# Puff the Magic dragon ate my C-16



## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

As usual the first sign of trouble happened in the tunnel, why is it always in there? 

Got her out ok and plugged the connector back in and reseated the drawbar and sent her on her way...yep made it 2' and froze..... With the R/C off and sound on I lifted the rear truck and the sound stopped, replaced that truck and lifted the front truck... same result! Some how I wired the trucks in series!

Talk of starting over... the power pickups were the first things of this project and mucho wiring was routed above it... oh the joys! I thought I could live with that snafu for the time being, if everything else was ok.

I had never seen my hand pluck the tender so fast from the track. Puff exhaled... blue smoke! Oh the Horrors!









She's back on the bench awaiting new surgery, the shop foreman doesn't have any desire at the moment to open her up and see the damage......

FYI; I'm running track and battery power. All my problems have occured in the Aristo wiring.... too used to color coding and it appears to be non-existannt in China.

I know that now, but didn't when I started! All my first steps must be checked... I can't blame the foreman his hesitations...

John


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## Mik (Jan 2, 2008)

Them Chinese think they velly crever to sclew you a half yuan at a time. Next time buy HLW.


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Mik, 
The HLW Jupiter is next to go under the knife! 

Kinda cavalier with those 'next time's' aren't we? FYI; there isn't a planned next time.... The C-16 will perform...after she get's some bi-carb for the hiccups! 

I'm getting tired of the taste of this elephant, now I've got to regurgitate the first bites! (to borrow from your scratchbuilding tag) lol. 

John


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## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

John, you'll find that the Jupiter will be a breeze to convert. And it will run forever.


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

If you're running battery, just unwire the silly trucks.


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## steam5 (Jun 22, 2008)

John 

Best open her up, maybe it’s just a simple thing, burnt wire… lets think positive. 

You can’t assume anything with manufactures wiring, best to double check everything. 

Alan


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Posted By Torby on 05 Aug 2009 05:32 PM 
If you're running battery, just unwire the silly trucks. 

and then the batteries faded away....

Onct the riddle be solved 

The worry of power shall cease.

Until then this rebel without a clue

shall champion New and Improved!


Fortunes could be charged for the lessons

learrned through my mistakes....


John


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

I occasionally make up a limeric or a haiqu, but as a poet, you have me beat.


When I first batteryified by Annie, I left the track pickups and switch so I could switch it back to track for continuous use. I never switched it back. Later, I ripped out the pickups after I was crossing from one block to another on a layout I was visiting and shorted out his power packs.


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Me a poet? Naw, I think you confused me with somebody with talent... 

One man's solution isn't always the next's...no power pick ups = no charging... floating battery, switched on internally when track power falls or is eliminated at the reverse loop switch... 

I'm pretty sure that my problem is below what was added...original wiring. 

I had a thought yesterday that the (pc)boads are growing in size not to imorove performance, but to compensate for poor wiring... 

John


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

"I had a thought yesterday that the (pc)boads are growing in size not to imorove performance, but to compensate for poor wiring... "


It's a conspiracy.


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Duck! Ya don't want to get any conspiracy on ya. 

Good news of sorts... Puff took out the lights... 

The bad is having to open the loco again....but soldier on I will... I want it all! 

John


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

You guys add such style and Grace to your threads.


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Puff the Magic Dragon ate my C-16.
The batteries can make it go but soon will be out of juice!
Guy called TotalWrecker drove it down his track,
Till the smoke came from the wires, must have wired someting wrong.


I haven't actually played with one of these, but something happened to my Annie once that might be similar... Is it possible to turn one of the trucks around backwards when you put it on the track? That will burn wires if you have some amps. Fortunately, I had a 5 amp electronics grade power supply running it and it went into overcurrent shutdown. I used a white paint pen, 'cause I had it handy, to put a dot on the pilot truck frame so I could see easily that I had it right.


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Wish it were that easy, the drawbar tang is on one and the coupler the other truck and she ran fine on DC... 

Early on, I asked in a different thread, the voltage of the lights installed, equally knowledgable folks suggested 18v...sure were bright for 5 minutes! 

Yep removed the tender pc board and the 5v reg..... seems 6v lights will last forever on 5 volts and are mere flash in the pans at 18! 

I tried 5 - 5volt bulbs in series, but I don't think their leads could handle the heat... 

Might I suggest a different last line? 
......down the track 

Til blue smoke poured out, but not from the stack. 

John


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Oh that's good!


If you want to fiddle with trains, go down to Wal*Mart in the electrical section and get one of those little digital volt meters. It can take a lot of guesswork out of wiring questions


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Oh I think my analog one will do ok. 
It's the first things I did before becoming aware of chinese pot-luck wiring... that's where I'm headed now...advance to the rear! lol 

John


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Good news...surgery went well... all systems go! Well that's on the test track with guts open... 

Bestests I can figger it's like putting cooked spaghetti back in the box... sumthin' gets squished. 

I'd run a bare (paint covered)power jumper between two spst switches (lights and sound) cold joint and pressure from other wires.... Puff! 

I found no burnt wires and all the lights tested good with an ohm meter so I connected all the wires (added a propper jumper), elevated the drivers and she runs just fine.... 

Now if I can get her back together without another scar.... 

John


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Now if I can get her back together without another scar.... 





I keep bandaids in my toolbox


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Now if I can get her back together without another scar.... 



Hmm. The QUOTE tags don't work the same as they used to?


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Didn't need the bandaids after all, but it seems I'm not done with the knife. 

After 2 hours of test run time at the bench it occurred to me that my problems always show up out side running, so I gave the tender a couple of firm, but gentle shakes side to side.... 

Killed it! 

The green led on my R/C controller went out, never to return... emailed the nice man that made it and now I need to pry it out and send in for repairs 

Fortunately I bought 2 at the time and can try putting the 2nd unit in.... 

Moldel Railroading IS fun, it's the electronics that's costing me hair! 

John


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Never trust any wiring from any manufacture. Always check before doing conversions. Will save you head aches down the road and probably smoked boards. Later RJD


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Do a search on "Fishguts" I'm a solid member of the fishguts school of railroading.


I also don't like things rattling in a train.


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

I did your search and saw there was a lot of talk about fishguts, but nothing regarding railroading... 

Good news board popped off gorila glue easier than I thought it would! 

Now to trouble shoot 

John


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