S-Helper Service Locomotive | 2-8-0

Manufacturer:

S-Helper Service

Product Category:

Locomotive

Model Name:

2-8-0

Notes Type:

Electrical

Title:

Wiring

External Web Link:

Factory Wiring Diagram

Manufacturer:

S-Helper Service

Product Category:

Locomotive

Model Name:

2-8-0

Notes Type:

Electrical

Title:

Electrical Pick-up

File:

Original Factory Tender Wiring Diagram

Notes:

Wheel pickup is provided through the tender's 8 wheels, and through the engine's drivers 1 and 4. Drivers 2 and 3 do not have frame contact. Note that if a short-circuit happens, it is possible for the brass wires behind the wheels to curl away from the back of the wheels due to the heat of the current flow. This will cause the locomotive to stall out from time to time. The solution is to clean the residue from the wires, and re-bend the wires back such that they make contact with the backs of the wheels. If the wires are too far gone, replacements will need to be made (or bought, if they are not in the box).

Manufacturer:

S-Helper Service

Product Category:

Locomotive

Model Name:

2-8-0

Notes Type:

Electrical

Title:

Headlights

Notes:

Don Thompson warns to not plug DCC decoders into this engine without dealing with the headlights first. The headlights are 5-volt bulbs, and they will blow as soon as the decoder receives power (usually around 12 volts). One option is to consider replacing them with LEDs and a matching resistor. The same applies to sync, smoke, and tender lights, as applicable.

If the LED is burned out, according to Brooks Stover, the LED headlight is tightly integrated into the boiler front. His recommendation is to simply replace the whole boiler front, rather than trying to get to the LED. According to Jeff Wilson (formerly of Hoquat Hobbies), he sold his large collection of spare boiler fronts to Des Plaines Hobbies, so contact them.

Manufacturer:

S-Helper Service

Product Category:

Locomotive

Model Name:

2-8-0

Notes Type:

Electrical

Title:

Printed Circuit Boards

Notes:

Don Thompson provided a series of photos of the various PC boards used in this locomotive, mostly as a reference guide.

SHS part #01674 is the infrared sensor flexible printed-circuit board. This is press-fit on one end, so one has to be careful when removing it.

This is the LocoMatic board for the engine, mounted in the tender.

This is the LocoMatic AC/DC sound printed-circuit board (part #01633).

This is the locomotive's DC shorting plug, to be used only for this engine (part #1096-X0). This shorting plug only allowed current to the motor from the rail, and 5 volts to the LED, not the smoke unit or optical detector. The optical detector on driver #1 would allow 4 chuffs per revolution.

This is the locomotive's under-the-cab printed-circuit board used for ribbon cable, motor, headlight, smoke unit, and pick-up (part #1096-X003).

This is the locomotive's socket printed-circuit board (part #1096-X004).

This is the locomotive's DCC interface printed-circuit board (part #1096-X036).

This photo shows the DCC interface printed-circuit board (part #1096-X036) with a QSI Titan DCC sound decoder.

This photo shows the Soundtraxx Tsunami version installed in the tender.

This diagram shows the DCC interface design.

S-Helper Service Locomotive | 2-8-0 | Electrical