Availability of Proto 3 boards

50-1911 for steam

50-1912 for diesel & electric

I think you’ll want to look here if you haven’t:

https://www.mthpartsandsales.com/

That said I still think the supply of boards is pretty spotty.

It'll be a while before we see any of these in stock. There are so many other industries inline for silicon before the low volume model/toy train industry.

Well they must be getting some with all the new locomotives coming out.

MTH Parts doesn't have them.

@Chuck Sartor posted:

Well they must be getting some with all the new locomotives coming out.

I'm sure the few numbers they are getting are going directly to new locos. I wouldn't hold production of new engines just so that upgrades kits can be on the shelves waiting for a buyer.

After Mike Wolfe announced his retirement, I ordered a stupid amount of kits through the MTHRRC to stock up on upgrades I perform for customers. Given the cost to do a full ERR upgrade with sound after the price hike, these PS3 upgrade kits are a hot commodity. I would suspect that the price of the PS3 kits will also increase once made available again.

Well, only the diesel upgrade kits contain a board that would be used in new production, steam uses a different board.  The steam upgrade kit has the PS32 board, that's strictly a replacement/upgrade kit part.  I suspect they're simply not running those right now and using the parts for the steam tender boards.  I just wish they'd spring a few tender boards loose for repairs!

Both are steam engines so they need the PS2/3 board if I understand you.  Are those available?

Well, you'll want the whole kit as there are wiring harnesses that would be somewhat time consuming to fabricate from scratch.

Yep I am sure I would want all including the harness.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

Well, only the diesel upgrade kits contain a board that would be used in new production, steam uses a different board.  The steam upgrade kit has the PS32 board, that's strictly a replacement/upgrade kit part.  I suspect they're simply not running those right now and using the parts for the steam tender boards.  I just wish they'd spring a few tender boards loose for repairs!

Do you know about when they started putting the main board in the locomotives and not in the tenders?  Every PS2 steamer that I’ve worked on (3v or 5v) has had the main board in the tender.

Or maybe I’m mistaken and thats just for sound only?

Actually, most of the 3V boards are in the tender, it was the 5V boards that frequently were in the boiler.  AAMOF, I can't think of any 3V board I found in the boiler unless it was a really tiny tender.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

Actually, most of the 3V boards are in the tender, it was the 5V boards that frequently were in the boiler.  AAMOF, I can't think of any 3V board I found in the boiler unless it was a really tiny tender.

I see.

I only have one 5V model, a PRR H10.  It has the main board in the tender, but that’s a pretty small sample set, lol.  What about PS3, are those usually main board in tender or in the boiler?

@rplst8 posted:

I see.

I only have one 5V model, a PRR H10.  It has the main board in the tender, but that’s a pretty small sample set, lol.  What about PS3, are those usually main board in tender or in the boiler?

There are two boards one in the Boiler and one in the Tender.

@rplst8 posted:

I see.

I only have one 5V model, a PRR H10.  It has the main board in the tender, but that’s a pretty small sample set, lol.  What about PS3, are those usually main board in tender or in the boiler?

I have few 5 Volt models with the board in the boiler and it's actually worked out pretty good. The tender only houses the Battery, speaker, and Volume POT. So I have a couple of these engines with just a number on the cab and a few different tenders with different road names that have those components in them. The same engine could be a UP one day or a C&NW the next.

@H1000 posted:

There are two boards one in the Boiler and one in the Tender.

Right, but I thought the second board was just a “mux” board that handled all the different lights, and only on premier models since the RailKing steamers don’t have as many lights.  

It more than just a MUX. I like to think of it as two boards that communicate with each other and work together to run the entire locomotive and all of it's features. GRJ posted a pic of the pin-out for the 6 pin drawbar:

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

Well, only the diesel upgrade kits contain a board that would be used in new production, steam uses a different board.  The steam upgrade kit has the PS32 board, that's strictly a replacement/upgrade kit part.  I suspect they're simply not running those right now and using the parts for the steam tender boards.  I just wish they'd spring a few tender boards loose for repairs!

I received 1 Tender board back around October, I've ended up keeping that one to verify the issue is the tender boards.  Have several waiting for those elusive tender boards to come back in stock.

I fully believe the MTH Parts team is doing what they can to get them back in stock, after all they are running somewhat as separate companies and having high in demand part is how they make $$$.   

Although the wait is painful.  Tough to tell customers that you have NO IDEA when boards may be available, but that is the situation.

Jim

MTH had all sorts of variations in PS-2 3V and 5V with respect to board location and mux or no mux.  So it depends.  PS-3 is different completely and steam uses two boards that communicate.

PS-32 are used in production John.  Believe they moved to it for some #1 gauge.

It will be interesting to when they become available again.  Hope it is soon. I still have kits for upgrade, and PS-32 for repairs, but the PS-3 steam and diesel hit low level for me.  G

I have everything but the tender boards for PS/3, and those are the ones that are piling up!