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Post by firewood on Nov 18, 2024 2:46:05 GMT
Well, winter is coming and it’s train time. I’ve been in 3-rail O for about 12 years or more and have stalled a bit. Looking at my equipment on the shelf, I wonder how much of it I can trust to not let me down. I’m referring to anything modern with any hint of electronics in it. Despite low operating time, fitting quick blow breakers, TVS diodes and such, I’ve lost a MTH Z1000, a Lionel CW80 and a Lionel Docksider. Also I’ve seen zinc pest sneaking in on my Williams 4-6-0 steamer. As a result, my workbench is clogged up with a fair collection of dismantled train gear. It would be nice to actually have stuff that would run - y’know, just like my few pieces of 1970s O 2-rail that still operate after 40-ODD YEARS!
There, rant over - as you were.
Dave
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Post by Jim Teeple on Nov 18, 2024 10:00:19 GMT
"Modern Technology" is not necessarily either.
kinda like Fast Food
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Post by harborbelt70 on Nov 18, 2024 10:25:46 GMT
I don't have this problem on quite the scale you do but I am definitely discouraged from getting anything new from Lionel by assembly and electronic issues. I do have a storage cupboard where the defective models are kept and every time I look at it my enthusiasm nosedives.
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Post by Traindiesel! on Nov 18, 2024 10:54:21 GMT
 Nah, nah, don’t worry about a couple of trains you have trouble with! We all have a lot of trains we can have fun with and enjoy.
It’s like that guy you know who you don’t really like hanging around with. But when you want to go with a group of friends down to Pacific Beach but you don’t feel like driving and he offers to drive everyone. So he drives and you enjoy relaxing during the ride and get to relax on the beach with a few beers and your buddies and watch the beautiful sunset with all the beautiful colors, and you think ‘he’s not such a bad dude’.
Just like with all of your trains. Get the bad ones fixed over time and enjoy the hobby with the good trains.
When it comes to worrying about being discouraged with the hobby, you gotta chill, Brah!
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Post by harborbelt70 on Nov 18, 2024 12:42:44 GMT
Nah, nah, don’t worry about a couple of trains you have trouble with! We all have a lot of trains we can have fun with and enjoy.
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Post by chipset35 on Nov 18, 2024 13:02:33 GMT
This is why I have a reserve of Post War trains. When all this modern stuff goes bad and cant be fixed, I can revert back to old post war Lionel trains that run forever and can be fixed in 2 seconds if need be. Not buying any new stuff and have not since 2016, except for a brief adventure in N Scale because it WAS inexpensive 4 years ago. Now, its my 2005 to 2014 MTH (6), Modern Lionel (5), Williams (4) and (7) Post war conventional vintage 1947 to 1966.
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Post by dlagrua on Nov 18, 2024 19:24:23 GMT
Well, winter is coming and it’s train time. I’ve been in 3-rail O for about 12 years or more and have stalled a bit. Looking at my equipment on the shelf, I wonder how much of it I can trust to not let me down. I’m referring to anything modern with any hint of electronics in it. Despite low operating time, fitting quick blow breakers, TVS diodes and such, I’ve lost a MTH Z1000, a Lionel CW80 and a Lionel Docksider. Also I’ve seen zinc pest sneaking in on my Williams 4-6-0 steamer. As a result, my workbench is clogged up with a fair collection of dismantled train gear. It would be nice to actually have stuff that would run - y’know, just like my few pieces of 1970s O 2-rail that still operate after 40-ODD YEARS! There, rant over - as you were. Dave Realizing that I am out of touch and out of style; when it comes to my trains rock solid reliability is why I run ALL conventional to this day. Technology can be enjoyed on automobiles, appliances, computers and phones but on toys that's a different story. On those products they resort to using the lowest grade integrated circuits and components. This doesn't mean that you will necessarily have problems with modern day Lionel; it just means that problems are more likely to happen. In some but not all cases modern Lionel can be fixed but after a number of years have past parts availability goes away. Several years back Marty Fitzhenry (RIP) ran a large layout and was big into repair. In his workshop was a 5 gallon pail of burned out circuit boards and parts.
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Post by josef on Nov 18, 2024 20:27:40 GMT
If you running conventional older trains before remote control, consider running them on just DC power source still 3 rail.
If need be on modern remote control engines and your boards are burned out, no replacements or to high, just add a rectifier, simple and easy fix to rescue an engine.
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Post by david1 on Nov 19, 2024 0:02:34 GMT
I have been running command engines since 1995 and not one has ever failed. A thing to remember is heat is the destroyer of electronics. Even though both Lionel and MTH recommend to use 20 volts when running in command. That is ok for most engines most of the time. But a friend told to lower it 16 volts because its easier on the electronics. less heat less problems.
Not sure if all this is true but he was a engineer with GE. He did also say the train manufacturers do not use top of the line components from his own repairs of locomotives since his retirement. He has also said the components from 1995 till around 2000 were much more better than today.
Dave
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Post by healey36 on Nov 19, 2024 0:17:40 GMT
The only thing that discourages me is the size of the project pile. I think I have enough stuff in there to last me until Social Security runs dry.
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Post by redjimmy1955 on Nov 19, 2024 22:33:50 GMT
Lionel recommends 18 volts, not 20!
With most USA manufacturing sitting in red China and QC being seemingly an afterthought....add the indifference and planned obsolescence right from the CAD screen...sure seems like a business model...DeweyCheatum and Howe!
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Post by dlagrua on Nov 19, 2024 23:55:17 GMT
With reference to Josef's post, you can definitely get a remote control all electronic engine to work again provided the motor is still good by using the method shown in the video or replacing the circuit boards with an eUnit and a sound/whistle/horn board. You can usually get the smoke unit to work by adding the proper value 2 amp resistor.( I'll look up the value later and post it.) These changes convert the engine to conventional operation but you will be able to run it again. The downside is cost as you will probably spend over $100 on the boards. I planned for fixes/upgrades years ago when I found a bunch of electronic eunits and Williams sound boards at Allentown a few years back. The price was about $15 each for both and now a few sit in my workshop.
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Post by david1 on Nov 20, 2024 0:17:55 GMT
Lionel recommends 18 volts, not 20! With most USA manufacturing sitting in red China and QC being seemingly an afterthought....add the indifference and planned obsolescence right from the CAD screen...sure seems like a business model...DeweyCheatum and Howe! I don't recommend 18 or 20 and the major issue is second rate components. If your charging top dollar then use the best components out there. Dave
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Post by ron045 on Nov 20, 2024 1:42:05 GMT
I fail to see the downside of losing a z1000 or CW80. They did you a favor by dying. Get yourself a good Z4000. Better yet... Expand your hobby mind. If you've been in for 12 years it's time to expand into something new. Take that dead docksider and upgrade it to deadrail. Don't underestimate the power of the dark side. You'll never go back to track power again.  |
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Post by chipset35 on Nov 20, 2024 10:10:20 GMT
Z-1000s? Been using them for years.
Although, I use the throttle for estimating the volts, i.e. I know for DCS and TMCC and Legacy the Z-1000 on my layout needs to be set at 60 to 75%.
Knew about the voltage issue with them, and thats why I use the throttle.
Had my Z-4000 stolen when I lived in texas, and thus I refuse to buy another, not because I didnt like it, but cant afford another one.
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Nah, nah, don’t worry about a couple of trains you have trouble with! We all have a lot of trains we can have fun with and enjoy. 
