K-line K-952B Whistle Controller

Make your own?

Interesting, to be sure.  We no longer have a Radio Shack, and I don't know where to get the 'project box. 12 diodes;  what number?  Where to buy?  Digi key?

2nd reply to GRJ:  I disassembled the one I fried.  The most interesting observation was this:   Under normal ops [no whistle], the push button passed track power directly thru.  But when the button is pushed,  these 2 things occurred: 1.  The AC power was no longer passed thru.  Rather, 2, the DC output from the full-wave rectifier was sent to the track.  What this tells me is that, in addition to the whistle blowing, the engine's motor was receiving a filtered [via the cap] DC.  I believe that they took advantage of the fact that the motors are all 'universal' type.... Is this in agreement with your understanding?  Is this also how your 'home-made' version works?

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Good luck , John 

My home made version simply has the diode strings in series with the AC during normal operation and shorts out all but one diode to impart a DC bias when either button is pressed.

I just took out an old K-Line set K-1719IC.  I put the track together and hooked everything up, put the train on the track, and plugged it in.  I turned the knob on the K-950 Hobby Transformer, and NOTHING.  So, I disconnected the K-952B and connected the K-950 directly to the K-150 Universal Lockon.  The engine ran like a champ!

I hate having an inoperable accessory, so I'd like to fix that K-952B Controller.  But how?

I don't know how to open the box, nor what to look for apart from disconnected wires.

Does anyone here have step-by-step instructions on opening, troubleshooting, and fixing it?  (My son has a multi-meter I'm sure he'll let me use.)

phrankenstign posted:

I don't know how to open the box, nor what to look for apart from disconnected wires.

There are four small, round pads, one in each corner. Peel them off and underneath you will find the four screws holding the box together. IIRC, you will also have to pull the large round button straight off on the top side before opening up, but the button is just press-fit on.

Matt_GNo27 posted:

phrankenstign posted:

I don't know how to open the box, nor what to look for apart from disconnected wires.

There are four small, round pads, one in each corner. Peel them off and underneath you will find the four screws holding the box together. IIRC, you will also have to pull the large round button straight off on the top side before opening up, but the button is just press-fit on.

You were right about the four small, round pads.  I peeled them off, and I took the screws off.  The bottom came off, and there was no need to take the large round button off.  I found all the soldered connections to be tight, but 3 of the screwed on connections had come loose.  I tightened them and then hooked the Controller to the Transformer and Universal Lockon.  The train immediately started up.  I tried the WHISTLE PUSH button with the switch set to WHISTLE/HORN, but I didn't hear anything.  I wasn't sure whether the engine had a working horn in it, so I swapped it out for another engine that I'd just been running a little while ago on another track that DID have a working horn.  I gave it power, and the engine started up.  I pressed the WHISTLE PUSH button, and the horn immediately sounded.

I decided to look for other sets like mine.  I found two, and both listed the features of the engine.  Evidently, it didn't have a horn.  I must have accidentally packed the K-952B Whistle Controller with the wrong set awhile back.  The only other K-Line set I've got with a whistle or horn is the K-1604 Chesapeake and Ohio Steam Set.  I'm going to check its contents to see if it's missing the K-952B Controller it should have had included.

The only problem I have now is where can I get four replacement pads?  The original ones fell apart as I pulled them off.

If I recall, the earlier K-Line whistle tenders etc needed the K-Line controller because their output was slightly different than Lionel etc.

Steve

Steve "Papa" Eastman posted:

If I recall, the earlier K-Line whistle tenders etc needed the K-Line controller because their output was slightly different than Lionel etc.

Steve

The other reason is K-Line only had one model transformer for their early sets.  It was designated the K-950.  After a few improvements, the later version was identified as the K-0950 B.  It wasn't until the late 1990s that K-Line offered the K-0954 transformer with the PUSH TO SOUND button, WHISTLE/OTHER control switch, and DIRECTION button built-in.