Powered unit does not advance to Fwd or Rev. Train sounds and lights work. No 3 clanks at start using z1000. New battery installed recently. Any suggestions appreciated.
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Perhaps you should think about sending the unit into MTH for repair.
I have a MTH Dryfus Hudson, Proto 1 with the QSI sound board which is doing exactly
what you are describing and I think next week I may send it off for repair.I can't be of any help here, just sympathizing with your situation.
Both engines sound like they are locked in neutral. This is usually due to operating with a low battery and the fix is a new sound chip, usually. If you care to read this thread it delves into the why/wherefore of this problem, and this thread has the list of engines affect with this issue. Hope this helps a little.
Did you put the new battery in AFTER you first tried it??? I see many engines with the new green battery that was put in after it was tried. That is like shutting the barn door after the horse ran away. Let us know.
Try putting a lighted caboose or passenger car on the same track behind the locomotive. Some of the MTH transformers will not go to zero voltage and allow the e unit to cycle. I have an early z4000 that does this but I'm not sure if the z1000 can also have the same issue.
The z1000 does, or at least mine did. As one who had the Dreyfuss Hudson in deselect mode, some questions for the OP.
When you turn it on, do you get the normal startup bell and engine sounds? Or do you get no bell and it goes straight to engine sounds? If you get the normal bell and startup sounds when 1st applying power, it could be in deselect. Call MTH with the catalog number of the locomotive and they'll send you a new chip, for a fee. Swap it out and you'll be good to go. My Hudson runs great after I did this. If you get no bell and go right to engine sounds when you apply power, it could be locked in neutral. To get it out, hold down the horn button and while doing so turn the track power off. You'll get a horn blast or bell ding (Don't remember which.) at which point let go of the button and turn the track power on.
Are you making sure the track voltage is less than 10 volts before trying to change direction? The PS-1 locomotives will not cycle out of reset and into forward if the voltage is over 10 volts. I like to do it nearer 6-7 volts so that the train doesn't start so quick. If you cycle the power and get an air hiss noise then the power it too high to cycle out of reset.
If still no luck, contact GGG as he repairs these locomotives.
First thing I would do is a Feature 18 engine reset. I've had Proto engines lose features and one stuck in neutral. resetting the engine has fixed the issues.
Problem is if it has been locked into neutral you can't get it into the reset state to do a reset 18 option.
Yes you can.
I truly appreciate the response from forum members and look forward to remedy the issues with this valued info. Will report my results after out of town assignment. Thank you all!
Originally Posted by Riverrailfan:
Yes you can.
How? Not a single PS-1 locomotive manual I've read has said how. In fact a couple said that you have to get the locomotive out of direction lockout before you can get back into feature rest mode. So if you have a way, I'd love to know as it'd make some things better for me in my PS-1 locomotive fleet.
Originally Posted by Riverrailfan:
Yes you can.
That's not very helpful, how about your exact procedure.
Originally Posted by sinclair:
Originally Posted by Riverrailfan:
Yes you can.
How? Not a single PS-1 locomotive manual I've read has said how. In fact a couple said that you have to get the locomotive out of direction lockout before you can get back into feature rest mode. So if you have a way, I'd love to know as it'd make some things better for me in my PS-1 locomotive fleet.
His engine is stuck in neutral so high low voltage settings are not going to send the engine off the track when performing feature 18. When you have the engine locked forward or reverse, you want to take it out of lock out instead of picking the engine off the floor since all I have is a ZW. Also a fully charged battery is also needed.
I've done Feature 18 resets quite a few times, Protosound engines like to shut things off at times. Feature 18 resets the to factory settings.
The locomotive has to be in Reset for you to use Feature 18. When the locomotive's reverse unit has been locked into a direction, or neutral, the locomotive does not enter Reset. Now, the way to get the reverse unit unlocked is similar to the reset with Feature 18, in that you hold the whistle/horn button while turning off the track voltage, but it does not give you the garbled bell sound and thus isn't resetting your locomotive.
On most PS1 engines when they are locked and feature 18 will not work, I have found that performing this action will re-set the engine.
This is what you do....Exactly, very simple...Hold down the horn/whistle
button and power down the transformer at the same time. After 30 seconds. power back up. The horn will blast once. Power back down and the back up to at least 10 volts. Your engine will now have all its functions restored. I learned this after sending it out for repair to RMJ.
Wayne Sent it back to me with the above instructions. For some unknown apparent reason, These PS1s do this all the time. I must do this before I can run this one particular engine. If this doesn't work, then it is possible you may need a new mother board. Good luck, let me know how you make out'..
Quarter Gauger 48 posted:On most PS1 engines when they are locked and feature 18 will not work, I have found that performing this action will re-set the engine.
This is what you do....Exactly, very simple...Hold down the horn/whistle
button and power down the transformer at the same time. After 30 seconds. power back up. The horn will blast once. Power back down and the back up to at least 10 volts. Your engine will now have all its functions restored. I learned this after sending it out for repair to RMJ.
Wayne Sent it back to me with the above instructions. For some unknown apparent reason, These PS1s do this all the time. I must do this before I can run this one particular engine. If this doesn't work, then it is possible you may need a new mother board. Good luck, let me know how you make out'..
This worked perfectly!
I have a Premier Blue Comet that lost sound while moving, a long time ago. I'm terrible at the handles up and down clink clank thing so I tried this. Figured a reset would do it. Worked the first time.
Thank you!!
