Thanks for all the replies - although I'm no further forwards with this.

To recap: The lamp worked fine for a week or two but then suddenly went out whilst the loco was running. Diagnosis: something come loose. But nothing is.

There is nothing wrong with the LED (I've tested it).

Don't want to remove the board and hard-wire. Whenever I've tried that before I get all manner of running problems, even though all wired up properly (I have 30 years of experience of wiring up locos and 2 years experience of DCC - so no, it's not me....but I just don't get on with hard wiring.

The problem is obvioously in the tender - as the tender concerned will not operate lights on another 2-8-0 (which work fine with it's own tender attached).

Likewise, the tender from the other 2-8-0 (which operates it's own lights fine) will not work the lights on this one. Therefore it seems there is an additional problem in the loco also.

Now the only thing which can be wrong in the loco is the coonnectors in the ash pan (which I've checked - they're fine), or the LED is wired the wrong way round (it's wired red to positive lead of LED and black to negative lead of LED).  All my other Bachmann locos (6) have blue and green wires to the head lamp. This one has red and black.

I can try reversing that and can also change the circuit board (I have a couple of spares). But before I do, does anyone have any fuirther thoughts.?

Thanks - Don Mason (aka Nosamnod)

I had that problem too on several areas of the track.

The simple solution was to just remove the front truck spring. It doesn't actuall need it as the truck is quite heavy enough without it and I have had no derailing trouble anywhere on the layout since I removed it.

Simply the fact that the blow-off doesn't operate automatically as it does on standard 'full' Tsunamis (likewise other things like 'Fireman Fred') and there is no apparent means of making it operate -  i.e. no obvious CV that can be programmed to turn it on or off.......and tweaking within the 'advanced' system programming is way beyond my electronic knowledge.

You can sort-of simulate it manually by hitting the 'escaping steam' button on your control unit (F4 on my NCE unit) but it is not the same at all as the automatic 'random' blow-off on the standard Tsunami - which always delights when it suddenly blows off when you least expect it.

I'm sure all sorts of things can be done in all sorts of areas - for instance I read somewhere that somebody had programmed a 'cracked' bell sound into a Forney - but heaven alone knows how. 

But going back to the blow off - I still think this is by far the most tragic omission....unless it is there someplace waiting to be 'dug out'

Personally I can't believe the number of totally unnecessary negative posts here.

Comments like these are just sure to get Bachmann thinking ...."Well stuff 'em, then - we won't bother".

I have it on good authority from Bachmann's 'inner sanctum' that there will be plenty of new On30 goodies to come in the future.

So let's try encouraging them instead of moaning. Remember we're in a World recession right now and no manufacturer can be blamed for being a little cautious at the present time. Model train manufacturers particularly so, since in a recession people tend to spend their shrinking dollar on 'essentials' and not on 'extras' and hobbies.

Good on 'yer Bachmann, I say - and very many thanks for continuing to promote On30 in the positive way that you do. Long may it continue.

Don Mason

(Founder - The 7mm Narrow Gauge Association and Owner - Maine NG Modelers Forum Yahoo Group).

Thank you John.

This must be the first time I've been both extremely grateful and extremely irritated at the same time...

...extremely grateful for your info and extremely irritated to find out that it was as simple as programming a CV - which I could have done months ago on all five of my Forneys in about 45 seconds flat.

Oh well, just goes to prove we can all learn something.

Pity we can't reinstate the safety valve 'blow-off' which Bachmann stripped out of the standard Tsunami - the one glaring omission from the sound range ....or does anyone know different ?

Hi all,

Anyone know how to modify the circuit board on the Forneys to make the headlight stay on in both directions?

It's easy with standard Tsunami decoders (just connect yellow and white wires together) - but there must be a way of doing it on the Forney circuit board (which has no yellow/white wires of course, just printed circuitry).

With the older style prototype headlamps (oil, etc) they would have been on all the time of course once lit, not on and off each time the loco reversed.

It must just be a simple question of what to 'bridge' on the circuit board - but thats the question.......what?

Don Mason
Nottingham
UK

Mike,

The information you have been given is not entirely correct. The 'Tsunami' CAN be plugged into the 2-8-0's circuit board. All you need is to get hold of a Digitrax wiring harness (ref DHWHP - about $4.00).

Then carefully strip back the covering plastic at the end of the Tsunami decoder (the end with the most wires coming out) and you will see that the existing wires are connected to a plug. Gently pull it out, connect the Digitrax harness to the socket and replace the plastic covering. secure with a bit of adhesive tape.

Then just plug the other end of the Digitrax harness directly to the socket on the loco's circuit board. Simple.

Don Mason
Nottingham
UK