Can't Find Engines

Have you tried on a short piece of track connected directly to the TIU channel with nothing else on it?

Have the engines been tested elsewhere?

How exactly are you trying to "find" them?

Wayne,

First, your PS1 engine is not able to be operated under DCS and is not able to be added to the DCS Remote. Only PS2 and PS3 engines may be operated under DCS.

Regarding your PS2 engine:

• Does the engine run conventionally without DCS?
• When attempting to add the engine, is there power in the tracks? How do you know?
• When attempting to add the engine, is the red LED inside the TIU lit?
• What messages come up on the remote when you attempt to add the engine?
• If the first three answers are yes, power up the TIU and press READ on the remote. Exactly what message(s) do you see on the remote's screen?

Based on your answers, we can proceed from there.

Wayne,

   I also suggest you set up a programming track, add the engine then transfer to

the main track.  In this manner you eliminate a lot of programming problems.

As Barry pointed out, P1 engines are not part of the DCS package.  Unless you want to run them conventionally via the hand held remote, Z4k, with side receiver.

They have no P2 or P3 engineering package.

PCRR/Dave

George,

First, when you pressed READ on the remote, there was more than one message that appeared. Please say exactly what each one was.

Next, when you apply power to the track, does the engine start up with lights and making sounds, or does it just click and stay dark and silent?

If it starts up with lights and making sounds, check the following:

• The TIU's red output terminal must connect to the center rail
• The TIU's black output terminal must connect to an outside rail
• Make sure that the DCS signal is on for all channels by pressing: Menu/System/DCS Setup and the "AON" soft key.

If it only clicks, then connect the TIU's Remote Input port to the base of the remote with a (curly) 4-conductor telephone handset cord and try adding the engine again. Note all messages displayed on the remote.

Did you try to add an engine?  I just had a new engine on the tracks and the read said NO ACTIVE DCS ENGINES, but when I added an MTH engine, all was well.

John,

Wayne stated in his first post he states that DCS "...will find all of my other Engines...".

Get Same Message NO ACTIVE DCS ENGINES When I use the Cord It Finds My GP-7'9 Diesel Engine and adds it to my list and runs fine but the two Steam will not work!!!

Wayne,

but the two Steam will not work!!!

The PS1 engine will never add to the DCS Remote.

See my previous post.

I Wish you guys lived up here in VA near Doswell, VA I could come over to your place and get these things going, I was up at MTH the opther day and should have taken them to them and see what was going on, they up dated my z4000 and my aiu and hand control and put 3 compesters in the z4000

Now When I hook it up on a 3' Track it start looking for a new engine and it makes a loud buss out of the coal tender and says no engine on track

Wayne,

it makes a loud buss out of the coal tender

???

WAyne,

What do you mean by "it makes a loud buss out of the coal tender"?

Like it wants to talk but the voleum is up to loud, turned it down but the same noice

The Engine is a 2-8-0 Steam Freight Set

WayneG,

   Its sounds like that particular 2-8-0 is not a P2 or P3 engine, make sure it is not a P1 engine.

PCRR/Dave

How about the EXACT model of the set it's out of?  I think Dave may be onto the real issue.

One Is A 30-4088-0 And the other one is a 30-4017-1

Neither of these are PS/2 locomotives, so it's no surprise you can't find them with the DCS system.

That's one for Dave.

Wayne,

The engine that you said was PS1, was actually Locosound. The one that you said was PS2, was actually PS1.

You've wasted a lot of time by providing us with misinformation. Kindly get your facts straight in the future.

I love it!

Great thread.

Greg

Sorry About That, No Harm Intended, I am 62 and have had 5 Heart Attacts and a Stroke, Lucky I know This Much, Thanks For bAll Of bYou'lls Help in this matter Wayne Gilbert Lost In VA

No big deal Wayne, consider it a learning experience.

Well Berry, I had a good night's sleep and I looked in the books and found out about a Z-4000 Remote Commander Receiver, It looks like if i use that I can control my Conv. Engines with the DCS system like I do the others, is that right and do I need the whole system or just the Receiver?

Thanks for your help Wayne

Barry, i think wayne is looking at the 40-4001 remote commander for his Z4000 power unit.

Yes Sir, That is right, That is what I am Looking At/.

I am using the Z4000 and an Aiu And Remote The DCS Remote Control System It will mfind all of my other Engines What is wrong?

I'm just not sure exactly what you have WayneG..You can certainly run any engine in conventional mode with a Z-4000 using the handles. No problem there. I believe you actually need a dcs remote and TIU  if using an AIU.   If that's the case  you  certainly can run your locosound loco using a var channel on the tiu.

Ok guys  what does Wayne need? if he doesn't have a tiu & remote?

I believe a remote receiver is what you need... http://mthtrains.com/content/40-4002.

It is my understanding the MTH intends to run this product again.

Wayne,

You don't need anything else to operate your conventional engines.

Just connect the output of the left handle of the Z4000 to both the Fixed #1 and Variable #1 channel inputs on the TIU, red terminal to red terminal and black to black.

Next, connect the Variable #1 channel output to the track, red post to center rail and black post to an outside rail.

Place one conventional engine (start with the Locosound engine, #30-4088-0) on the rails, turn on power from the left handle of the Z4000 (all the way up!) and turn on the DCS Remote.

Press TR on the DCS Remote, highlight Variable #1 in the remote's window and press the thumbwheel.

Scroll up voltage from 0 to 6 volts or so. The Locosound engine should start up.

Now, use the buttons on the DCS Remote as if they were on the Z4000, and use the thumbwheel as a throttle, to operate the engine conventionally.