Dumbing down a locomotive - SOLVED!

You can run the PS/3 locomotive in conventional mode and lock it to start and always run in forward as soon as power is applied.  This paragraph is in almost any PS/2 or PS/3 user's guide.

Lock into a directional state:

You can lock your engine into a directional state (forward, neutral or reverse) to prevent
it from changing directions. To do this, put the engine into the direction you want or in
neutral, run it at a very low speed (<10 scale mph), and quickly but firmly press your
remote’s Whistle button once followed immediately by three presses of the Bell button.
Two whistle blasts will indicate that the engine has made the change. The engine will
not change direction (including going into neutral) until you repeat the 1 whistle, 3
bells code to return the engine to its normal state, even if the engine has been kept
without power for extended periods of time.

Since there is technology that is not needed, you could consider raffling off the engine assuming you have enough traffic to sell tickets.

Then take the money and purchase a conventional engine like a Williams GP38.

Just a thought.

Ron

Ron, look at my post, it's trivial to make the engine behave as he desires.

@Tom Densel posted:

As long as the headlights, ditch lights and cab strobe work I think everyone would be happy.

He wouldn't have ditch light and cab strobe either.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

You can run the PS/3 locomotive in conventional mode and lock it to start and always run in forward as soon as power is applied.  This paragraph is in almost any PS/2 or PS/3 user's guide.

Lock into a directional state:

You can lock your engine into a directional state (forward, neutral or reverse) to prevent
it from changing directions. To do this, put the engine into the direction you want or in
neutral, run it at a very low speed (<10 scale mph), and quickly but firmly press your
remote’s Whistle button once followed immediately by three presses of the Bell button.
Two whistle blasts will indicate that the engine has made the change. The engine will
not change direction (including going into neutral) until you repeat the 1 whistle, 3
bells code to return the engine to its normal state, even if the engine has been kept
without power for extended periods of time.

Thanks John!

Can this be done with a Z-4000 transformer?  I don't have a DCS remote nor do I know anybody that has one locally.

Tom

@Tom Densel posted:

...

Can this be done with a Z-4000 transformer?  ...

Yes.

W and B button timing can be tricky if this is first time you've tried a W-B combo sequence.

Above video shows the W-B-B-B-B-B sequence (to completely reset engine) on a Z-4000.  To lock your engine in the FWD direction you only need W-B-B-B while the engine is slowly moving in the FWD direction.

As long as your engine's battery is properly charged, when you power down the engine...the locked-in-FWD condition will be remembered the next time you power up the engine.

@Tom Densel posted:

Thanks John!

Can this be done with a Z-4000 transformer?  I don't have a DCS remote nor do I know anybody that has one locally.

Tom

Of course, that's in the "conventional running" section of the manual.

Thanks guys!  I did the W-B-B-B sequence and it now starts in forward. 

Like I said in my original post, I have no MTH locomotives nor any DCS equipment.  I have no manuals or paperwork.  I was just handed this locomotive and asked to see if I could find an electrical short. (Found a bare wire) I was also asked if there was any way to make it start in forward without jumping through a bunch of hoops.  Without access to the manuals I did the next best thing and posted here on the Forum.  You guys are better than a manual, anyway!

Tom

The MTH site still has the manuals up, in case you actually want a manual.

Glad you got your engine working Tom. You can always find the manuals on the MTH site. Might be good to download and save a copy at the museum.