Brand new Item #50706, 0-6-0 HO with smoke and operating headlight when first placed on test track, started smoking from the drivers. Any idea what is wrong? And how to fix it?
Can I install a Soundtraxx Tsunmai2 decoder in this unit?
Thanks for any help.
Sloopy
Sloopy,
The USRA 0-6-0's are, what I consider, an entry level locomotive. While it is possible to add a sound/motion decoder to one of these units, it is difficult (a great understatement). I have seen it done in on line articles. But know this: there are no electronics, nor current pick ups, in the tender. You would have to add current pick up wheels and wiring in the tender, in order to get enough constant current to reliably run DCC/Sound. I have worked on numerous 0-6-0's, some with DCC. There is little to no room to work with in the locomotive. Also disassembly of the vandy tender is very difficult. Just sayin'...
As for the smoking drivers. Is your test track DCC? If so, it is possible you burned out the motor (DC) when placed on a live DCC track. However, it is also possible that a little shorting may have occurred from too much lubrication. That's a relatively easy problem to fix, by removing excess oil/grease. Hard to say without being able to examine the loco.
I happen to like these little locos and have super detailed them, added pick up wheels on the tender, and so on.
I have never attempted to add sound to this loco, as it looks beyond my ability. Plus, the cost would be at least twice what the little loco cost to begin with. Just my two cents.
Regards,
Jonathan
Something you should realize is a decoder is sensitive to the slightest interruption of the DCC signal and will shut down and start up again without a stay alive module.
I have put a Digitrax DZ125 decoder in a Bachmann 0-6-0 Plymouth but the pickups are lousy. I improved them some before I lost interest a few years ago.
You would need metal wheels and pickups for the tender or buy a DCC equipped tender and add sockets to the loco. They are in the parts list if you know what you are looking for., plus six wires between the loco and tender. Standard for all Bachmann steamers. Lots of work. Driver pickups have to match the tender pickups.
Below is a link on one way to use a smoke module with a decoder control but difficult to find the relay today. I guess RS is gone. Online companies will probably sell an equivalent. DigiKey or Mouser.
https://www.soundtraxx.com/manuals/Tech_note%2014.pdf
Buy a BLI with smoke if they still sell them.
Rich
50706 is a union pacific 0-6-0 with vanderbilt tender. It does not have DCC.
Did you, by chance, overfill the smoke unit? Too much fluid can cause weird thing s to happen like smoke coming out from under the boiler above the drivers.
I've found that in the Bachmann smoke units, the worm of the worm drive back-drafts air through the funnel steadily, making the units smoke more from the undercarriage than from the funnel. Unless they're running reverse and the gear is pushing air through the funnel.