Have you tried putting some tape over the hook on the engine after attaching the tender? You will have to turn the unit upside down to do this.

Lee F.

Quote from: toromain on December 26, 2015, 08:55:50 PM
There's no wire from the tender to the engine and it has center rail pick up rollers and wipers on the axles.  I have not tried putting them on the track unhooked and applying power.  We're in the process of moving and my layout is packed away.  I can use my grandson's but he's 100 miles north.  This is a new engine and tender.  The track was Fastrack.  Thanks.

If it is a new engine and tender I would contact the repair department and see if you can send it in for repair. Since your tender has center rail rollers it has a sound system in it. Sounds like your tender has a wiring problem but without seeing the engine in person I can't tell you anything for sure.
You can take the shell off the tender and see if you can find anything wrong inside like a loose wire or an unplugged connector.

Lee F.

Would help to have some more info on the tender and engine. Does the tender have a wire to the engine or center rail pick-up roller for a whistle? Have you put the tender and engine on at the same time but not have them hooked together and apply power? Also is this a new engine & tender or is it used?
Sometimes the tender draw-bar hits the center rail and shorts out, usually happens without a tender. Also what type of track are you using? Is it Fastrack, MTH Realtrax or tubular; Lionel older design or Gargraves?

Lee F.

How about a work caboose or a bay window caboose?
Bachmann H.O. has them, so why not O gauge?

Lee F.

The term locomotive applies to any train engine as it is just another name for an engine, just like you might call a young man a boy or kid.

From what I am reading "the Bach-man" is telling you that the person, 3 Rail, who normally handles the issue is in Hong Kong away from the corporate office in the USA.

Lee F.

I had a Pennsylvania S-2 steam engine and it had the True Blast 2 sound system, it was a steam whistle for grade crossing(2 long, one short, one long) when prompted by the whistle button and also the bell feature when prompted by the bell button on an MTH Z-1000 transformer.

If it has a chuffing sound it is probably the earlier version Crown Edition (QSI system made for Williams) of a QSI sound system in it. The Crown Edition was made in the mid to late 1990's, it was before the True Blast system by Williams. There was diesel and steam sounds with the QSI systems.

All Williams engines I have dealt with are set up to run on AC voltage.

FYI; S scale can be either AC or DC depends on who made the engine and what time period the engine is from. Examples; American Flyer engines from the late 1940's had a DC or AC letter indicating what it ran on. Also with today's new engines by S Helper and others the S scale engine can be DC.
If it is is a Lionel American Flyer it is most likely AC.

Lee F.

I find Train World has better prices then Western Depot, but they may run out of stock quicker.

Lee F.

You will find some good deals this time of year on older stock as new stuff is arriving or will arrive very soon. Dealers want to clean off their shelf's so you get the bargains.
I got a Williams FM Trainmaster for $158.10 with shipping.

Lee F.

I would say a decent 80 or 100 watt transformer will work, with a few power drops added in about every 4 or 5 sections of track to keep the electric flowing good. The length of the track don't mean how much power neede the amount of amps drawn will dictate it.
If you have 3 lighted passenger cars you may need a 100 watt transformer, but if you just have the engine and tender needing to be powered your power draw will be lower and an 80 watt transformer should work.
FYI; don't use a starter set transformer as it won't have enough power.

Lee F.

Quote from: Yardmaster on November 06, 2015, 06:58:18 PM
We need to see how it does in HO before looking at other scales....

I'd like to see what H.O. people think of it as well. Seems like most H.O. people I have talked to in the past are stuck on the DCC system. Time will tell.

Lee F.

Have you looked in the how to section on here? Look under Williams Trains, there is a diagram showing how to lock a Williams circuit board in forward or whatever.
Another way is to remove the circuit board and install a bridge rectifier and wire it to the motors in place of the circuit board.
Never run track power directly to a can motor (can motors are DC and track power is AC)as it will fry the motor.

Lee F.

It's possible but you might be limited for low to medium speed., also not sure of you have whistle or bell with a low watt transformer. I would try at least an 80 watt Williams or Atlas transformer, or a 100 watt MTH transformer.
If you want to run lighted passenger cars then a 100 watt transformer would be better then an 80 watt.

Lee F.

I am not sure but you may have to buy the whole truck assembly to get the coupler.

I have non-operating couplers on some Crown Edition passenger cars( a 6 car set) and I put them on the shelve as the trucks won't hold the track at all.

Lee F.

Glad to hear that you have your problem fixed!
Sometimes the circuit boards are bad from the factory, and Williams was very good about service and repairs. I just hope that Bachmann is good with repairs too.

Lee F.

Quote from: GeoDuff on June 27, 2015, 12:48:16 AM
Thanks, I have an old Lionel KW that I need to check out.  Hasn't been used for years and it's 60 years old.  I'll test it.

Did the KW solve the problem? Not sure but with the older ZW I have to hold the whistle button about two/thirds of the way to fully pushed for three or four seconds to activate my True Blast 2 unit.

Lee F.