gunrunnerjohn posted:If the locomotive starts in reverse, just swap the motor leads.
Yes, I could do that. Also, since it's a GG1, I could just turn it around. However, I'd still have that odd three second delay after track power is applied when the engine does nothing and even the lights don't illuminate.
The fact is, since someone put in the first Lionel board and a cap 10 years ago, the engine has worked normally--until recently, when it started this weird behavior of a three second lag and then moving in reverse.
I've replaced the board and there's been no change. I have not replaced the capacitor. What else is there???
Could it be that the motors require more voltage to start--this engine is die cast, is very heavy, and the gearing is very tight--than the non-OEM board is designed to pass through immediately? Perhaps this results in small pulses of current that are not enough to get the motors going, but that are enough to cycle the "reverse unit" twice, once to neutral and once to reverse during the three second lag before the current is sufficient to get the motors going and to illuminate the incandescent lights?
