Hello everyone. It's been a while since I posted any progress on my SP 4449. Unfortunately my train modeling goes in the closet in the spring and doesn't resurface until fall when the weather turns bad. So I've begun to finish my project.
Cruise Commander (ver 4.1) and Speaker mounted using existing holes in the chassis. I just need to wallow out 2 holes for the speaker. I had ordered a RailSounds Lite mount from Lionel for my CSS, but I used it in this project instead. I will reorder one for the CSS later.
All of the wiring is complete. Rang out all the wires and everything checks good. GRJ pointed out that the diesel tether I got had different color code for the wires. So I had to re-solder the PCB on the loco's 10 pin connector.
I made extension wires so I can operate the engine and calibrate the Chuff Generator. The colors don't match, but its a wire for a wire so the colors don't matter. Just as long as it works.
Now here's learning the hard way...I have all of this together and I power everything up, program the Cab 1 and wa la, it's alive. I press the bell button and I get a bell. Press the whistle button and I get the whistle. Press the coupler button...Nothing. I check my Aux-Tender switch...Yep, its right. Oh...I left the Program switch in program...Now the coupler works. Push the DIR button (looking for the rear light)...Nothing. Okay, maybe the leads are reversed and it's now in forward. Push the button again (still looking for the rear light)...Nothing. So I do a resistance check on the bulb...Infinite. Hummmmm, Look up the bulb for the rear light in my parts paperwork...1.5 volt Grain for Wheat. That's the reason! A 1.5 volt bulb wont last long in a 14 volt circuit.
My bad, this is an MTH Locomotive not a Lionel. My Aux tender has the same problem now too.
I put Kapton tape all over the body of the tender and chassis to electrically isolate the body. I connected the Cruise Commander antenna to the body using the screw in the top of the body.
I ordered a set of o gauge rollers from Micro-Mark Tools. Hopefully it wont take too long for them to show up.
I have the chuff generator programmed for 4 chuffs per rev. I was able to get 1 chuff in a quarter turn of the wheel so I'm confidant It'll chuff 4 per rev.
The RailSounds I have is for the GS4. It took some playing around, But I figured out where the horn button was. Button 6 on the Cab 1 is supposed to be for "Steam Release", but it's the horn button. I also don't have the "Blow Off" when button 3 is pressed. Just the startup. Tower Comm and Crew talk work fine.
So now I have to wait on my bulbs for the Aux Tender and the rollers to get any run time on the engine. I'll have it a year in January and haven't run it yet. I can't wait to get this on the track. I've start setting up my Christmas layout, I'm going to try and get the O-48 curves on so I can run this beast and my CSS.
Until next time.....
