Help with MTH Empire State Express loco

Early Protosound (QSI) will typically not run or not run well on anything but "old-school" transformers. PS1 came out before all the modern transformers were around. Sine waves, chopped or not (I forget), not compatible with OSI/PS1. Your loco is probably fine. I have an old scale MTH PS1 ATSF 4-8-4, not yet upgraded to ERR/TMCC, that will not move on anything other than my old Lionel 1033. Runs fine on that.

Upgrading to modern electronics (such as ERR Cruise Commander - easy to do) or downgrading to an old transformer should do the trick. Running your transformer through a Lionel TPC300 or 400 remote throttle may "fix" it. There may be other tricks, but I don't do conventional running any more.

Someone here will know more.

Thanks for the info...makes sense now that i think about it....i guess i'll keep it..again thanks for the info... 

Make sure after it starts up with a Z-1000, you lower the voltage to less than 10V, maybe lower for the chopped out put, before you try a direction change. If voltage too high it does not come out of reset.

Did you try it via throttle lowering or just direction button?  G

Thanks for all the info....it's running fine......

joe krasko posted:

Thanks for the info...makes sense now that i think about it....i guess i'll keep it..again thanks for the info... 

Joe, I hope you do keep it. This engine was way ahead of its time. MTH added very little other than command control to the later versions. I upgraded mine to PS2 and added a few more details to bring it up to current offerings.

Pete