Can't get MTH PS2 3v Engine out of forward

Try lowering the voltage - maybe 10V or less.  When I've had trouble toggling  direction-lock using w-b-b-b it seems that changing the voltage sometimes helps.  Another "trick" if practical is to add lighted passenger cars or other loads to the track which sometimes helps with a Z4000.

As for technique, when I've had problems with w-b-b-b, I'll try w-b-b to see if I can get the speed control to toggle.  This makes me confident my fingers are "working".  I figure if I can't get w-b-b to work, then neither will w-b-b-b.

I don't think using DC will help.  In DC-mode there is no mechanism to change modes using the w or b button.  OTOH if you mean changing whole-hog to DC operation so that you can now go in reverse by applying -DC to your 2-rail, that seems a somewhat drastic "solution"?!

The battery does not affect the ability to change modes using the w and b keys in conventional.  Yes, you need a good battery to retain any mode changes between operating sessions or to switch directions using the DIR button (once you get out of Fwd lock).  AFAIK the battery should not affect your ability to trigger the features using w and b button combinations.

Stan, I'm very grateful for the help.  Thank you.  

I placed a passenger car on the track and tried the w-b-b-b a few times and eventually got my fingers "working".  I think I waited too long between the w and the first b.  I quickly did a factory reset for that engine which was a w-b-b-b-b-b which worked.

Howard

Howard, Stan is correct on the throttle setting for the actual lock in and out of a direction.  If you read the directions for conventional operation the engine has to be moving slowly to lock direction.   G

G - I didn't lock the engine into forward.  I have been using it as a test engine for track I've laid.  I think it locked itself in forward, when it hit a switch that hadn't been wired and there were some quick on off power losses as it went through the switch.  It was going very slow at the time.

I had tried both high and low throttle settings.  The only mention in the literature was that the engine should be just above a stall for locking in a direction.  There was no mention about throttle setting when unlocking the engine from forward. 

Because I didn't lock the engine in forward, I wasn't familiar how it happened.  I read MTH literature but it didn't do a good job of explaining the rhythm of pressing the sequence to unlock the engine.  You have to successfully use the b/w sequence once in order to know what is expected.

My other problem was that I didn't have enough track laid (about 6 or 7 feet) to run the engine long enough to experiment with using the whistle/bell sequence.  Luckily, I was able to put the engine upside down in a cradle and leave the tender on the track for electrical pickup.  I also put a lighted passenger car on the track.  Eventually it all worked.  After unlocking the engine from forward, I put the engine in neutral and was quickly able to reset the engine the first time I tried.  

If you have successfully used the whistle/bell sequence once, it is easy to do it again.  The problem is that the timing of pressing the buttons wasn't very well explained in the MTH literature.  The only mention of timing was to hold the bell button about half second each time.  

I think that my problem was not pressing the bell button quickly enough after pressing the whistle button.

BTW with all the experience I have, having to ask this question was embarrassing. 

I still learn stuff on this forum everyday.  So questions are nothing to be embarrassed about.  G