Anyone use the PS-32 Panto Small Smoke Chain File? Doesn't seem to work the smoke unit right.

I have a GG1 file, but it's not small panto.

One wonders since the smoke only gets boosted intermittently, maybe it was always intended to use the standard smoke version?

No, If you look at the Service manual there was a separate 3V flash file for EP-3 and other electrics with panto and small smoke.  The GG-1 was different flash code.

MTH has come back and agreed with me it is a bad PS-32 chain file.  They sent it to MI.  See if they can turn it around quickly.  Really wish we could edit those chain file.    G

@GGG posted:

No, If you look at the Service manual there was a separate 3V flash file for EP-3 and other electrics with panto and small smoke.  The GG-1 was different flash code.

MTH has come back and agreed with me it is a bad PS-32 chain file.  They sent it to MI.  See if they can turn it around quickly.  Really wish we could edit those chain file.    G

I have the separate file for the panto & small smoke, but I never had occasion to use it.  Let us know when you get the replacement, I'd like to have the proper file in case I do need it.

MTH finally got this file done.  Took 3 weeks, but it exists.  Hard to believe no one needed to repair an Electric with small smoke with a PS-32 upgrade since 2018.  I was the first. Even MTH though it was a good file.  Also for the EF it is a pain in the butt getting the board in place.  EF have a low height and all the switches and pots under a cover at the top centered over where the board needs to be.  G

@GGG posted:

MTH finally got this file done.  Took 3 weeks, but it exists.  Hard to believe no one needed to repair an Electric with small smoke with a PS-32 upgrade since 2018.  I was the first. Even MTH though it was a good file.  Also for the EF it is a pain in the butt getting the board in place.  EF have a low height and all the switches and pots under a cover at the top centered over where the board needs to be.  G

Want to share this file?

No :-)  I would go to the MTH Chain File site and download it there.  Too many of these file are embedded in post and when they are not good or get revised the post do not.  I can email it, but I think folks should go to the source for these files.

Do a search on MTH "Chain File" and you can locate them all.  G

@GGG posted:

Do a search on MTH "Chain File" and you can locate them all.  G

Not finding it, must not know the secret handshake.

Proto-Sound Stacker Chain Code Files Repository | MTH ELECTRIC TRAINS (mthtrains.com)

Ah ha, chain code file was the secret handshake.   Thanks.

I know, you think it would be blatantly obvious where they are on the Parts site and MTH old site.  Or linked under the PS-32 steam kit.  All these website changes are weird to me.  Don't get me started on the Lionel Parts site either.  G

I suggested to Mike that they have a search modifier for the MTH parts site that eliminates out of stock parts.  That one small enhancement, which should be pretty easy to do, would make the MTH parts site MUCH easier to use.  Sadly, apparently it fell on deaf ears...

Yes, the Lionel site is actually worse for searches, why they dumbed down the search totally escapes me!

I'm not seeing any files newer than the previous 3528 versions we have had for quite a while.  @GGG did they not post the update you received, or did they not update the version?

Jim

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

I suggested to Mike that they have a search modifier for the MTH parts site that eliminates out of stock parts.  That one small enhancement, which should be pretty easy to do, would make the MTH parts site MUCH easier to use.  Sadly, apparently it fell on deaf ears...

Yes, the Lionel site is actually worse for searches, why they dumbed down the search totally escapes me!

Mike did implement that wish John, …..I did a simple search “GG1” and I’ve circled the slider option for in stock only. ……..see below

Pat

@harmonyards posted:

Mike did implement that wish John, …..I did a simple search “GG1” and I’ve circled the slider option for in stock only. ……..see below

Pat

Holy Cow, my apologies!  I didn't even notice that was added!!!

Very cool!

@Jim Sandman posted:

I'm not seeing any files newer than the previous 3528 versions we have had for quite a while.  @GGG did they not post the update you received, or did they not update the version?

I just downloaded the latest files, as you say, they didn't bother to post them.  I guess we get to find the same issue over and over again!

@GGG posted:

No :-)  I would go to the MTH Chain File site and download it there.  Too many of these file are embedded in post and when they are not good or get revised the post do not.  I can email it, but I think folks should go to the source for these files.

Now you know why I wanted the truly updated file.   I already have the bad file...

I just downloaded it and it did have the latest modified files inside the zip.  8/12/24 modified.  G

I downloaded it yesterday and it still had the old file in it!

I just downloaded it again, now it has the new file.  There's nothing to indicate it's a new version.  They should have updated the version or something to denote an improvement.   A release file to detail changes would be nice...

I am happy I got the file.  Still can't believe I am the first to use that file since PS-32 started.  G

@GGG posted:

Still can't believe I am the first to use that file since PS-32 started.  G

Maybe the other folks didn't use smoke.

Boiler Steam G

I know what it is, but lots of people don't enable it.

Interesting thread.....thank you George for discovering the problem, and John for confirming how difficult it is to get the right info from the MTH Parts website.

I hadn't noticed they had included that little box at the top of the page to filter "in stock only".

Peter......Buco Australia

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

I know what it is, but lots of people don't enable it.

How do you know that?  Polling It defaults on.  Only puffs on initial startup.  So, it is not like a smoke unit running constantly.  Anyway.  G

@GGG posted:

How do you know that?  Polling It defaults on.  Only puffs on initial startup.  So, it is not like a smoke unit running constantly.  Anyway.  G

I speculate based on the number of people that have maintenance done and specifically state they don't use smoke.   It was a passive poll.   Since you've never encountered this before issue before, how do you know that all these people that own these do use smoke.

BTW, anytime you stop for for more than 10-15 seconds during operation, a puff of smoke is released with the safety valve sound if smoke is enabled.  If they manage the smoke unit like the Lionel GG1's, the smoke heater is always at low heat to allow quick response.

I have repaired plenty of electrics large smoke.  Just not small.  I never made a claim about smoke use.  Regardless, when I repair a unit I make sure everything works regardless of whether the customer uses it or not.   So the tech doing the repair should have noted smoke not right...no?  G

I'll yield that point, I do indeed make sure smoke works, even if I know the owner doesn't use it.  The only exception is a couple people have specifically asked to disable smoke, apparently so their kids wouldn't turn it on.

Of course, in this case, the tech may have seen that the smoke worked, and didn't realize it worked too well.

No, the small file did not work at all, no smoke.  The heater did not come on until after the blow off sequence then would come on real low.  If you initiated FBS the first thing that happened was heat went off.  Some how the really messed up the hardware table.

I did the large smoke as a test.    Way too much smoke on blow off. G

@GGG posted:

No, the small file did not work at all, no smoke.  The heater did not come on until after the blow off sequence then would come on real low.  If you initiated FBS the first thing that happened was heat went off.  Some how the really messed up the hardware table.

I did the large smoke as a test.    Way too much smoke on blow off. G

You're right, that must have been really scrambled if the smoke didn't work at all.  I figured it would probably be like the large smoke files.

Sounds like someone edited it and never bothered to check the function.