Northern Northstar 9000/ TC 3200

I have a simplex Northern car, not sure if it is a Northstar 9000 or TC 3200; no name plate on the controller. I have an installation guide that has both names.
The car is driving through the brake. It has a Thyssen geared machine, two brake coils in series; they ohm out fine and wiring back to the controller is good. Neither of my brake relays are picking, power to pick the relays comes from a side contact of the main contactor and that ohms out fine. When I checked power from the side contactor to the brake board, I only had 7 vac, I should have 120 vac. WIth the connector unplugged, I get 120 vac.
I figured that something was screwy on the brake board, so I ordered another. Installed the new board today, car still drives through the brake. I found a battery behind the relay board for the sheave jammer, it is split open and dead. I will replace the battery in the morning but after that I am at a loss.
I have no open fuses and I have checked all relay contacts that are in the brake circuit. Any ideas?

What is a sheave jammer? Is the battery connected to the board? Something is definitely drawing down the volts.

when you say driving through the Brake, you are indicating you have field current and armature voltage. do you in fact have voltage to the motor brush rigging?

Ascending overspeed brake, like a rope gripper

I mean that the car runs at contract speed with the brake dropped. I finally got a hold of Northern; they said I need a power supply board. Voltage is present, not enough current to pick brake relays.

Northern is correct about their controller. Its the HVS 9603 I/O Supply board. I've seen that happen many times with a Northern