# 6466W Tender won't whistle



## jab2373 (Jan 23, 2013)

OK, I have read some other post and cant find a fix, so here it goes....
Its my grandfathers train #2026 I recently got out of storage after my parents moved. How this came about is because I had recently purchased an O scale train #8617 from Goodwill with some O27 Gauge track. The 8617 train had no tender. Anyway after running it for a week or two I remembered the 2026 in storage and thought I might try it. I got it from storage and ran it on the track. then the funny stuff started to happen, I was using the controller from the 8617 with both trains( its a newer controller from the 80's I think). With the tender attached both trains would just stop running, like there was a short when I tried to activate the whistle. If the trains were in "neutral" the whistle worked....So I then changed the track to just O gauge and changed the controller to the older one type 1033, now the whistle doesn't work at all, I don't think its the controller because I have two and it acts the same on both, the train does speed up when I activate the switch for the whistle but no sound. You can see the relay try to move but it just doesn't go far enough to make the contacts connect, if I push up to make the contacts connect, the whistle blows. Hope I didn't confuse anyone...Help


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## BigAl56 (Dec 14, 2011)

With just the tender on the track and no locomotive or cars what happens? How are you connecting the 1033 transformer to the track? Polarity does matter. Which posts are you connecting to which rails? Try reversing your track connections. 

Your problem could just be an old dirty relay and whistle motor. First rule when dealing with old trains is to clean and lube them.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Actually, for PW whistle relays, I don't believe polarity matters, they'll pick up for either positive or negative DC offsets.

I think it's more likely that some cleaning and lube is called for.


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## jab2373 (Jan 23, 2013)

To answer both questions, I have cleaned and lubed it, its not dirty, I had tried reversing the wires and still no change, the 1033 is connected to terminals U and A, I did try it by itself with out train, still wont engage. If I use the newer controller it works but the train just keeps on tripping the circuit breaker in the controller. Is there some way to adjust the relay or is the 1033 controller just not sending enough of a dc current to trip the relay?


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## Don Trinko (Oct 23, 2012)

i think the 1033 has a copper oxide rectifier. If so it can be replaced with a modern diode and that should make a big difference. Don


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## santafe158 (Jul 14, 2010)

The new transformer is probably just not powerful enough to run both the locomotive motor and the whistle motor. Both are open frame AC motors which are power hogs. The 1033 probably needs it's rectifier replaced as Don suggested.


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## BigAl56 (Dec 14, 2011)

There is no adjustment for the amount of DC current the 1033 can send. Sometimes if you shift the connection to the rectifier disc it works again. A worn out rectifier disc could be causing this problem but you said running the 'train' with the newer unidentified transformer trips a 'breaker'. So what exactly what is tripping the breaker? The Locomotive, tender, whistle? Something is drawing too much power causing the breaker to trip. You should narrow it down through a process of elimination. What works and doing what kills it?


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## santafe158 (Jul 14, 2010)

areizman said:


> So what exactly what is tripping the breaker? The Locomotive, tender, whistle? Something is drawing too much power causing the breaker to trip. You should narrow it down through a process of elimination. What works and doing what kills it?


Like I said, it's probably drawing too much power. He said the tender whistles fine when the locomotive is in neutral.

What type of transformer is the newer one? What wattage rating?


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Given that the new transformer runs the whistle, I join the chorus and say the 1033 probably needs a whistle rectifier transplant.


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## jab2373 (Jan 23, 2013)

Thanks guys, its a better start than I had, I will try the rectifier transplant.


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## lionel1948 (Jan 8, 2018)

I have two 1033 transformers both working.. is there way to link them to give more power ? just curious


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

No, just minimize the track length they run. You could block them. say each one powers half a circle or a separate loop.


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## Dieseler (Jan 29, 2014)

Your last sentence in your post -"You can see the relay try to move but it just doesn't go far enough to make the contacts connect, if I push up to make the contacts connect, the whistle blows. Hope I didn't confuse anyone...Help


They must make contact when whistle is activated which tells me the contact points are out of adjustment.

Have had this happen in past , both armature points need to close and its a fine line when bending them to do so for to much bend at it will chatter, to far apart and nothing.
I have used tweezers to bend the bottom armature point just a bit and with shell off test until it whistles properly.


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## rkenney (Aug 10, 2013)

Power a block of track through a 'D' cell (in series). for an easy way to test a whistle tender or create an automatic whistle block.






How you'll see the original diodes in your 1033. Bad diode on the left, replacement on the right.









What they look like on the scope.









Best replacement for a 1033, because of limited space, is a 6 amp barrel diode.


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