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Post by firewood on Apr 24, 2024 19:57:39 GMT
I know there are hobbyists who enjoy the whole electronic tinkering side of this pastime, but I’m not one of them. Once again the spectre of fried electronics rears its ugly head and I’m really getting fed up with it. The thought has occurred to me that I could gut every can-motored locomotive I have and just convert the layout to straight DC…I’m that P.O.’d. Here’s the latest frustration - I thought a conventional Lionel docksider 0-6-0T would have a decent lifespan, but it looks like one of its power transistors has cooked itself. Of course I was silly enough to check Lionel’s support site and of course the board is obsolete and unavailable. Your suggestions appreciated. Dave
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gftiv
Junior Member
Posts: 85
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Post by gftiv on Apr 24, 2024 20:03:44 GMT
Look at Dalee reverse units. they have units that work on lionel engines, With AC or DC motors.
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Post by firewood on Apr 24, 2024 20:15:13 GMT
Look at Dalee reverse units. they have units that work on lionel engines, With AC or DC motors. Thank you - much appreciated, I did look at them. By the time it arrived on my doorstep a Dallee unit would cost me as much as I paid for the whole locomotive. Dave.
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Post by highvoltage on Apr 24, 2024 20:53:33 GMT
...but it looks like one of its power transistors has cooked itself... Replace the transistor. Is that an option for you?
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Post by firewood on Apr 24, 2024 20:57:16 GMT
...but it looks like one of its power transistors has cooked itself... Replace the transistor. Is that an option for you? Thanks - I’ve considered it but no idea if any other components are bad. I had a similar problem with a MTH Z1000 controller - replaced the power transistors with no change. The fried stuff was somewhere else. 🤷🏻♂️ Dave
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Post by highvoltage on Apr 24, 2024 20:58:36 GMT
Replace the transistor. Is that an option for you? Thanks - I’ve considered it but no idea if any other components are bad. I had a similar problem with a MTH Z1000 controller - replaced the power transistors with no change. The fried stuff was somewhere else. 🤷🏻♂️ Dave Yeah, I kind of figured that. Something had to take out the power transistor.
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Post by Joe Saggese on Apr 24, 2024 20:59:38 GMT
I “had” a Lionel docksider that did the same thing. I brought it to the train repair shop in town and got a store credit for it.
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Post by firewood on Apr 24, 2024 21:11:46 GMT
I “had” a Lionel docksider that did the same thing. I brought it to the train repair shop in town and got a store credit for it. I’ve had this one for a few years with no troubles, then yesterday it started running slower. Then there was smoke from a non-smoking area and that was it - all stop. I noticed the engineers were quite wide-eyed, but then they’ve always looked like that. 😉 Dave Attachments:
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Post by Adam on Apr 24, 2024 21:14:18 GMT
You could convert to all live steam. It would be more prototypical too.
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Post by Joe Saggese on Apr 24, 2024 21:15:44 GMT
I “had” a Lionel docksider that did the same thing. I brought it to the train repair shop in town and got a store credit for it. I’ve had this one for a few years with no troubles, then yesterday it started running slower. Then there was smoke from a non-smoking area and that was it - all stop. I noticed the engineers were quite wide-eyed, but then they’ve always looked like that. 😉 Dave Thats exactly what my Cooper Ridge docksider did. It ran slow and in a few seconds there was smoke and that familiar smell of burnt electronics... I also have the PRR docksider. Im afraid to run it
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Post by firewood on Apr 24, 2024 21:20:45 GMT
You could convert to all live steam. It would be more prototypical too. That IS an interest of mine… been down that rabbithole more than once, lol. Dave
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Post by Adam on Apr 24, 2024 21:28:28 GMT
You could convert to all live steam. It would be more prototypical too. That IS an interest of mine… been down that rabbithole more than once, lol. Dave If I ever did build a garden railroad I would use live steam. For some reason electric doesn't seem like the right thing to do outdoors in my mind.
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Post by rtraincollector on Apr 24, 2024 23:06:31 GMT
Don't take me wrong as I do have some modern stuff. But this is exactly why I like prewar and postwar trains better. Me and electronics are not one of my specialties.
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Post by mrmeep on Apr 24, 2024 23:27:06 GMT
You can gut them and install a Bridge Rectifier Diode setup in them and run them on either DC or AC conventional just like the original trains that God created. Done quite a few of them for my friends.
Easy peasy.
I always thought that the electronics/new tech would be the weak spot with trains due to their delicacy, planned obsolescence and a lot of people not having the special skills to repair/upgrade/ replace circuitry. People will routinely spend high hundreds and even thousands of dollars for high end locomotives and once they cook a board all they have is an expensive museum-grade shelf model.
And usually, circuitry development runs at the most in 5 year cycles before "upgrades" or "new manufacturing" takes over. Just like your computer or phone. This the existing circuitry is now "old" and "no longer supported". Or you can't return the locomotive or your accessory to the manufacturer for a "flash" update.
NOTE: "Manufacturers" such as Lionel, Atlas, MTH, etc. Don't even really manufacture the products anyway. They are "resellers" who contract out the actual manufacturing of the product and then that is SUB contracted to other suppliers of such things as motors, gears and those circuit boards that control everything. So even the "manufacturers" can't/don't offer tech support for such things.
This is the fun and glory of the "conventional" trains! The owner/operator themselves can maintain/repair and even customize and upgrade on their own! Usually all that is needed is a screwdriver and a set of small pliers. And maybe a small soldering iron and extra wire. Simple and fun!
And INEXPENSIVE and DURABLE for the ages!
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Post by Adam on Apr 24, 2024 23:28:42 GMT
Thats exactly what I did with some trains. My first train was a DC only, no e0unit of any sort. I added a bridge rectifier and she runs great on AC now. Very simple.
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