# I need help with a whistle



## Dadstrain (Oct 28, 2011)

I have two "O" scale lionel trains one prewar 259E locomotive with a checked out whistle tender 1689W. Its whistle works in the lionel store. The other is a new Great Northern 3102 with train sounds. I am using fast track and a lionel KW transformer that has a whistle switch. Problem is "no whistle" but when I hit the whistle switch the locomotive light gets brighter and the train speeds up. I was told to reverse the wires at the track hook up but it made no difference. Can someone help me.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

First step would be to determine if the transformer whistle rectifier is working. Put a DC meter across the tracks and with a train running on the tracks (to provide a load), activate the whistle switch. You should see a negative voltage measured from the center rail to the outside rails if the switch is working. The switch is a two step switch, so at first it gives a few volts DC, as you move it farther, the DC voltage will drop to around a volt, but it boosts the AC voltage to compensate for the drop of the whistle.

I've replaced the Selenium rectifier disk in several KW's with silicon diodes because they die of old age, maybe that's the issue with your KW.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Good advice from John. The problem could be with the generation of a DC signal to activate the whistle's relay switch, rather than a problem with the whistle gizmo itself.

The problem with the 1689W tenders is that one has to bend the tinplate tabs open to access the whistle gizmo for service. Not Lionel's best thinking there.

Back to the controller ... This thread has a helpful discussion on how whistle controllers work. There's also some discussion of how you can create a "crude/simple/backdoor" activation of the whistle, simply by wiring a DC battery in series with the AC power leads. Not recommended for long term use, but you might try this to see if the whistle works. That said, Lionel made a cheap "controller" for a while, #147, that did just that. From "hot" on transformer, run to negative of DC battery, then from positive of DC battery to center rail. Ground return to transformer as normal. The trick here is that one has to toggle the battery circuit (or bypass) on/off very quickly. Read thread link through post #9 ...

http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=5473

FYI, this thread shows the inside of a 1689W

http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=7595

TJ


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I also made a whistle/bell controller from junkbox parts, they're pretty simple.


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## santafe158 (Jul 14, 2010)

John, you have some fancy stuff in your junk box


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Well, I have tons of C&K switches and diodes left over from manufacturing control boxes for Wall Street firms in the 80's and 90's, and the little plastic box is from a keyboard we used to make for video display boxes, so I have some of those as well. 

The Diodes? Yep, I have several hundred of them, they're 3A diodes, but given the duty cycle, that allows you to pass up to 6A through the box, probably enough for one train.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

I love that kind of talk!


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

It's "junk box" talk.


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## Dadstrain (Oct 28, 2011)

Thanks for your response the KW transformer was the problem. Since I had just bought it from a Lionel dealer they just gave me another one. Now the whistle works on my prewar and my new locomotive which has Trainsounds. I had also purchased a Bell/Whistle switch to hook up in line for the Trainsounds Locomotive. Now that whistle works but when I switch it to bell the train changes direction with out the bell working. the switch has a small two position bell/whistle button two wires that go to the track hookup and two post for transformer hook up.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Try swapping the wires from the transformer or to the track, they could be reversed. What's the exact bell/whistle control you purchased?

Have you see the threads here about building your own whistle/bell controller?


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## Dadstrain (Oct 28, 2011)

Its a 10-5904-001. Yes I saw some of the posts its a little confusing for me. I also found a link to some lionel info for whistle/horn. they show the10-5906-001 button and maybe that is what I need.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I found one reference that seems to suggest that the 10-5904-001 is specific to the MW transformer, don't know how true that is.

As I mentioned, it's pretty simple to build your own box that will activate the whistle and bell, a pair of pushbuttons and 10 6A diodes is all that is required.


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