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System Components
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When power is applied to the charging connector it activates a relay which disconnects the power to the main circuits.
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The main powerswitch is under the large yellow lever and simply applies power from the battery to the control board in the console.
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A multipole switch is used to reverse the direction of the motor
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An LED in the console flashes with the sound
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The sound is provided by a loudspeaker in the base
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This battery has been replaced, the originals attach via a clip
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Note the fuse on the positive connector
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This switch is controlled by the level on the console and switches the polarity of the motor connectors.
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Middle position is off, the other two positions are forward and backwards
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If you are replacing the LED don't forget that the polarity of the wires is important
Hiya, just got one of these second hand and it plays sounds and goes backwards but barely moves forwards, charged the battery overnight but it’s still struggling. Followed your guide on taking it all apart and all the connections seem okay. To move forward the red leaver needs to be down and it reverses when the red leaver is pushed up, is this correct? As I was thinking it may be the wrong way round lol
I fixed it by changing the wires around that are connected to the switch in the handle :)
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Has three switches to activate the music and connectors leading off to the motor, speaker, LED and battery
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6v electric motor with capacitor for noise and spark suppressor wired across the terminals
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10 Commenti
If you've got sound but no movement then the most likely cause is the battery is discharged or defective. If you have a multimeter you could check the voltage on the battery.
If may also be a motor / mechanical issue. With the power disconnected you should be able to rotate the wheels but it won't spin freely as there is a gearbox.
Movement but no sound? Been charged
That could be a problem with the sound board which lives inside the steering wheel. It's quite a challenge to get to that which is what caused me to write the guide in the first place. I had to clean the switches on that board to get mine to work.
Alternatively could be a loose or broken wire on the speaker which is down in the base, one of the first things you get too when stripping it down.
What do I clean it with? Just polish? Had a look. Wires look fine so im confused lol
You don't need to clean the speaker, you might need to clean the sound switch contacts though. For that you need to get to the control board. If you can get some contact cleaner that is best or just a cotton bud and a dab of water should also work.
Hi Andy,
Thanks for the article, the sound board on my sons Thomas has fried - are you aware of any spare parts available anywhere?
Or alternatively - do you have any closeup photos of your sound board? That way I can try to repair it myself.
Many thanks
Andy
Hi Andy,
I'm afraid I don't have a better photo and the train got sent back to the charity shop after my daughter got too large.
However, from what I remember there's a black blob which is the "brain" of the board, a few connectors and some primitive buttons.
Things to look for are:
* Dirt on the connector pads for the buttons, clear with a PCB cleaning block or wire wool if you can't get a cleaning block
* Loose or broken connectors, resolder these
* Cracks in the PCB tracks (these could be hard to find) you could fix with "conductive paint"
If you are a bit more advanced with electronics, then you could also swap out that board with something else. I did a quick google for "sound effect module" produced a result which might work
Velleman MK134 - Steam Engine Sound Generator Electronic Kit
You'd also need to be a bit handy with a dremel or the like to ensure you had space for it.
all the best.
Andy
Need a charger cable for ride on best place to bye one please
