Lionel Legacy M1b Sound Issue

Ray,

Me thinks your locomotive is fine.... are you pressing the right buttons is the question:

Do you see a start up button here?

Also try pressing Aux1  then the number 3 to wake the locomotive up...

Actually, if you've configured this for Legacy operation, you should have this keypad display.  If you don't see it, press the ENG softkey and it'll appear.  Press the indicated button and the locomotive will perform the startup sequence.  Press the button next to it and it'll do the shutdown sequence.

John and JDADDY. I have several Legacy engines. I configured this engine correctly as a Legacy with sound.

I am familiar with the start up key, as noted by both of you. Pushing it after power is applied to the track does nothing for the sound. Even pulling the whistle lever down does nothing. Or pushing any other keys on the keypad. Tried Aux 1 then 3, nothing.

Rotating the throttle, the engine moves and then the sound wakes up, chuffing. All the other sound also wake up. The whistle plays loud. Another thing that is strange, the volume control buttons do nothing.

I can not lower or raise the volume from the key pad. Of note, however, I removed the tender shell in order to paint and letter it. I also removed the wire harness that connects the volume control pot to the sound board as well as the connections for the tender lights. I don't think this has anything to do with it, as the same symptoms were noted when I first got it - no sound until the engine moved with the shell on and all wires connected. 

Will have to continue to debug it.

RAY

What happens when you put the tender on the track by itself then power up the track?

This tender should make idle sounds when powered up without the loco.

Ricko, interesting. With the tender on the track, power applied, sounds of pumps come alive. I then killed tack power, placed the engine on the track about 6 inches from the tender so that the IR connections did not line up, turned power back on to the track, and presto, sound of pumps came up again.

Killed power, moved engine to tender and connected draw bar, hit power to the track, and NO SOUNDS. 

So is it something to do with the IR connection between the engine and tender? But once the engine starts to move, sound comes alive. Strange?

RAY

Ok, next step to find the red X. take a known Legacy tender that works and hook it up behind the locomotive... does the sound in the tender perform the same way?

Next flip a known working Legacy engine and hook it up to the suspect tender ... what do you see?

Ray of sunshine posted:

Killed power, moved engine to tender and connected draw bar, hit power to the track, and NO SOUNDS.

That is normal operation.  When the serial data is sensed and there is a TMCC signal present, the sound system is silent until started up.

That's normal operation as John stated. 

No startup. No volume controls. Does the loco respond to any of the buttons when in motion?

The issue seems to be the loco not receiving the signals from the keypad.

As long as your other l egacy loco are working properly you can rule out a faulty keypad on the handheld.

Update:

Placed the M1b tender behind my Legacy GS4. Everything worked as they should. Startup button woke up the sound, crew talk, blow down, water fill effect, whistle and bell, etc, etc, etc.There is no difference with either the GS4 tender or this new (used) Pennsy M1b when operated behind my GS4 as they are identical with respect to all sound effects and tender light controls.

So I know the tender, which houses the sound system and the lights for the tender, is fully functioning. 

Placed the GS4 tender behind the M1b, no sound at all. HOWEVER, I think that when I got the M1b several months ago, the GS4 tender responded the same as the Pennsy tender does, that is: chuffing sound, bell, whistle and some sound effects - but no crew talk. Can not say for sure, so don't hold me to that.

So here is what the Pennsy tender does and does not do when connected to the Pennsy engine:

1. Start up button does not activate the sound system. Even pushing any buttons, whistle or bell. No sound.

2. When the engine starts to move, the sound system comes up. Chuffing, whistle, blow down, water fill effect, lights on the tender, and coupler on the tender operate. 

3. What does not work - when attached to the Pennsy engine - crew talk and the bell gives only a single ring - can not get it to ring continuously.

So the 3 issues are: No start up until the engine moves. No crew talk. No continuous bell ringing. But remember, these functions worked flawlessly when the tender is attached to my GS4.

Could there be an issue with the IR connections between the engine and tender? Do I just bite the bullet and live with it the way it is, or is there something else I should be looking at? I have the boiler removed from the frame and can not see any loose wires. 

The engine runs flawlessly. Very smooth, quiet and exactly like it was factory new. 

Ray

Since some stuff gets through the IR link, my top suspect would probably be the R4LC.  If you have another similar Legacy locomotive, the quickest test is to swap the other R4LC in and see if that corrects the issue.  It could be a weak IR link as well, but I'm still thinking R4LC.  If swapping the R4LC doesn't do it, check the alignment of the IR transmitter on the locomotive and pick up a new one if nothing is amiss there.

John, thanks for the suggestion. Will have to do a swap tomorrow and hopefully that will cure my issue. Never thought of that. Will let you know if it fixes the problem.

RAY