forward neutral reverse

[sammi]

I have a "riding the rails" lionel steam engine that i put up at Christmas time for my boys. I just put it up today and it was working fine but then it won't cycle the way it is supposed to. It will run in reverse, if I stop the train it is supposed to go to nuetral then forward. Mine will continue in reverse. If i use the "direction" button it will cycle into neutral then go into reverse again. If I keep starting and stopping eventually it will get to forward then when I stop it will do the same thing. Any help. The set has been run maybe 10 hours at the most! Last year the whistle was stuck on and had to be fixed. I know I didn't buy a $600 locomotive but these problems are dissapointing to say the least. Are these problems common to these Lionel "starter sets"? I never had any problems with my HO layout when Ii was a kid.

 

[60103]

Sammi: it looks like we can eliminate the switch being set for "no reverse".
Are you using the CW80 transformer? These have a few quirks in them. Sometimes you have to put a bulb across the terminals to put a load on it -- take 12 volts worth of Christmas tree bulbs for a start (1/10 of a series string). (Use the old heavy incandescent bulbs, not the LEDs. Use an old set that you don't care about any more.) This may let the transformer take the power to 0.
If this doesn't work, the reversing unit mat be sticking. That's beyond anything I'd try to fix.

 

[sammi]

That is kind of what I was wondering. Is it a transformer problem or locomotive problem. I will givew that a try. Yes it is a CW 80.