Whistling randomly

[William-762772]

Hi all

I have recently bought a live steam mallard. I was trying to test it, but when I tried to set it going it kept on stopping and the whistle kept on sounding, could this be a voltage drop issue (would be surprised if it was), or could it just be that the valve is in the wrong place? If it where a TTS sound loco I would guess the track was dirty as it seems along those lines, but with live steam it doesn't explain the loco coming to a stop. Any help appreciated.

Many thanks

Will Hurley

[RDS]

@William

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[Go_West]

Wi

i think your problem might well be a voltage drop on the track if it happens in the same area you can also get this problem with dirty tender wheels and pick ups also check the 2 black wires from the tender to the engine and that the little white 2 pin plug and socket are in good order.

if I think of anything else I will let you know but the brain cells are getting older all the time now along with the rest of me.

[Go_West]

Just had a thought if you have points these can cause a problem and it is recommended to add link or jumper wires soldered to the track as the fish plates can give a problem with the live steam drawing 6 amps

if you also have a meter you could place it at different point around your track and check the voltage as the engine passes by.

[96RAF]

Interesting point Ken (Gowest) makes that you need to take voltage readings rail to rail with the loco drawing current and thus loading the track fishplate connections.

[Go_West]

Yes RAF96

i think it used to be the case with some digital systems which you might have information on as the chap in that field that poor rail connections could corrupt data to the loco

[Huwsie]

Something is causing upset with the motorised valve, causing it to make uncommanded movements. This can be dirty track / poor track connections causing voltage drop or other 'noise' that is interfering with the control for the motorised valve.

I'd put my money on the track. If you're running live steam, then ideally every piece of track needs to have a jump lead supplying power. You can't rely on the rail joiners or the point contacts to do this for live steam, unfortunately - however once you have done this, running will vastly improve across all aspects - whether you continue to run live steam or also use your layout for DCC so your efforts will be rewarded.

[PlanesTV]

It will be a drop in voltage.

Note that when you flick the regulator handle the voltage reading on the controller momentarily drops to zero. That's how the loco gets the command to advance (or close) the steam regulator.

To find out if it's the track or the loco dropping voltage use a rolling road or, if you dont have one, connect the controller to the power track (only the power track, no other track connected), put the tender on the power track, prop up the front bogie and let the driving wheels dangle.

Oil (not .5 ml, only .1 ml) and water (only zero parts per million distilled water) and turn it on.

If the regulator motor cycles without you doing anything (you hear the little motor whirring) then the problem is in the engine. The OO Live Steam Club will repair it for a fee.

If it isnt whirring then the problem is most likely the track.

THIS IS IMPORTANT. Whilst you are on the rolling road learn all about the control system by trial and error. (Hornby's instruction book is wrong at the "Setting the locomotive in motion" paragraph).

Flick the accelerator one second apart a number of times - coud be 30 or 40 - to the point where the red and green cab lights change. Each time you flick you should hear the little motor whirring a few revolutions and stop. Flick backward and forward at this change point - red, green, red, green and leave it on red to get steam up.

Once you've got steam up flick toward the green.

Continue flicking with the green light on 2 or 3 seconds between flicks. COUNT THE FLICKS.

You should see signs of movement around flick 5, reach a good speed by 10 flicks and maximum speed is around 15 flicks but on a layout you never get that far because the loco will be half way to Mars.

Flick in the opposite direction to slow down and get back to the red light. Count the flicks as you go and remember how your loco responds. There is always a lag in the mechanism when you start flicking in the opposite direction. It's not a fault.

It will take too long to explain here about the whistle and reversing but the whistle ONLY sounds when you are changing direction. An evening in front of the TV on a rolling road doing 3 or 4 half hour steamings will turn you into an expert driver.

And join the OO Live Steam Club. It's free.

[Go_West]

Hi Hurley

there are many things that will cause this problem starting with the wiring from the controller to the track make sure you are using heavy wires a bit like speaker cables.

Make sure that these wires are soldered to the track rails also add link wires on cross overs and points plus links at different point around the track as the fish plates will not conduct the level of power needed to run these engines properly especially if the connection get strained.

Planes is a little wrong in that how the servo motor works and this is important I will explain.

The controller works on 2 voltages the main supply is around 15 volts the other voltage is around 9 volts it is important to remember this

When you move the regulator to the left say the out put drops from 15 volts to 9 volts inside the engine is a small printed board and on this board is a relay this relay reacts the the track volts when the volts are high the relay pulls up the contacts on this relay are wired so that when pull up the contacts are open.

When the volts drop the relay drops out and the contacts close and when closed turn on the electric servo motor operating the steam valve and whistle this being the case you can see that any change in the rail voltage will effect the servo motor plus any bad connection in the tender wheels pickups and wiring will also affect the servo motor so make sure you have the very best track wiring and clean track and tender wheels.

Avoid letting the motor run uncontrollable as they tend to scream when on the wrong voltage and will damage the motor beyond repair

I do not like rolling roads as they can cause more problems as the tender wheels do not get to revolve which improve contact with the rails and the pickups

Check the above and come back

Ken