Can't turn on PS3 Steam Engine tender marker lights

If markers were not in the file, you can not do what you are trying to do.  Options are as follows.  Find a sound file that supports markers or wire them from hot input to the board.  Use LED markers with a rectifier and 1K resistor.

What sound file did you use?  Maybe the Imperial Big Boy, http://mthtrains.com/30-1512-1 would have the markers enabled, it does have tender markers.

Thanks, I don't remember which file I used however I tried to find 30-1512-1 with no luck. I did just download 30-1583-1 for the imperial big boy which also has marker lights.  My tender marker lights now work just fine. Now if I could find the appropriate wiring diagram or the part numbers for the tender harness and locomotive harness to allow me to add the cab interior light I would be really happy.  

Papajohn88

http://mckeencar.com.340elmp01...m&docsearch=true

Thanks, I just downloaded it and will load it on the big boy as soon as I finish another repair.

hi Marty what do you usually do change the file or add direct power diode and resister for marker lights?

Alan

P.S. glad this thread came along as i will be upgrading the same engine soon!

Thanks   all!

Alan Mancus

Find the SF that has it, or send a note to MTH service asking to get the Sound File updated.  One of the distinguishing features of DCS is not having lights lite from track power when the engine is shutdown.   G

Thanks for all of the replies, I now have everything working as it should. Now I have one more question.  Does anyone have the ProtoSound 3.0 Steam Engine (pcb in tender) wiring schematic?  I would really like to get my hands on it so I can hook up the third marker light on my tender to the correct place. Right now it is hooked up to the interior light. If you are not comfortable with sharing the schematic can you please provide the pin out's for the 8 pin connector? That is the one the two marker light LED's are hooked to.  I believe there should be another pin available for the other set of marker lights.

Thanks Again

I think you are confusing connectors.  For PS-3 the Boiler board in the engine uses the 8 pin for drawbar connection, motor leads and Heat element.

All lighting comes off the 30 pin connector.  Normally pin 25 is the boiler classification lights.  G

I might be, however the PS-3 set I installed in this locomotive has the board set in the tender and just a wire harness in the engine.  The attached photos show the boards installed in the tender as they currently are.  These do report as PS3 to the loader program and accept PS3 sound files. The black connector I mentioned earlier is the 8 pin connector in question.

That's not a standard PS3 board, rather, it appears to be the PS32 upgrade board.

The pinouts of that board are exactly like the PS/2 boards, so the documentation is readily available.

Markers are on pins 4 and 6 of the 8-pin connector, there are two separate outputs, each will directly drive two series LED's.  Pin 8 on the same connector is the positive voltage for the LED's, the negative voltage is switched.

Thanks gunrunnerjohn, that is what I thought but was not sure.  What if anything I am missing by having the PS32 board instead of a PS3 board?  

Thanks

What if anything I am missing by having the PS32 board instead of a PS3 board?  

Only Rule 17 lighting.

Thanks Barry, I can live with that.  I think it will be fine enough the way it is.

I've been playing with the PS32 boards and upon changing a chain file was able to obtain rule 17 lighting...but the ditchlights don't work...lol

Loco comes to stop, headlights dim & interior light comes on.

Hmmm, sounds very interesting. What is a chain file and how does one change one?  Might be fun to play with.

The attached photos show the three rear marker lights illuminated in one photo, the other shows the backup light on also.  I need to replace the grain-of-rice bulb currently in the top center marker light with an LED I think.  I wonder if the marker lights must be two in a series connection of if you can use a resistor in place of one of them.  

Now to do something about the constantly on front marker lights, that will be a more interesting problem since there are no spare wires in the pig tail as far as I can tell. Maybe I will just live with two green lights on the front of the loco on even when it is shut down.  At least that will remind me there is power on that piece of track.

You can power the front class lights from the headlight circuit, that's my normal method when I install an upgrade.  They turn off when you shutdown, and since the headlight is normally on when you're running, they are too.

You can use a 220 ohm (or larger for dimmer class lights) and you have the job done.  The resistor goes in either lead to the LED's, and the purple lead is the positive side to the headlight.  I typically splice in a separate connector so you can disconnect them to remove the shell for maintenance.

Thanks John, I removed the constant voltage board tonight, spliced in another connector on the headlight circuit but forgot to read your reply again.  Now as soon as I can come up with a 220 ohm resistor I will be good to go.  I will try one of the remaining few Radio Shack stores in this area if they have not closed by now.  Oh well I am ordering some parts any way I might as well order some resistors while I am at it.

I was able to get a 330 ohm resistor today and now I have working classification lights on the headlight circuit.  It is nice that all of the lights turn off when I shut the big boy down. Thanks again for all of the replies and help. I will post a few photos of the PS32 installation in the MTH 30-1129-1 Rail King Big Boy.  The upgrade was much easier than I had thought it would be. All in all I am pleased with the way it turned out.  I was lucky enough to be able to purchase this engine in nearly perfect condition with a bad dsru.  It did not have Protosound only the electronic whistle. 

Now on to my next project.

They get easier each time you do one.