MTH PREMIER UP FEF NORTHERN PS2

Is this the original PS-2 5V version from 2000 era?  Are you operating conventional or DCS?  If you turn smoke off does it still do this?  Could be a bad smoke fan motor, could need basic maintenance, could be the MUX board, lot of variables here.  G

The engine is a 20-3044-1...same reaction with or without smoke...the smoke works, makes good smoke and strong puffs...

Only seems to have a problem at low voltage or at inital start of movement...once voltage gets up and the engine is running, the speed control seems to negate any herky-jerky stuff...I would equate it to appearing like a bent axle or a binding condition, but no wobble from anything bent...but this smooths out and goes away at speed, and the lights do not flicker...

The light flicker at low voltage and the weird sound reaction at start is what makes me think is electrical on the board...

How low is the voltage.  Too low and your stressing the board in conventional.  G

Yes, running conventional on a MTH Z-1000...Not sure, but know that I don't see this behavior in other large PS2 engines I have. By low voltage, I'm indicating the dial is centered straight up...which always seemed like around 5 volts give or take when I put the meter on it...

I have a N&W PS2 Railking Y6b that just crawls at low voltage, chugs, smokes well...of course I realize is lighter engine than the FEF...

Ran the FEF again the other night...it seems to struggle on the first 'chuff' of the cadence (standard two chuffs per rev)...always the first...then three more chuffs...then a heavy chuff, accompanied by blinking (or going out) lights and herky-jerky movement...then the cycle repeats...

I was kinda hoping this might run like my N&W engine...but maybe not, huh?

I would make sure no binding, out of quarter linkage, motor mount bent, etc...  Clean, grease and lubricate.  Doesn't sound normal.  G

gibson man posted:

Yes, running conventional on a MTH Z-1000...Not sure, but know that I don't see this behavior in other large PS2 engines I have. By low voltage, I'm indicating the dial is centered straight up...which always seemed like around 5 volts give or take when I put the meter on it...

I have a N&W PS2 Railking Y6b that just crawls at low voltage, chugs, smokes well...of course I realize is lighter engine than the FEF...

Ran the FEF again the other night...it seems to struggle on the first 'chuff' of the cadence (standard two chuffs per rev)...always the first...then three more chuffs...then a heavy chuff, accompanied by blinking (or going out) lights and herky-jerky movement...then the cycle repeats...

I was kinda hoping this might run like my N&W engine...but maybe not, huh?

When run "conventionally" PS2 and PS3 locomotives use track voltage at the locomotive as a speed command.  they will not start moving with less than 8 volts.  If they start moving a 8 volts but then the voltage drops due to current draw, bad track or bad wiring they will not be able to maintain a constant slow speed.

The 20-3044 has a large Pittman can motor.  Railking articulateds have a pair of little mabuichis like a diesel.  If you have bad track or bad wiring the larger motor of the 20-3044 along with the sound and smoke may draw more current than your other locomotives and drop the voltage at the rails too low for reliable running,

How is your layout wired? 

What is the voltage at the rails when you have problems with your 4-8-4? 

Does your 4-8-4 have any low speed problems when run with DCS?