PS3 Steam Engine now sent to MTH

Boilermaker - Yes I tried it on a separate track. Same transformer not hooked to DCS and it still was completely dead in conventional.  My PS 2 engine runs fine on the main track in DCS.  I am awaiting word from MTH.  Thanks for your reply.

Larry in Calgary.  Just found out my shipping cost to MTH will be $ 42.00 thru post office.

Make sure the drawbar between engine and tender is properly connected and fully seated. It might be a good idea to disconnect it and then re-connect just to make sure it is properly fitted.  Worth trying if you haven't already done it.

Thanks Allan. Yes, I tried that and I also slid the DCS-DCC switch back and forth also. Completely dead.  In conventional not even the headlight, no inside the shell sounds. I think a wire came unhooked somewhere in side.

For a two month locomotive, why do you have to buy anything?  Send it back to MTH!

PS-3 draw bars are 8 pin vice 10 pin for PS-2, so unless he has additional PS-3 steam engines swapping a draw bar isn't an option.  The whole point of the easy fix was saving on shipping, but I wouldn't buy a draw bar unless I knew that was the problem.  Sounds like your best bet is shipping to MTH if you don't have a LHS that can handle this for you.  G

I was having an issue with my PS 3.0 SD70 (headlight and ditch lights stopped working), and tried to run it on my conventional loop.  Placed the loco on the loop, cranked up the transformer and nothing.  No lights, sounds, nothing.  

Upon re-reading the manual, in order to run in conventional, you must turn on the transformer and let the loco sit in order to charge the capacitors.  Once charged, all lights and sound returned and I was able to run the locomotive with no problems.  I was then able to do a feature reset using my Z-1000 controller, and everything works perfectly again (both using the DCS remote commander, and conventional).

I too contacted MTH and was awaiting a response as I thought I got a faulty locomotive.  It might be worth a shot trying the steps above if you haven't done so already.

Thanks DRELO. I'll give that a try While I'm waiting for MTH tech to get back to me.

Larry

Well, I tried conventional again. Still dead and nothing from MTH yet.

Larry,

If you want to talk to a tech, don't use E-mail. Call 410-381-2580 (between 1pm and 4:00 pm) and follow the prompts to tech support.

Thanks for the info Barry. I'll call tomorrow or Monday.

PS  I bought your book a year or so ago. Thank you for doing it. It is priceless if you have DCS

Larry in Calgary

Larry,

Thanks for purchasing The DCS O Gauge Companion and for the kind words. Both are very much appreciated!

Well Barry. Kirsten said LAST week that a tech would call me but no one did. Now, I called MTH service on Monday and waited over 12 mins for a tech. No one answered. Today, I called again and hung on over 23 min for a tech to answer.  I'm at my wits end over this dead engine.  I tried it today again in DCS and conventional. Still dead but I noticed a sparking where the PS3 drawbar touches the bottom of the engine cab.  Perhaps this is what caused my proiblem?  There is NO local service for MTH anyome in Calgary. The fellow left the dealership 15 months ago. So I'm really syuck here. You know I;ve had MTH engines since I gotback into trains in 1996, but I guess thi8s will be my last one.   Sorry to vent but I'm really upset.

Makes you appreciate the fast Lionel service nowadays.

Well, this certainly makes me want to switch from MTH to Lionel, BUT, I can't afford to do that right now. My pension only goes so far.

Buy, I'm sure I wont buy another PS3 engine.

railroad nut -  Well this is a 4-6-0 , so no rear truck.  I noticed now the drawbar is sparking on the top of it against the main engine casting under the cab.

I still get get hold of an MTH tech person. 

Larry, does your drawbar have a piece of clear plastic that rotates over where your sparking from? Mine has that insulator to keep it from shorting to the truck. Yours may have the insulator to keep it from shorting to the cab. You said you see sparking and that's what probably is happening!

railroad nut. No plastic.MTH just told me that's the problem and shorted oput a board somewhere in the engine/tender. I'm sending it to them tomorrow.

Thanks for all your help on this fellas

Lighthouse.  - I talked to a Ben today and he gave me an R A # for return to MTH.

I am hoping the postage to them is less than the $ 43.00 Marcer Trains charged me when I bought it. Mercer told me thay dont have their PS3 equipment yet so they suggested the factory. 

PS  I have alos dealt with Jasons Trains. They too are great people.

After having some wireless drawbar problems with my new MTH 4-8-4 Northern I managed to fix my problems before anything shorted out or completely broke. Essentially all I did was put a little more slack in the bundled wires going to the swiveling connector inside the tender and a little grease on the connector shaft.  No more derailing or connector disconnects.  

Mine has the clear plastic insulator at the cab end of the drawbar, but I am noticing that it is rotating 90 degrees after several runs around the layout and coming darn close to allowing the somewhat exposed connector to come real close to the rear truck.  I have O-31 curves so it is a tight turn.   Lots of continual movement (and overhang).  I am thinking I have the spring on the wrong side of the drawbar as I have it on TOP.   Before I switch it to under the drawbar I am wondering if it is positioned incorrectly or not?

@Larry -  I had to send a diesel SD 70ACe back to MTH a month or so ago for total board replacement and turn around time via my LHS was 17 days.   Not bad in my estimation.   Hope you fare as well.  

I just had the same problem with my 3 month old Santa Fe Northern. Last night, it started operating very erratically.....sudden stops, garbled chuffing etc. Then it wouldn't respond to commands. I suspected a drawbar problem, but as it turns out, it was on the engine side. The engine has the same kind of plug and it's hard to see. You have to remove the shell to properly access it. The plug was not seated all the way down. Squeezed it with small pliers and now it works. I hope. 

Roger

To Lighthouse  - Engine came back in January. An entirely different style drawbar is on it.

They replaced Drawbar Spring, Screw, wite, and drawbar PCB. Also PS3.0 Tender Board w/Supercaps.  It runs great now!