AM Flyer 471 PB, how does it supposed to work!???

Classic Toy Trains Forum
1

Hi ALL again!
I got a hold of some American Flyer stuff at a Tag Sale. I’m trying to see if I can get the Horn OR Whistle sound to work in this 471 PB, Santa Fe. Once again I don’t have the instructions…I’m kinda clueless! I don’t want to KILL it!!

All I’ve done to try and get it to work is apply AC power from a Tyco Xfer. All it does is make sort of a radio static noise! Just what DOES that lever/switch do? When I opened this up…the switch wasn’t close enough to make contact, so I bent it down, doesn’t do anything! So just what DO I do to check and see if this works anymore?? It does look like it’s in good shape.

MANY thanks, Ted

2

Unlike a Lionel horn, the American Flyer horn’s sound is generated off the track and superimposed on the track voltage. All that is in the locomotive is a loudspeaker (XA11B831) and a capacitor (PA12N820) in series with it to block the track voltage and pass the audio to the speaker. There should be only one capacitor, which I believe should be a non-polarized electrolytic. Your locomotive has two, one of which is clearly polarized. It is hard to say what has happened to and been done to your locomotive. Nevertheless, it surely won’t work without the proper generator to put the audio signal onto the track voltage.