Sound and smoke doesn't work

S

Stan Gauge

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Hi,
I’m new to G scale, and need some help.
I purchased a Piko analog remote control (35028), and a USA Trains G scale GP7 (201511) engine. I can’t get the sound or smoke to work, I have all the switches in the on position, but still nothing.
Can anyone out there me.
Thanks
Frank
 
Hi Stan,

The Piko RC you have is a 'track-side' unit I believe, so you control the track, similar to an analogue (DC) system..

I assume you have put a little smoke-oil in the smoke unit? - Start with a few drops, and work up.
You will need to run at a reasonable speed, for the smoke to work.

Although the model has provision for sound, it would not have had a sound unit fitted as standard. - Are you sure it is supposed to have sound?
If it has a DCC sound decoder, this could be set to be 'off' (no sound) when running on DC.

A little more info, and we can help you more.

Enjoy!
PhilP.
 
Thanks for helping.
I put a few drops of smoke fluid in, and made sure all switches are in the on position, no change.

All pieces are New, and all wiring is correct.

The key flob has four buttons, forward, reverse, emergency stop, and accessory button.

Thanks again
 
If you turn the motor-switch off, do you hear a fan running, in the vicinity of the smoke unit(s). - Not sure if this model has one, or two?

PhilP
 
2 different smoke units fitted over the years to the GP7, one has fan, one does not...

First thing to figure out...

Also is smoke switch on?

Also a "few drops" not enough, but depends on the unit how much.

Start by understanding which smoke unit, and really only way is to open loco

Greg

p.s. battery? I doubt seriously that the installer connected the smoke unit... it draws as much power as the motors.
 
Greg Elmassian said:
2 different smoke units fitted over the years to the GP7, one has fan, one does not...

First thing to figure out...

Also is smoke switch on?

Also a "few drops" not enough, but depends on the unit how much.

Start by understanding which smoke unit, and really only way is to open loco

Greg

p.s. battery? I doubt seriously that the installer connected the smoke unit... it draws as much power as the motors.
Click to expand...
Thank you, I will check.
 
Stan,
Is the receiver 'trackside' or in the loco?

Unless the loco was sold as definitely having sound installed, then I doubt it has it.

PhilP
 
PhilP said:
Stan,
Is the receiver 'trackside' or in the loco?

Unless the loco was sold as definitely having sound installed, then I doubt it has it.

PhilP
Click to expand...
Trackside.

It does have three switches underneath, sound, smoke, motor, all switches are on.

I will attempt to take the shell off, and check for a smoke unit, and sound board when I get home, and get back to you.

Our town is building a garden railroad in memory of a resident that passed recently, and since I'm the resident train guy they elected me to be in charge. I have collected, and run vintage lionel standard gauge trains for 50 year, but know nothing about this new stuff.
I appreciate your help.

Thanks
 
OK, something strange here.

You state you bought the Piko remote - which is really a DC track power unit with a remote for speed.... I should have looked the model up, I assumed you had some kind of remote control for the loco, but your remote controls the track. My mistake for not looking carefully.

So you you have not opened the loco.

So the loco is running on DC track power. There are enough amps to power the motors and smoke units.

The loco was not normally sold with sound, so unless it was advertised as having sound it won't have it. (you do not indicate if you bought new or used)

The types of smoke units can really only be determined by opening the loco, see here for disassembly instructions:

GP7

Greg Elmassian web site on large scale trains and garden railroads, cigars, and computers
elmassian.com elmassian.com

Also on that page you will see a picture of the later model fan-driven smoke units.
The early smoke units have no fan and will take significantly less fluid, note: can be overfilled easily.

As was posted earlier, if you switch the motor off, and switch the smoke on, AND you have the newer units AND they are working, you might be able to hear the fans, but not all people hear them.

My recommendation is to pull the loco apart. Be SURE to get a long slim Philips that fits the screws tightly, MANY people strip the screw heads with an ill-fitting driver... you have been warned, heed it.

Greg
 
Greg Elmassian said:
OK, something strange here.

You state you bought the Piko remote - which is really a DC track power unit with a remote for speed.... I should have looked the model up, I assumed you had some kind of remote control for the loco, but your remote controls the track. My mistake for not looking carefully.

So you you have not opened the loco.

So the loco is running on DC track power. There are enough amps to power the motors and smoke units.

The loco was not normally sold with sound, so unless it was advertised as having sound it won't have it. (you do not indicate if you bought new or used)

The types of smoke units can really only be determined by opening the loco, see here for disassembly instructions:

GP7

Greg Elmassian web site on large scale trains and garden railroads, cigars, and computers
elmassian.com elmassian.com

Also on that page you will see a picture of the later model fan-driven smoke units.
The early smoke units have no fan and will take significantly less fluid, note: can be overfilled easily.

As was posted earlier, if you switch the motor off, and switch the smoke on, AND you have the newer units AND they are working, you might be able to hear the fans, but not all people hear them.

My recommendation is to pull the loco apart. Be SURE to get a long slim Philips that fits the screws tightly, MANY people strip the screw heads with an ill-fitting driver... you have been warned, heed it.

Greg
Click to expand...
Hi Greg,
I bought the engine new from Trainz.
I took the fuel tank off, and found out there was no speaker, so I guess the engine did not come with sound.
The engine does come with a smoke unit, but no fans.
I tried to take the shell off completely, but I was running into some difficulty with the screws, so I decided to leave well enough alone.
Since I am not the only one operating this garden railroad, I have decided to leave the smoke switch in the off position avoiding any damage to the engine that a non expirenced operator might do.

Thanks for all your help, and I hope I can contact you in the future if I run into any problems.

Thanks again.
 
Stan Gauge said:
Hi Greg,
I bought the engine new from Trainz.
I took the fuel tank off, and found out there was no speaker, so I guess the engine did not come with sound.
The engine does come with a smoke unit, but no fans.
I tried to take the shell off completely, but I was running into some difficulty with the screws, so I decided to leave well enough alone.
Since I am not the only one operating this garden railroad, I have decided to leave the smoke switch in the off position avoiding any damage to the engine that a non expirenced operator might do.

Thanks for all your help, and I hope I can contact you in the future if I run into any problems.

Thanks again.
Click to expand...
 
Trainz is not an authorized distributor of USA Trains.

When you got the loco, were the handrails not connected to the body shell, and in a separate plastic bag, as well as a bag of couplers?

If not, it is not new.

Perhaps it was "NOS", new old stock.

so did you hear the fans? turn on the smoke, put your ear near the stacks. You will hear the fans if it is the new type. Do not run either version without smoke fluid for any amount of time, they will eventually damage themselves.

Again, the amount of fluid is radically different depending on the smoke unit type.

Greg
 
Greg Elmassian said:
Trainz is not an authorized distributor of USA Trains.

When you got the loco, were the handrails not connected to the body shell, and in a separate plastic bag, as well as a bag of couplers?

If not, it is not new.

Perhaps it was "NOS", new old stock.

so did you hear the fans? turn on the smoke, put your ear near the stacks. You will hear the fans if it is the new type. Do not run either version without smoke fluid for any amount of time, they will eventually damage themselves.

Again, the amount of fluid is radically different depending on the smoke unit type.

Greg
Click to expand...
After I removed the fuel tank I noticed a connector with a red and white wire taped to the underside of the body, this definitely was from the factory, any ideas what it's for? I really don't want to take the engine apart.

Thanks
 
Speaker/sound system, you will note the speaker mount in the fuel tank.

DSC00048.JPG



OK, since you did not want to open the loco, did you at least switch motor off, switch smoke on, apply power and listen for fans?
 
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