GP-38 MTH change body question..

You can run the earlier engine with DCS on a variable track in the remote. If you have two separate lines, run the PS2 on one and the Protosound engine on a separate track changed to variable. You also may be able to just swap shells.

Right now (while I am presently waiting for track to make my layout larger) I have two separate tracks, I only use the DCS on one of the tracks.

How do I connect to the variable, I mean do I use the same power/transformer that is already connected? Because the second track is using conventional power for 0-27 "simpler" engines. What do I use for power to the variable second track?

Here's what I have...

Track 1- DCS TIU with MTH 100 watt power pack running the DCS engines.

Track 2- Pure Power conventional transformer (I don't know the wattage) running 0-27 Lionel trains. (This setup never gives me headaches)

@D123M posted:

Hi.. So I have two older MTH GP-38s. I want to be able to run the MTH Bangor And Aroostook with Protosound as a digital engine through my DCS TIU but the system isn't able to locate the engine when searching for it. The Maine Central Engine has Protosound 2.0, so that engine works on my layout. I really love the look of the Bangor locomotive and really want that one to get it working on my DCS layout..

Here are my questions on how I could do this..

1. Take the guts out of the Maine Central and swap them with each other? Is that even possible? I do know the Maine Central engine would then become just like the Bangor Protosound engine then

2. Buy an expensive Protosound 2 board and do all this crazy sodering that I really don't know how to do!?

3. Or is there an easier way that the Bangor engine could work on the layout with my DCS system that I am obviously not doing correctly?

#1 Minimally, both should be inspected for having the old battery and thus checking that has been replaced with a recent good, charged, working battery is required.

#2 Specifically the Bangor one https://mthtrains.com/20-2227-1 is a PS1 engine. So no, it would never be detected by DCS.

#3 The Maine Central one https://mthtrains.com/20-2341-1 is only 1 year newer 2001, but also PS2 5V and thus I would most definitely inspect the battery and capacitors on the board. https://ogrforum.com/...co-with-ps2-5v-board

#4 No, swapping boards is not easy since these are completely different electronic systems.

Oh if I swap the shells (doesn't sound too difficult) then the engines would have non matching trucks. Would it be very hard to swap the guts? PS-- I've never opened an engine.

Sorry Vernon our posts overlapped

Swapping the shells is not terribly difficult, I've done a few for friends, even converting a dummy into a powdered unit by chassis swapping. Changing the truck sideframes may be a royal PIA if it was built with the screws coming down from the top rather than being able to unscrew them from below. (The fool that designed them that way and the person that accepted it should have been fired and never allowed to work in the industry ever again:-) If you would like both units to be DCS capable I'd suggest purchasing a good used powered unit and swapping the cabs.

@D123M posted:

Right now (while I am presently waiting for track to make my layout larger) I have two separate tracks, I only use the DCS on one of the tracks.

How do I connect to the variable, I mean do I use the same power/transformer that is already connected? Because the second track is using conventional power for 0-27 "simpler" engines. What do I use for power to the variable second track?

Here's what I have...

Track 1- DCS TIU with MTH 100 watt power pack running the DCS engines.

Track 2- Pure Power conventional transformer (I don't know the wattage) running 0-27 Lionel trains. (This setup never gives me headaches)

Just a couple of rules that must be met. The TIU is an electronic device and thus needs power for it's own function and logic. It gets that power one of two ways.  One way is borrowing power from Fixed1 input, however, there might be conditions where fixed1 is not powered at the moment and you want to use another channel. In that case, the TIU needs power into the Aux IN port at the end of the TIU. This can be any 12-22V 1.5A or more power supply (often the same as most wireless routers and many other common home electronics).

Right on the first page of the manual

Again, in your case, it sounds like you have  the constant on 100 Watt brick connected to fixed1. That's fine, just be aware if that is off, then no other channel works on the TIU.

Connect track 2 (I mean your physical track) to your choice of Variable1 or Variable2 of the TIU and then the pure power transformer to the matching input of that channel. You turn the Pure Power handle up to full power, and now use the remote and select variable track 2 and raise or lower the output voltage. Note, the displayed voltage is not accurate!!! It is not measuring the voltage. It simply is a scale assuming you were using a 21-22V power source and thus the output is a percentage of that. Again, just saying, the voltage is not being read or measured, it is simply a scale or indicator of where you are in the range of variable.

The DCS manual- https://mthtrains.com/sites/de...ction/20as14017i.pdf

They used the the word "Universal" instead of the more common word "Conventional" meaning conventional operation.

So starting on page 113

Also, just to be clear, if you are going out and buying another engine to perform a shell swap, I highly suggest getting a PS2 3V system or PS3, rather than another older PS2 5V.

So your saying I can connect both to the TIU and run both at same time (different tracks) yes?

Yes. The channels are independent. The only rule is the TIU logic must be powered.

Again, in your example, say for some reason your Fixed1 track derailed, or the transformer tripped the breaker. Then, as wired right now today, the TIU logic would no longer have power and variable channels would not work.

Again, the simple thing is, either power aux in on the TIU (power jack at the short end of the TIU labeled as such) or always ensure fixed1 is powered.