I just received a used Stationsounds Diner and I am only using conventional transformer operation. The only sounds it makes is the clickity clack. I have a ZW transformer and I’m supposed to be able to get stationsounds with short bursts of whistle and bell, but I can’t get any. I’m hoping a “factory reset” might accomplish something. Can this be done using just the transformer in conventional operation? There is a procedure for reprogramming the circuit boards to restore features, but this requires the remote controller.
I don’t know the method but. Why don’t you take the car to a LHS, or over to someone with TMCC, and have it tested to see if its the car or the triggering system/method. While there they can also do a reset if needed.
Unfortunately I am 120 miles from any train / hobby shops and don’t know of anyone locally that has trains at all - I’m in the panhandle of Idaho and there isn’t much up here … except real trains. I will take it apart and see if there are any loose boards inside.
Is this a Post War ZW or a modern one? If its a PW, the older style rectifiers may not produce a clean DC spike that is short/sharp enough to trigger the effects. The booster winding that cuts in when you hit the button may also contribute to the problem. There are add onn sound activation buttons that will produce nice clean spikes and do not cut in additional power which may confuse the sound board. Factory reset only affects TMCC commands, not conventional opration and it does requires access to a CAB-1 and Command Base.
It is a modern one. I mentioned this in case a user can disable sound in TMCC and then when one switches to Transformer Mode if the sound would still be disabled.
TMCC settings are stored in the car/locomotive/accessory/contol device. aka once set, they stay that way until the programming is changed. The only differences between command and non command operation is that features that require a digital command to operate will only function in a command mode setting. If you look at the owners manual for the station sounds passenger cars you will see there is a table listing what can and can not be accessed via command/conventional mode. It is possible that someone has inadvertantly mis programmed your car or that a track incident has caused the programming to become scrambled and that this would cause the symptoms you are seeing, BUT, you need a CAB-1 and a Commnad Base to reprogram the device nack to factory defaults.