# Help fixing whistle on Lionel 2046w Tender (First time)



## Marc (Dec 5, 2016)

Hi all,

I'm fixing the whistle on a 2046w Tender and had some questions; this is my first time messing with model trains.

*1) Do I solder this broken wire from the relay to the whistle? (BTW, the screw is incorrect. Will be buying a 6-32x1/4")*










*2) I'll run the wires through the holes in the chassis. Do I solder them to the trucks? One for the front and the other rear?*










*3) Is the black circle the soldering point for the wire on the trucks?*










After that is completed, is there anything else that is required? Should I lube the whistle? If so, what oil can be used?

Thanks!


----------



## todamtall (Nov 15, 2016)

Yes to all your questions. I know you will be replacing the frayed wire! Only thing I would oil is the wheels where they turn on the axles, 1 drop of any good light oil will do. Some use regular motor oil E.I 10W20. I use hoppes gun oil.


----------



## Marc (Dec 5, 2016)

todamtall said:


> I know you will be replacing the frayed wire!


Yes! I haven't measured the wire yet but would you happen to know the correct gauge? Looks like 20 or 22?

Also, is there a good method to remove old solder? I was going to try solder wick.

Thanks for the other info as well. :smilie_daumenpos:


----------



## Norton (Nov 5, 2015)

22 would be more than adequate. In this case its important that is flexible especially if you run on 027 track. Repro parts guys sell a wire they call superflex for this but unless you plan to restore many more trains just about any stranded wire would do. Solder wick is fine or a solder sucker, whatever you have handy even steel wool.

Pete


----------



## todamtall (Nov 15, 2016)

Take a small piece of fine grit sandpaper like 440, double it and run it back and forth between the contacts on the relay. Cleans up any carbon build up to make a good contact. Check the 1/4" nuts under the frame. Make sure they are snug. Sometimes the whistle will make a rattling noise if they are loose. I like a solder sucker but a wick is fine.


----------



## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

I would not bother changing the screw. The damage is done. You can try it but a wood screw has some serious threads to it.

Instead of sandpaper I use construction paper on contact points and electrical brushes. In my youth I cleaned a brush and half of it disappeared before I realized that cleaning too much is not a good thing.

The best Olsen page is for the 6026W tender since it has a wire diagram.


----------



## Marc (Dec 5, 2016)

Wow, thanks for all the great responses! I'll take what y'all said into consideration and post up the final product. :thumbsup:


----------



## kb2rocket (Nov 13, 2016)

I currently need to make the very same repair in mine


----------



## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

There are a lot of tender threads here is an older one.


----------



## Marc (Dec 5, 2016)

Has anyone used Apex RC wire for their train?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Apex-RC-Pro...547166?hash=item4ad050f7de:g:UHkAAOxycmBS~GIX

Looks like this would be my best bet for getting wire that's closest to the original train wiring. I checked stores around my area and have had no luck. Any thoughts on the above brand/wire?


----------



## Marc (Dec 5, 2016)

Ok, I connected the 22 gauge wire and soldered everything back to normal. 

The whistle works great when I push the relay contact together myself, however it does not move when I hit the whistle button on the controller. What could be the issue?


----------



## teledoc (Oct 22, 2014)

What transformer are you using to activate the whistle? Do you have another whistle tender that you know it works, to compare the results. The possibilities are a bad whistle solenoid in the tender. The whistle rectifier in the transformer could also be defective and not providing the D.C. Offset to pull the relay contacts up.


----------



## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

Also make sure the throttle is up on the transformer.


----------



## Marc (Dec 5, 2016)

Thanks for the responses.

The problem ended up being a very tiny wire on the top of the solenoid opposite of the contact side! The whistle works great now. :thumbsup: 

Unfortunately, there's a new problem! When the engine, Lionel 665, pulls the tender forward it cuts out and completely stops within a second or two. (Overloads the transformer) However, the engine and tender work great together when moving in reverse. 

Any ideas on the cause of the short when moving forward?


----------



## todamtall (Nov 15, 2016)

Does the engine go forward ok without the tender?


----------



## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

Good question! Let's try to narrow it down to engien or tender and go from there! And by overload you mean it shorts out, right?


----------



## Marc (Dec 5, 2016)

todamtall said:


> Does the engine go forward ok without the tender?


Yep! The engine works well in both directions without the tender. Only when it's connected to the tender, with the draw bar, does it short out going forwards. I tried using electrical tape in between the draw bar but that causes both the engine and tender not to turn on at all.



sjm9911 said:


> Good question! Let's try to narrow it down to engien or tender and go from there! And by overload you mean it shorts out, right?


There's actually a spark where the draw bar connects with the engine. It's at that moment when it stops moving. I'm pretty sure the transformer will then show "overload" lit up. I'm not at my home right now to check it out.


----------



## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

If the engien works fine then the problem is the tender, unless the draw bar is hitting the tracks! Check for loose wires or bare wires touching the frame, or shell if it's metal. Maybe a wire is touching shell on engine and back feeding through draw bar to cause a short. Hard to tell, but I would check the wires first.


----------



## todamtall (Nov 15, 2016)

There are springs under the rollers where you soldered the wire to the tab. If they are real weak, the roller might bend backwards far enough so that the tab with the wire touches the metal frame when going forward. Or it touches the metal truck somewhere. Maybe too big a solder spot. Just a guess.

bob


----------



## Marc (Dec 5, 2016)

Good ideas, sjm9911 and todamtall! I'll check all the wires, soldering and connections to see if that's causing the short! It wont be till this weekend though.


----------



## balidas (Jun 3, 2011)

I have a pre-war steamer where the tab from the loco sits too low & hits the middle rail. And that happens with or without the tender.


----------



## Marc (Dec 5, 2016)

The Tender works! The problem was the solder on the trucks. When the tender was on the tracks, the solder was pushed up against the truck. This would short out the train. 

Thanks again to everyone for all the help. :thumbsup:


----------

