I fixed the sound contacts by adding a third wire to one of the contacts in one of the steam chests. The wire was routed down the underside of the boiler (over the valve gear), into the ash pan (corner of the cover was cut at 45 deg. to allow a #26 wire to pass), and into the bunker via the wire chaseway. This new wire is used for one contact while the other two are twisted together for the other. If you use a black wire, it is nearly invisible with all the other clutter beneath the loke. Also, check to see of the cylinders are quartered, this one was timed parallel. Good Luck!

Does anyone know how the cylinders were set up on the prototypes? Quartered? 180 degrees?

Don, an easier fix is to add a parallel wire across between the cylinders.

Remove both cylinder covers. In one cylinder unsolder the red wire and re solder it to the black wire. Take another piece of (red?) wire, solder it to the contact you took the original red wire from and run the new wire across to the other cylinder. Thread it through and solder it to the black wire. This effectively puts the chuff contacts in parallel.Re the 90 degree quartering. What Bachmann should have done is put in two contacts per cylinder. That way you would have the correct 4 chuffs per revolution. Perhaps Sierra or Phoenix will supply a sound for the Climax with an extra chuff per contact.

I have now actually done what I described above.I drilled two new 1/16" holes through the cylinder walls. Starting with the RH cylinder I moved the inner black wire and soldered it to the outer black wire.I took a short length of grey wire and soldered it to the now vacant terminal inside the RH cylinder. I then threaded the grey wire through each cylinder wall and tried to solder it to the terminal with the RED wire in the LH cylinder to make the correct circuit. In fact I have not been able to solder it yet. I possess a sophisticated temperature controlled iron, use good quality solder and I cannot tin the terminal. The solder simply will not stick.Even though the idea will work the Bachmann gremlins have struck again.Maybe the ONLY solution is going to be Auto Chuff.

I had exactly the same experience when attempting to solder to the tab. I cleaned it with naptha and tried 3 brands of solder, and with extra rosin flux. It behaves like it is still oily. So, I gave it up until a better idea for making a connection comes along.

Cliff

Tony, the double chuff is already done by Phoenix in their Heisler sound but unless the quartering is moved to 180 degrees, you would get one chuff overlapping a chuff and no chuff at one of the 90 degree positions. Adding a second set of contacts would be your best bet if the sound unit produces two chuffs per rev.

Bob,Of course you are correct. Apart from changing the timing to an incorrect 180 degrees I am not sure how a realistic chuff is going to be achieved.

Thanks for an easier solution Tony, I'll try that on the next install. I have been mulling over the idea of adding a second set of contacts to each cylinder- possibly making an adjustable plunger for the cylinder rod... Another project, just what I need.