Lionel Legacy sound drop

Yes dirty track can indeed be the culprit as well as dirty pickup rollers. I own a legacy K4 and it lets me know when the track is dirty in spite of older TMCC and legacy locos not having any issues.

Clean the track and pickup rollers. I've also found that a drop of conductive oil on the pickup roller pins helps too.  I use Bachman easy lube. Atlas conduct -a-lube  also works well for this.

Thanks, Rick!

So you've experienced the sound dropping out as well?

I’ve also had the volume control potentiometer cause sounds to drop out. Move it min and max several times to clean the contacts.

Larry Mullen posted:

Thanks, Rick!

So you've experienced the sound dropping out as well?

Yes, as I said my Legacy  k4 from 2011 will let me know if there is the slightest dust or dirt on the track or pickup rollers. Even if the track appears clean.

Add a battery, problem solved.

Is this like the train version of a mic drop?

My new H10 does the same thing.

BradFish1 posted:

My new H10 does the same thing.

Mine too, I cleaned the track and it still did it on occasion.   I added the drop of conductive oil to the pickup rollers as I mentioned above, ran it around the layout a few times. Problem solved.

I'm not sure, maybe there was some contamination on the inside of the pickup roller from manufacturing?

FWIW, The conductive oil also helps alleviate the flickering of passenger cars while eliminating any roller squeak.

Gunrunnerjohn, Lionel doesn't give you the 9 bolt battery harness in the new H10s so do you know what part number would be the correct one so I can add your YLB to it? Lionel has a alot of battery harnesses listed.

There was a discussion a year ago about "conductive oil". I cannot think of what oil could be conductive.

Lionel doesn't have any more of the correct harness.  Not to worry, I just got a new shipment of the YLB boards, so I'll be making up a new configuration, the "Legacy YLB", it will have a matching connector for the RailSounds-Lite board used in Legacy locomotives.

cjack posted:

There was a discussion a year ago about "conductive oil". I cannot think of what oil could be conductive.

One of many Chuck.

Apparently photos I post don't show up.  Regardless, the Bachmann version has resolved the issues as I stated.

I'm not a scientist, but I don't work for Bachmann or Atlas either, so I've nothing to gain by making a false claim.

It was actually Hotwater that enlightened me about the "conductive" ( or not conductive) lube on another thread years ago with regards to passenger car pickups.

Its worth a shot while your waiting for Johns YLB .

So this oil has an additive like graphite, silver, aluminum, or copper? Is there a brand that is not marketed for the toy train hobby.

Sure, a quick trip to Google Search...

https://www.globalspec.com/ind...cally_conductive_oil

I don’t mean to be argumentative, but none of those are labeled electrically conductive oil like the $15/ oz Bachman oil. Instead mostly they are electrical and thermal compounds filled with metal and maybe carbon. 

As I have never used other than synthetic food service thin oil for rollers and wheels and never had any loss of continuity by actual measurements. I think the oil gets pushed aside easily and metal to metal occurs. 

I’m open to be wrong on this, I hope I am and that there is something better and more appropriate for the purpose by the quart.

Rick, I'll try the oil. John, I hope you'll let us know when you have the Legacy YLB for sale.

How much oil do you apply to the rollers?  I bought some too...

I use a tiny drop on each side of the axle

John,

Are the Legacy YLBs available yet?

Drop me an email, I have them built, just haven't created all the packaging, etc.