needs to go to chassis ground an not back to ground it on the CC itself.

Give us more to go on to help you.

Its very simply wired. Ground from smoke unit (Lionel piston driven) is grounded to frame. The hot wire is wired directly to female plug on engine, Male plug corresponds to same in tender and that wire is attached to the smoke terminal on the ERR boards. I checked ERR instructions, and yes, wired correctly.

To check things out I even took wire off terminal, tender plugged into engine. Used transformer, DC, ground to engine and hot to wire disconnected from smoke terminal on ERR board. It smokes, and no shorts. I did this after checking with an Ohm meter for shorts.

Manual on/off switch OK? Should just be the hot passing through.

Having engine shell off, and checking wiring. I saw that the smoke switch on engine was by-passed. Apparently when ERR was installed, the installer took the wire from switch and soldered and connected it to the female plug receiver on engine.

If there's a short, I don't see it, nor on the OHM meter.

With shell off the tender, plug tender connector  to engine. I can connect a DC Transformer to engine wheels (ground), then remove the wire from Tender ERR smoke pin, and connect the hot wire to the wire going to smoke unit and apply 9 to 12 volts and get smoke.

Thanks for replying

Problem found, most unexpected area. Smokes like a forest fire. Probable can only let it smoke when wife's out of house.

Thanks to those that responded.

we are waiting with bated breath - what was the problem?

You may be able to reduce the smoke using the TMCC commands - most like it heavy when in use. Could have been the last command entered for the smoke output.

Moonman posted:

we are waiting with bated breath - what was the problem?

You may be able to reduce the smoke using the TMCC commands - most like it heavy when in use. Could have been the last command entered for the smoke output.

It was the resistor, shorting out on the shell cover.

josef posted:

Moonman posted:

we are waiting with bated breath - what was the problem?

You may be able to reduce the smoke using the TMCC commands - most like it heavy when in use. Could have been the last command entered for the smoke output.

It was the resistor, shorting out on the shell cover.

Should have thought of that - it's an obvious point for short - a common piece of advice when rebuilding smoke units is be cautious so this does not happen -

Thanks for sharing the find.

Enjoy the engine!