Wiring crossed on Duchess of Hamilton

[TechImp]

Hello again. I purchased "Duchess of Hamilton" , R3339, a year or so ago and just recently removed it from the box (unused) to fit a Loksound decoder. To fit the speaker in the recess provided, I found the wires too short so set about fitting longer ones. Inevitably in the process one of the black pick up wires in the tender disconnected itself. There is also a small ceramic capacitor which, I would assume connects across the motor drive. The black wire connects to the tender 4 pin socket installed at manufacture, on one of the outside pins, the corresponding red pickup connects to the outside pin on the other side.

Having completed my wiring I decided to check the connections through to the loco itself, only to find the wiring to the loco plug had the pickup (black) on the inside (or centre pin), IE reversed.This is easily corrected by swapping the connections on the tender socket, however I wondered what the correct standard connection should be to prevent future problems. There doesn't appear to be loco wiring diagrams that include connector pin allocations.

This would also indicate the necessity to check wiring on any new locos, as my A$190.00 decoder would literally be toast. I sweat here a bit, as I just fitted the same decoder to my new "Sir William Stanier" Coronation Princess class, with fortunately no problems.

 I also noted previous posts on the same problem.

Also if I may on the same post, comment on the speaker mounting arrangement on so called "TTS Sound ready locos". To achieve quality sound, the speaker needs to be in a airtight enclosure, I find this to be just about impossible to achieve without a lot of modification.

 

 

[96RAF]

There is a standard for loco wiring testing. This test from my files, which is applicable to those locos with a DCC socket in the tender and a 4-pin plug and socket between the loco and tender - e.g. TTS and others.

 

The text reads on from page to page and the test is carried out using DC.

 

The loco test requires you to unplug the tender from the loco and bridge the loco plug using an adaptor or simply a pair of fine bridging wires. The test will prove the loco.

 

You have to do a bit of DIY to achieve the tender test, so I wouldn't bother. Instead I would simply use a multi-meter to trace continuity of the wiring routes direct from left loco wheels to left tender wheels and ditto right side wheels. If the loco test is good then the continuity test will confirm the tender.

 

 

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I hope this helps, as it has been noted on the forums a few times in the past that various locos have been supplied with loco and tender wired anti-phase each other. It doesn't help when these locos are wired with all black wire.

 

With regard to the speaker, you are correct in that it should be in a sealed enclosure but where a tender weight precludes this you can either use 'tak' putty to seal the speaker and wires around the weight to isolate top from bottom or if there is enough room make a 'cap' out of an old plastic Humbrol paint pot or plasticard and glue this over the hole. The loco design should not require such modifications but it is what it is unfortunately - same thing goes for some of the TTS retro-kit installations.

 

Rob

[TechImp]

 As I suspected, thank you Rob, for your obvious efforts.