(ET) cooked transformer (new owner question update)

[Allen Hunt <allenhunt_2000 yahoo com>]

Hello everyone,

Thanks for all the replies to my earlier questions
regarding my 12S.  My lights are working.  All I did
was fiddle with the fuse.  I am charging the batteries
now with my 12 volt charger (two at a time).  Umm I
checked underneath and found no belt, sheesh, so I got
one from grainger.  I am going to need a new lift
strap, but the lift only takes in the strap a few
inches and then reverses itself.  It never actually
lifts the deck, only gets the strap tight before
reversing.  Any ideas?

I was charging the batteries and had watched it for a
couple of hours with no apparent problems, so niavely
I went to bed with it charging.  Next morning the
garage is full of smoke and the transformer is well
done!  Any ideas why this would have happened?  

The batteries looked like they had not charged or
charged very little based on the fuel gauge.  I think
they had charged a little before I went to bed, based
on the guage, but they seemed to be even less charged
in the morning.

Anyone have a spared transformer?  Do you think
anything else was damaged?  Is this cooking the
transfromer a sign of something else wrong?

I am still waiting to test the pto after cleaning
contacts and charging batteries.

Thanks,

Allen