2 PS1 20-2163-1 engines that work well but one does not have shut down sound time.

Willy,

If you're measuring the battery with a volt meter, you aren't getting an accurate reading. Unless there's a load on the battery, such as would be applied by a battery tester, all the meter can read is the battery's surface charge.

The best test for a battery in a PS1 (or PS2) engine in conventional mode is whether or not it can get out of neutral, since it needs the battery to do so. If the engines will both go forward and reverse, their batteries are good  enough.

Thank you.next question..is there a charging circuit for the battery and if so nimh or nicad?

Willy,

Each PS1 engine has a charging circuit that will charge either NiCad or NiMH 8.4 volt batteries. However, the PS1 charging circuit is lousy by design. PS2 charging circuits are much better.

You can also buy an MTH charger that will charge either type of battery, as well as 2.4 volt batteries for PS2 3 volt engines.

Regardless, if the batteries in your PS1 engines are MTH-labled, and are white or silver, you should immediately replace them with new, fresh NiMH batteries or with BCRs. A weak battery can cause issues with PS1 (not PS2) boards, necessitating a repair.

Most of the PS1 engines had a charging circuit built into them. I believe the very early ones did not, but I'm not 100% sure. The procedure was to leave the locomotives parked on a track with 18 volts on it overnight (8-10 hours). I used to drive the wife nuts by charging a bunch of locomotives in the den overnight, then deny hearing anything when some of them started the cab chatter. Lots of fun until she got up and went into the den.

Matt,

AFAIK, every PS1 engine had a charging circuit, although none had battery charging ports.

As I understand it, the problem with the PS1 charging circuit was that it was always charging, even when the battery was fully charged. This had detrimental effects on the battery itself.

Can i assume a 9 volt alkaline for test purposes only is safe?

Yes. 

Yes, the manuals state you can use a 9V alkaline while waiting for the replacement rechargeable to come from MTH.  And I have run mine with such while testing them without issues.

Is it possible that the battery in the engine that has no shutdown sounds is at a point where it's strong enough to run the engine, but not play the sounds?

I would change batteries, just to be safe, if this persists after running engines for a long period.

Just me, though, FWIW

Any Idea what year the engines are? Some of the early MTH proto-1s would  leave neutral  with out a battery., However the slightest power interruption and the thing would drop into neutral.  I wouldn't be too concerned.

http://mthtrains.com/20-2163-1  

1997 vol 2 catalog

The engine we are talking about is a ps 1 diesel and the ram can get scrambled when the battery voltage is to low from not be charged enough or a defective battery!

The best thing to do with the old PS 1 boards is replace the old battery with a new BCR which is a super capacitor and then reset your engine with the z4000 transformer and your engine will work again ok. I have four older engines and I have put BCR's in all of them and have not had any other issues. You just have to let them charge at 10 to 12 volts after power up  approximately 1 minute charge time, then run your engine as usual>

Alan

What you describe is certainly a battery or battery interface issue.  If a new charged battery doesn't cure it, it's probably a board issue.

Or corrode battery terminal or wire break.  G

To clarify the battery issue in your PS1 engines - take the battery OUT of the SD40 w/residual shut down sounds and install it in the other engine.

If that engine then shuts down normally - it is a battery issue.

Why not convert to BCR's?

bruce

Bill,

   Replace the Battery with a BCR and never worry about Battery problems again in the P1, safe guard the P1 engine.

PCRR/Dave