Gunrunner John,
I installed the second YLB 10510 in my Vision Line Niagara. The job took more time feeding the power wire through the tender floor and under the pick-up roller plate. I tried to wrap it around the pick-up roller screw, but had the nut fall back into the tender. I recommend using an Exacto knife to raise the roller plate and pin the red power wire underneath the roller plate. The screws are not very long, so be careful not to turn the screw off the double nut/threaded post. (I had to remove the speaker baffle and the speakers to reach the double nut post and push it back in place so I could re-attach the pick-up roller.)
Note: When closing the tender, be sure to feed the smoke fluid fill pipe through the front of the tender first.
The engine ran nicely for over an hour as I worked to get the smoke units working again. The Niagara sat on display and the smoke units wanted to trip the ZWL breaker until I was able to add them one at a time. The Smoke Stack, Whistle Steam, Pop Off Valves, and Tender water vapor effect as the tender scoops up water, all draw a lot of power for the heating elements and fans.
This use of the Niagara tender water smoke effect and its corresponding "hissing/splashing" sounds from the sound system may have drained the YLB 10510 so that it let the tender drop sound. (As I typed the above sentence, I realized why the YLB would drop sound., the splashing sounds are broadcast the entire time the smoke is coming from the tender - longer than a normal whistle blow.)
Can a YLB fail after extended use? This battery is one of the 10 you dropped off at Henning's Trains this week. After using it for an hour, the sound would drop occasionally. I will run it without using the tender smoke and its sounds, especially over the switches. Not using the tender smoke long sustained sounds as often should greatly improve the performance.
Sincerely, John Rowlen
