SF 3000 2-10-10-2 Sound issue

Sorry it should have read, without me triggering the function.

I'd start by also replacing the RailSounds P/S board.

I have to say, you are a very brave man to be attempting repairs on that engine. I sent the one I have to @Alex M to be put right as one look at the wiring diagram that came with it persuaded me I couldn’t do the necessary myself. It has worked fine since it came back from him.

I certainly can’t second guess GRJ’s advice and FWIW, based on my own experience of early Legacy sound issues, it seems correct.

Hey gunrunner John it was the p/s board that we recently replaced. The reason we replaced it was that engine wasn’t making any sound. After we replaced the P/S board the sound is back and responds correctly to command from Cab2 but in addition it will just blow the whistle or give crew talk without any input from theCab2. Now what? Thanks for answering my posts.

One other thing to do is to clean the wheels and pickups of the tender really well.  Also, make sure the tether is correctly aligned and doesn't ride up and down, that can sometimes trigger oddball sounds.

Of course, it's also possible that the sound board or power supply is bad.  I've gotten bad parts from Lionel in the past, it happens.

Bobby Cox posted:

Hey gunrunner John it was the p/s board that we recently replaced. The reason we replaced it was that engine wasn’t making any sound. After we replaced the P/S board the sound is back and responds correctly to command from Cab2 but in addition it will just blow the whistle or give crew talk without any input from theCab2. Now what? Thanks for answering my posts.

Not to complicate matters, I hope, but which of these two parts do you mean - or both?

Aside from (very) occasionally getting a duff part from Lionel, I've found that ones described as "universal" (as the power board on the left is) sometimes don't match up with the existing part to be replaced or the rest of the original components. In my latest experience of this, which involved trying to replace a Railsounds power board, the result was exactly as you describe - random crew/horn sounds but including an occasional beep. 

I hope GRJ is right about the wheel cleaning and tether. On mine the latter has been a little problematic as on connection it has to be aligned precisely and if you don't there's some risk of it touching the center rail.

The RS universal P/S should work with RS6 through RS6 boards, I've never found it to be incompatible.

Problem solved! I am kinda new to this game so not real quick at diagnostics. The tip of the vertical part of the drawbar was touching the center rail as the engine went around and hit little bumps. There is a screw with a shoulder plus a coil spring that is part of the drawbar assembly. Evidently there was suppose to be a washer in there that helped take the vertical play out of the drawbar. I put a washer in and now it works perfectly. Thanks to everyone who helped with their comments. Gunrunner John rules!