I have a good running 2338 with a horn problem. It has a new D cell battery and no corosion at the battery box area. The horn relay works when activated and I hear a faint noise at the horn. It sound like the horn does not get enough power from the 1.5 volt D cell battery. If I remove the battery and apply 2.2 or 2.3 volts from a small transformer, the horn will work. I’m guessing I need a new horn.
Thoughts please?
If you don’t get your answer here today, call Jeff Kane at the train tender. www.ttender.com he very good on stuff like that. I’m wondering if it is your horn or maybe something with the relay. I’m not that great on electronics and how they work.
I guess, if you put 1.5 volts to the horn will it sound? if yes I would look at the relay as something may not be allowing the correct voltage thru.
Something thou makes me think that the horn actually gets more than 1.5 volts when all is working correctly so it still may fall on the relay. Or your Transformer if it’s not putting out enough DC when you hit the horn/whistle button/lever.
The horn should sound loud and clear with 1.5 volts directly from a fresh battery. If it does not, the horn is defective.
If the horn sounds properly when hooked directly to a battery, but not when hooked to the relay, the relay needs a good cleaning of the fixed and movable contacts, and also the pivot point at the rear of the lower movable contact.
Also clean the battery holder terminals of any dirt or corrossion.
The transformer provides AC voltage. The DC supplied by the transformer horn/whistle button only energizes the relay, and does not power the horn.
Larry
Can’t add anything to what the others have said, but if you’re into this in a big way (like I’m getting to be) let me recommend most highly TM Books and Videos DVD “Maintenance and Repair Guide for Lionel Electric Trains and Accessories.” It’s $9.99 and worth it’s weight in gold. There’s even a section on horn repair. Can’t remember everying that’s in there except that if a horn’s been silent for a while it may need to be “woken up.”
The DVD’s helped me quite a bit. www.tmbv.com
I would like to know how this turns out, I have a 1957 Wabash # 2339 with the same problem, Every thing looks fine but no good honk nonk.
The horn will not sound when powered directly from a 1.5v battery, so I guess I need a horn. It will make a click, but no horn.
The Train Tender and Brasseur Electric Trains are a couple of good sources for a new horn, part #2367-55
Larry
I found a You Tube video where a nice young gent shows you how to do a Lionel diesel horn repair.
Search “You Tube Lionel Horn Repair” or…
www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LsDKsNBBKQ
If you can’t get the link to work maybe someone else here can, I never have any luck with that stuff. Hope this helps.
Hey, what do you know? I tried it, it works! Where’d I go right?
Does your horn have an adjustment screw? If so, you may be able to make it sound by turning the screw, with the battery connected. The problem is to know which way to turn it. So mark it in some way and then count rotations, so that you can always return to the original position. Then turn it alternately clockwise and counterclockwise, by gradually increasing amounts, but always keeping track of how many turns you are from the starting point.
The fact that it clicks is a good sign.
Well that was a bust. The tabs bent out fine but they fell off bending them back on and I was not forcing anything. So much for you-tube, Not out to much, it did not work before and sure won’t now. A call to Jeff, I guess. [banghead]
There’s a tip for bending the tabs on the TM video. TM recommends heating the tabs with the point of a soldering iron to make them more pliable. I’m a little surprised the You Tube poster didn’t do that but maybe his horn wasn’t too far gone, or the metal was a bit more robust.
Great video! I am going to try that. Nothing to lose. Never knew how the horn worked. Thanks again!
But first I’ll try the adjustment screw. If that fails, will try the solding gun/bend the tabs method.
Thanks for all the replys! Outstanding forum here!
Would of liked to know the heat it up trick but I did get it working by using the good tabs I had left and clamping and then soldering the spots where they broke off.
I do not recomend this but have heard of another way to wake up a horn that been unused for years. That is to give it a couple of real quick jolts of about 8 - 10 volts as it may free something up in there that is stuck because of all the idel time.
Just got done with the reassembly of the horn. Got it apart/back together without breaking and tabs. Don’t think that will happen again. Still nothing but a little clicking noise. The battery shows 1.49v but dated 2013 so I’m going to try a new one. Gonna need it anyway. Will report results. Thanks for all the help so far.
Glad I could be of some little assistance. Is this Forum great or what?
Yes it is. I learn things(alot of things!), it’s friendly, and just plain fun!