Just received a Lionel F-3 from 2003 equipped with TMCC and Railsounds. I am not using TMCC and running it with a PW ZW. Sometimes the Railsounds just doesn’t seem to turn on. Most of the time I would say, it seems to work fine. Is this an issue because I am using conventional power? Or do I have an issue with the Railsounds in the B-Unit? This is the Wabash 2240 BTW from the 1563W remake PWC series. My guess would be, perhaps a lose wire or connection? I am not experienced at all with anything newer than MPC. Any advice or info would be appreciated, thanks!!
Railsounds does not function consistently below ~10V track power.
The fix for this is to install a battery-see your manual as you may need to remove the shell or there may be an access hatch. You need a 9V battery-alkaline or lithium is recommended(note, lithium non-rechargeable, not a lithium ion) to fix the problem. Rechargables are generally best avoided as there’s no charging circuit present.
Many TMCC operators, myself included, don’t install the battery as it’s generally not an issue in TMCC with full track voltage, but it is necessary in conventional operation. The battery allows function both at low voltage and keeps the sound from dropping out when you cycle the reverse unit.
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AWESOME INFO!!! Thank You! My apology as to my non-knowledge of both Railsounds and TMCC in operation and use. I am a bit of a Luddite with toy trains and have resisted buying new items but admit, I do like the one I have!