I need some suggestions on how to resolve this problem with the DCC tender to locomotive cable connection.
I decided to run this engine over the holidays and of course I had to connect the cable from the tender to the engine. At once I noticed it wasn’t very tight in the engine socket but it did stay in.
This moring I removed the engine and tender from the tracks and the cable came out. When I was ready to place the engine/tender back in service I couldn’t get the cable to remain in the socket in the engine…just keeps popping out. Some times it stays for a few seconds while the engine runs for a few feet the just comes out.
Any suggestions in resolving this problem will be greatly appreciated as I would hate to just junk this engine. I paid around $150.00 and I know the IHC products aren’t top of the line, in fact rather near the bottom but engine did perform well first go around. No DCC install in the tender yet.
Sounds like either the pins are misaligned and need straightened, or possibly put a small piece of tape on one side of the plug, or one other possible solution. It is black or white in color?So leave the plug out and take small pointed paint brush and “very lightly” apply a coat of black or white paint to the plug, but don’t get any on the pins and let it dry good, then try replugging it. The “built up surface” of the plug may fit a little more snuggly this way.If not try another “light coat” of black or white paint until it does.
The only other solution is to find someone who repaits HO engines and askl their advice.
I’ve decided to send it back to IHC. For a few dollars let the fix this correctly.
It was this way straight out of the box. Bad thing was that I should have tried to run the engine as soon as I got it and this way I could have had it fix under the warrantee which is only 90 days.
Sending it back to IHC for repair is your best option. I have one of these engines that I equipped with a Tsunami heavy steam deocoder and it runs very well and sounds great, but that plug does not fit tightly on mine, either.
It seems to be very similar to the JST header and plug that is used on decoders, but those fit a lot tighter than the IHC plug and are probably not the same.