I have a spectrum 4-6-0 steam engine, the 2 wiring harnesses from the tender to engine are connected but the headlight doesn't work. I run DC only. Anyone know what I should be looking for to get the headlight to work? Thanks.
botangles,
Here are a few possibilities (read guesses):
It is possible the headlight is working but too dim to be noticeable. I run DC as well. I have noticed with the Spectrum engines, which are dual mode, the headlight is very dim on my layout. I solved this by moving the led, or bulb, directly into the headlight can. It's a bit tricky, but that improved the brightness. I am guessing the loco's lighting is set up to accept 14 volts (DCC). So, the 7 or 8 volts provided by a DC track would create a pretty dim light.
Did you buy this slightly used? There is a chance the previous owner ran the loco in DCC mode and turned off, or dimmed, the light. You would have to put the loco on a friend's DCC layout and have him or her turn the light back on.
If you bought it new, there's always the chance that the loco got bumped in shipping and the light wire became disconnected somewhere in the loop. This would require removing the shell and following the lighting path to find the culprit. Also, if new, I doubt the bulb would be burned out.
Just a few ideas for you to consider.
Regards,
Jonathan
Jonathan, I did buy the engine slightly used and the previous owner did run DCC. He said he recalls the light working as he returned the engine to factory default values. ( I don't run DCC so understanding his DCC talk is an issue ) He also suggested putting the engine on a programing track and work the lighting CV. What does that mean, do I need a chip, a different control or what to check the lights?
Do you have a DCC system, if not you cannot check or change Configuration Variables.
Meter the wires where they conect to the head light with power connected to the tender you can lay your loco on it's side and connect to the pickups on the tender, you should see voltage even at slow speed it may not be very high.
NM
bo-
You might just want to take your loco for a visit to a friend or club with DCC. That should allow you to trouble shoot your problem without having to monkey around with disassmbling your loco. Maybe a LHS will even help though I wouldn't take in a loco sourced from elsewhere unless you have a pretty good relationship with them.
-- D