I have a used 1989 era Williams locomotive which seems to be receiving no power. The locomotive has not been run for years. It has been lubricated and the motor is turning freely as are the drive wheels. I don't even get a light to flicker when I power up my refurbished Lionel postwar ZW 275 watt transformer. I have run my seven other locomotives with no issues. All other locomotives are Lionel but I am sure that this is not the problem. I would appreciate any ideas on troubleshooting this problem. Also, is there anywhere on line that I can download an operating manual and /or schematics of the Williams locomotive. I have just recently gotten our my trains from storage and am finding that my train sources are dried up or retired. Thanks.
Dear Boomer,
Do you own a Volt-Ohm meter ?
Do you have a spare #53 bulb if the old one is burned out?
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103782
Do the center rail pickup springs work, and do the pickup rollers roll freely?
Is there a cable and connector between the loco and tender?
If so, how many pins in the connector ?
Thanks.
Joe Satnik
Joe,
Thanks for responding to my call for help. It has been about 35 years since I have done any trouble shooting or anything else with my model trains. They have been in boxes that long and my wife suggested that I get them out clean them up, get them running and decide whether or not to sell them or keep them . Once I started that project I became hooked again!
Yes, I have a volt/ohm meter
Yes, the pickup springs are in good shape and the rollers roll freely..
Yes, there is a cable and connector between the locomotive and the tender.
I am at work so I am not sure of the # of pins in the connector (3 or 4) but I will let you know when I get home.
No, I do not have a spare #53 bulb but will pick one up on the way home this evening.
If you have a multimeter set it to resistance and check for an open wire, test both ends of the wire you suspect as giving you a problem. Maybe a small plug-in connector fell out or came loose, check that before doing anything else.
One thing that happened to me was a broken wire on the passenger car's center rail pick-up to the light, check your center rail wire pick-up connections, as that might be where the problem is.
Lee F.
Thanks for the advice. I wish I had a wiring diagram. I have a 4 pin connector between the locomotive and the tender. I have checked wires for continuity. Seem good. I do have a wire that is not connected at all coming off the wire harness from the chassis to the shell. There is an open spot on the smoke switch. I tried connecting that wire but made no difference. There does not seem to be a wire carrying power to that switch. Again a wiring diagram would be nice.
Is this a; Williams engine, a Crown Edtion engine, a brass engine, or a Williams by Bachmann engine?
I ask this because I have not seen a wire harness from the engine to tender on any Williams engines that I have seen in the past or owned.
Lee F.
This is a Williams, Crown Edition Line, brass Southern Pacific 4-8-4 GS-4 Daylight NO.5600 "O" Gauge Locomotive and Tender.
Dear Boomer,
How many center rail pickups on the loco?
How many on the tender?
Is the reversing board in the loco, or in the tender?
Is there a functional (reverse) light on the back of the tender?
Does your tender have a motorized air whistle, or some kind of electronic sound?
Can you post pictures or links to pictures of the both the loco and the tender with their shells off?
Thanks.
Sincerely,
Joe Satnik
Auction listing:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/WILLIAMS-CROWN-EDITION-5600-3-RAIL-BRASS-SOUTHERN-PACIFIC-SP-GS-4-MINT-OB-/290851913174?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item43b81ffdd6
Lots of info in the description.
Joe
Edit: changed "Soon to expire" to "Auction"
There is a nice review of this model in the Feb. 1990 issue of Classic Toy Trains (CTT).
The photo of the box in the auction listing above shows "constant voltage headlight".
My apologies to Boomer,
it is unlikely that the #53 bulb is the correct bulb for the constant voltage headlight.
Sincerely,
Joe Satnik