Help, I deleted all engines

By any chance, do you happen to have a 2nd remote, which you could clone?

 

The IDs are probably still in the locos.  I suggest you place one at a time on a powered track or programming track, and then press add engine.  When the system finds this "new" loco, it should bring it in with same address and name.

Thanks for reply. RjR, that's exactly what I attempted. Took all engines off layout. Took one 37" section of GG track connected it directly to fixed output #1 on my TIU. Tested voltage to it at about 16V. Put engine onto track and selected add MTH Engine. Comes back with "out of RF range" . No engine added. Ralph.

Are you sure there isn't another TIU causing you issues.

 

FWIW, I do this all the time.  My bench DCS Remote gets reset probably once a week, and I have a transformer, TIU, and three feet of track that I use.  I've never had any issue adding a working locomotive on that test track.

 

radar, try another loco, as sometimes one can get balky, and check your wiring.  Do you hear a click in loco when you power up?  Make sure no other locos are powred up and all other TIU channels are unpowered.

Connect the remote to the TIU's Remote Input port with a 4-conductor, curly telephone handset cable and attempt to add your engines.

 

If that works, the culprit is most likely a loose transceiver board in the TIU, remote or both.

Okay. Was now able to add engines back into system. I have one steamer that doesn't start up in command. When track powered it will operate but no sound. Hit startup again nothing happens. Other engines seem fine and startup normally.

Was now able to add engines back into system.

What did you do differently?

Not sure,Barry.I did check all connections on TIU back to ZW. They seemed okay but I tightened everything. Maybe poor connection just don't know, but all this started when my Mohawk steamer wouldn't start up. Still won't. Power to it and runs but won't start up for command, no sounds. Thanks Ralph

radar, on the one with no sound, hit the volume up a dozen or so times, after hitting startup.  After hitting startup, can you turn the headlight on & off?

No headlight function.

Reason I asked about the headlight is to see if you had control. 

 

What is the model number of the loco>  Is this the loco that caused you to start the process you described in your first post?

       
       


Yes it's the engine that started all this. So I now am at least back to the beginning. This engine had been operating normal.I wonder if my looking through the soft key I did something there? Anyway the MTH is Railking #30-1392-1, 4-8-2 L3 Mohawk. PS2.

If you're using DCS 4.20 or 4.30 you should use the Recover Engine function on the Mohawk.

 

You need to do this using a TIU #1 and have the Mohawk be the only powered-up engine on the tracks. I suggest using a test track connected directly to Fixed Out #1.

 

Press: Menu/System/Engine Setup/Recover Engine.

Is the charging port on the tender rectangular or round?  I ask because, while I think this loco had a 3-volt board, I could be wrong.  This was in the 2006 catalog, which was around the switchover time.  Is this still the original battery?  (don't laugh.  All my 3-volt upgrades from that era still do.)

Backup information system.

 

You might note that the contents of a Remote/TIU engine list can be downloaded to a laptop computer and stored for future use.   We (Fort Pitt HighRailers) attempt to do a master list, allow (10) engine numbers per member (general rule). We do a master handheld remote (1), then download the master Remote to the computer.  Then up load to all other handheld remotes (clones).  An attempt to keep everyone on the same page.  There is a USB to (9) pin cable, or with newer issue TIU's USB to USB that needs to be purchased along with the cable Barry mentioned, 4-conductor, curly telephone handset cable, to connect the handheld remote to the TIU  .  We always leave the number (1) open, most new entries will add here and are then moved to the member's numbers. 

 

How well does this work?  With in a year we did the list a second time.  Biggest problem is members show at train meets with an engine/locomotive that is not been added to the system. Once the list has been altered, it needs to be updated in the master handheld remote, and the computer. Then each remote is cloned from the computer, so that again, all are on the same page with the same engine list.  We can have as many as (5 or 6) remotes at a train meet.

 

This information is in the DCS/TIU operator's manual and I'm sure Barry's Book. 

 

Probably the most common problem, Engine not on track, is a dead battery, requiring time to charge, and in some cases battery change.   We have made it an issue that all club members need to power-up their units/locomotives the day before a meet, to charge the batteries.  

At this point I have what appears a normal operating engine. The headlight still isn't operating but the start up and sounds seem to be operating normally. Somehow the sound was all the way down(even though I don't remember touching the down volume button) so because I wasn't getting sound and headlight isn't operating I assumed engine wasn't starting up correctly. Now to figure out if the headlight is just not operating or its a bad bulb. Wow fiddling with this stuff blindly gets you into all sorts of fun.

Try pressing the headlight button on the remote.

Certain actions sometimes turn down volume.  Testing signal strength sometimes will do it.

RJR, bingo I did do signal strength test. I have used the remote headlight button but no response from headlight, Barry. Thanks for all your help guys.

Try a feature reset to get your headlight back.

 

menu

advance

reset engine

feature reset

If the loco has a backup headlight, does that work?  Does the loco have other lighting that does or doesn't work?

 

By any chance, is this a steam loco, and did you recently use smoke

Joe, I'll try that. RJR, yes the steamers backup light is operating on the tender and red fire pit light on engine operating. No lights on front of engine operating. Thanks again, guys, your a big help. Ralph. I haven't used smoke feature at all.

I asked about smoke because there is a glitch between smoke and lighting.  If the backup light goes on, don't bother with headlight button on remote.  Issue is in the loco:  bulb could have failed, wire got broken, bulb fell out of lampholder, or a board failure could have blown the bulb.  Time to open the loco.