Lionel Answered Questions & Fixed Issues

I have used 18ga lamp wire but you can use wire as thin as telephone wire. My rule of thumb is to use thicker wire (lower gauge number) the more motors on the train you are running. 20 or 22ga is generally used by most.

It should not be too difficult to replace the entire rod assembly including the valve rod eccentric rod and eccentric crank. THe crankpin in the drive wheel holds the eccentric crank to the wheel at the top there should be another screw freeing the valve rod and crank in one piece. two screws and 10 minutes you should be done. I am basing this on other Lionel locomotives including the Southern Crescent 8702, 736 and 1656

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

http://www.manualsonline.com/ https://www.manualslib.com/

From a top view there is a dot near a pin. That pin is #1 and numbering proceeds counterclockwise from 1 to 8. Pin 1 is the ground. You can see the article on Wikipedia for other info, if needed

Extend 2 wires one black {Neg} one red {Positive} connect to two wires at tender.

change the timer settings.

The Lionel postwar 190watt transformer is an excellent power supply for trains. If one or more of the binding posts are loose ("U,A,B,C,D" Terminals") you will need to replace the binding post, use a T-159 replacement Binding Post. The original posts are soldered and crimped on. The T-159 replacement binding post is bolted on. UNPLUG THE TRANSFORMER Carefully pull/pry up the handles and remove them remove the 4 Philips screws on the top, lift off the case top, the binding posts stay with the body of the KW. Remove the loose bindings post one at a time as needed. Be sure to get any wire reattached. Reverse the procedure to reassemble.

On a postwar LIONEL ZW TRANSFORMER, Yes the red light will come on if a short is present with the throttle on. As soon as the throttle lever is in the off position the red light will go off. Shortly followed by the automatic circuit breaker clicking, as it cools and resets. The short on the track may still be present but with the lever in the off position the red light will stay off. There are several variations of the ZW 275 Watt transformer, early and late "type R" models. Both work the same but are wired slightly different the early ZW uses two 6 volt bulbs and the "Type R" uses two 18 volt bulbs. Internally if there is a resister connected to the base of the red light it will use the 6 volt bulbs.

indicates a dead short to ground in the smoke unit that is overloading the transformer replace/repair the smoke unit

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Looking at auction pictures, I'm going to say that odds are the fuse is located in the main unit. You can pick up those tamper proof screwdrivers at Harbor Freight pretty cheap. Please make sure that you've properly discharged the unit before attempting any repairs.

Check the door making sure it is closing properly

Check to see if you picked up any fibers on the wheels or axles from your carpet running. Also check to be sure the pilot truck can swing freely from side to side and is not bent. There is also a light coil spring on the front truck pivot pin. Be sure that the spring is there and is not damaged. Another thing to check is the drawbar between the locomotive and tender. Your front wheels may be getting lifted off the track because the rear of the locomotive is getting pressed down. This a soft carpet may compensate for this but not a hard surface. Run your train at a speed where it derails and look closely at the locomotive to see if the rear is being pressed down.

The slot for these switches is too small to allow the slide to move all the way it needs to move. The fix is to carefully file away some of the plastic from the switch slot.

The horn has a screw in it to adjust the pitch. Try adjusting it to see if you get sound.

I'm not familiar with the Dash 9-44 CW but it may be that the sound and smoke switches are turned off. You will probably find these under a removable cover on top of the locomotive or under it, usually near the cab. Check your instructions or go to Lionel.com and click on support. Instructions and manuals can be found here.

You've done the right thing by talking with Lionel. Their techs should be able to guide you trough trouble shooting as it seems that you have some knowledge of electronics.

I think you hit the nail on the head with your own question. "filling the smoke stack with oil". Turn the unit upside down and drain COMPLETELY all oil in the smokestack. Generally only a couple of drops are needed. Those drops will smoke until they quit. A couple of drop should smoke at least 10 minutes or more.

You can't. These transformers aren't user serviceable. You can thank the Federal Government for that. If you can find the special tool to remove the case, you'll be able to open the transformer. For service, contact Lionel customer service or take the transformer to a Lionel Service Center.