Well bad news hit the display tonight. My S4 Christmas loco went up in smoke. Don’t know what happend to it other then it was running fine one minute and the next the hole front end is in a cloud of smoke and she stopped running. Man does it stink also. 
Geoff George said:Sorry to hear of the problem but let me assure you that I was no where near your city and state with my matches :)
Well bad news hit the display tonight. My S4 Christmas loco went up in smoke. Don't know what happend to it other then it was running fine one minute and the next the hole front end is in a cloud of smoke and she stopped running. Man does it stink also. :(
Geoff George said:Sorry to hear of your problem - especially right before Christmas. It sounds like electronics burned from the description of the smell. Please let us know as soon as you find out - so those of us with S4's can be alerted if it is a defective component. Assuming you were not running an overly heavy train behind it or attempting a steep grade causing overload...
Well bad news hit the display tonight. My S4 Christmas loco went up in smoke. Don't know what happend to it other then it was running fine one minute and the next the hole front end is in a cloud of smoke and she stopped running. Man does it stink also. :(
AL McEvoy said:pulling three USA Christmas box cars and a USA Christmas Caboose so I hope that was not to much for it. the greade is not bad and seeing I now have a Bmann 4-6-0 with gear noses pulling that same train and hill I will cross the gread off my list.Geoff George said:Sorry to hear of your problem - especially right before Christmas. It sounds like electronics burned from the description of the smell. Please let us know as soon as you find out - so those of us with S4's can be alerted if it is a defective component. Assuming you were not running an overly heavy train behind it or attempting a steep grade causing overload...
Well bad news hit the display tonight. My S4 Christmas loco went up in smoke. Don't know what happend to it other then it was running fine one minute and the next the hole front end is in a cloud of smoke and she stopped running. Man does it stink also. :(
I’m going to take a look inside later and maybe if it is the board I can find a way to by pass it and get it running again.
What sort of controller were you using?
TonyWalsham said:Hay Tony Its track power and I use a Aristo TE set up on the track with a Monster G 10 amp transformer.
What sort of controller were you using?
Was the TE set to linear or PWM?
PWM can have some odd effects on some eletronics.
Rudolf Jager said:no fire Rudolf just smoke so your off the hook.Geoff George said:Sorry to hear of the problem but let me assure you that I was no where near your city and state with my matches :)
Well bad news hit the display tonight. My S4 Christmas loco went up in smoke. Don't know what happend to it other then it was running fine one minute and the next the hole front end is in a cloud of smoke and she stopped running. Man does it stink also. :(
TonyWalsham said:Tony they are all set to linear. I read about the odd effects with PWM
Was the TE set to linear or PWM? PWM can have some odd effects on some eletronics.
Man that thing did stink 
It was quite impressive, I haven’t even had a Bachmann smell that bad.
Smoke appeared to be coming out of the front vents, NOT the truck; I’m assuming it’s a circuit board or something?
Ok got a look inside the S4 today. Smoked the board on it as I thought I did. I also found out why. Seems the back motor block locked up and this was the couse of the board to over heat and brun up. The good news is I can get a new motor block and I am sure a new board and put it back togather for next year. Wont get it done for this year. Lets hope its just a one time thing and not a problem that will keep coming back. I real like this little S4 and was going to get a few more of them.
Ooh!
The lawncare guys next to my shop got to laugh at me, “Is that your train sitting out in the parking lot on fire?”
Yup!
Had derailed, and shorted the left to the right. The 6Amp power supply didn’t notice it was drawing enough current to burn traces off the little PC board. Neither did the 10 amp Aristo TE.