I have a 1950's engine and transformer. I run it every year a Christmas. Last year the reverse direction switch started working intermittently. I would press it multiple times and occasionally it would reverse direction. (I also played with the direction switch on the engine - it didn"t make any difference.) Do you think the problem is in the transformer or the engine?

check your thermostat it sounds intermittant and too low voltage coming out will do that also check voltage to make sure transformer is operating correctly

Sounds like reverse contact is bad or not connected. If you can get to it, look to see if its connected or making contact

Sounds like the motor won't park try replacing the board on wiper motor

You do not specify which Santa Fe steam engine you have, but I am going to guess it's the Santa Fe RTR O27 set...

Here's a link to the manual for it. Go to page 9, read the last paragraph on the page. It may be the answer to your problem


.http://www.lionel.com/media/servicedocuments/71-1900-250.pdf


Hope this helps.

Hope you got the set working. If not, look underneath the locomotive near the rear (under the "cabin"). There are two switches, one on either side. One says "Smoke", the other says "Reverse". If the "Reverse" switch was set to "Off" when the locomotive was in Neutral, it will stay in neutral even when the power is cycled or the "Direction" button is pressed on the power supply. Even in Neutral, all the lights will work and I believe the smoke element will heat up but won't puff. Whatever setting the "Reverse" switch is on, try changing it to se if that works. Hope this helps...

Have you changed transformers? You can also make a Lionel run in opposite direction by using the throttle control...just go to stop and then to power and then back to no stop and right to power. That often works.

Recent Lionel transformers are notorious for their issues. Put an old fashioned reverse switch into the circuit, an old Lionel 88 will do the wire to terminal 1 of the lockon or the wire tothe center rail needs to be cut and attached to the 2 terminals of the 88 reverse switch. Note this is ancient technology from the 30s to 50s

This train set is very particular and getting it to work each Christmas is a family tradition in frustration. First you must make sure that all the pieces of track are connected properly and that the track is perfectly symmetrical and flat. We double-check the battery positions every year and find one in wrong. There are + and - signs, but they're hard to see; use a flashlight. There is a black toggle switch below and behind the red stack that toggles forward (to make the train go forward) and backwards (reverse); straight out perpendicular to the train is the "stop" position. Also, you have to start at a stop/switch station. One other note: behind the red stack, there is a smaller black stack. If you turn this, you can make smoke come out of the stack. I think I remember someone suggesting a drop of cooking oil. Hope this helps!!! Hope you get it set up for Christmas!!!

next time it wont start, pour hot water over ecu, if it starts replace ecu, you will need a scanner to reset as it will go into theft mode when you fit new ecu, beware that this is a common fault and you can buy 2nd hand faulty computers.

If says 187 on the box, check out this solution:
This train set is very particular and getting it to work each Christmas is a family tradition in frustration. First you must make sure that all the pieces of track are connected properly and that the track is perfectly symmetrical and flat. We double-check the battery positions every year and find one in wrong. There are + and - signs, but they're hard to see; use a flashlight. There is a black toggle switch below and behind the red stack that toggles forward (to make the train go forward) and backwards (reverse); straight out perpendicular to the train is the "stop" position. Also, you have to start at a stop/switch station. One other note: behind the red stack, there is a smaller black stack. If you turn this, you can make smoke come out of the stack. I think I remember someone suggesting a drop of cooking oil. Hope this helps!!! Hope you get it set up for Christmas!!!