Steims posted:The center section PCB certainly needs to bring power across it to handle opens on switches, uncouplers and activators. However if the EP-2 ventures up to a dead block that happens to have a string of passenger cars parked it could experience significant in rush current that could damage that trace.
Maybe a diode at each pickup wire would help protect this board.
Oh yeah, I also forgot to mention that there was also another Legacy engine in that insulated block. The other engine was completely off, since there was no track power in that section. So maybe it also facilitated with burning that trace, since that would mean 1 - 1.5 amps would have been going through that trace. In any case, I believe this will no longer be a problem.
Hopefully the new EP-2 locos that Lionel came out with very recently are not using the central PCB anymore. If anyone has the first run of the EP-2 locos, I highly suggest doing the mod I did to the center PCB. Also, here's that PCB with my modifications added to it. The 3 jumper wires near the bottom of the picture are doubled up, since they are positive track power, negative track power, and pantograph power.
All of the jumper wires are covered up with 2 pieces of electrical tape, to make sure they won't short to the speaker bracket and so that I will be able to see which jumpers got hot if something shorts out that goes between this PCB. With the fixes in place, the model is working perfectly again!
