I own an MTH 30-4117-1 RS-3 locomotive that has some issues. On start up, all seems well. The whistle button sounds the whistle and the bell button controls the bell. After the locomotive is reversed, it will often switch the responses in that now the whistle sounds with the bell button and the bell sounds with the whistle button. Once powered down and restarted, it initially will be correct again and will respond correctly until it reverses direction. I have reset to factory defaults multiple times but the behavior continues. I have no answer for how this is even possible. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Replies sorted oldest to newest
Assuming you haven’t already done this, I’d try another engine and/or another transformer, although I think it unlikely that will yield results. The second thing I’d do is a feature reset, or, if you have DCS, a factory reset.
Hi I would do a feature reset first and then immediately do a factory reset then delete engine and add engine back then try engine again!
Alan
30-4117-1 isn't a valid MTH product number, what do you really have?
In addition to GRJ's comment, what's the road name of your RS3?
Believe it’s 30-4177-1 Pittsburgh Steelers RS3 set, and OP transposed a number.
It is an RS-3 Steelers locomotive with the special sound chip. Came in set 30-4117-1. The engine number is 30-4117-1E.
Sorry, typo engine is 30-4177-1E from set 30-4177-1
I'd try reloading the sound file, it's on the Support tab of the Product Page.
Sound file is intact. Can access the specialized FY sounds.
Something swaps out what the positive surge (whistle) and negative surge (bell) triggers in the locomotive but only after it has been reversed. Other locomotives work fine. Have swapped out controllers on the transformer and even tried different brick transformers. Same aberrant behavior. MTH does not reply to their service message form (on their new website). I have never seen this and just wondered if anyone else found this or a cure.
I can still run it, play with it and enjoy it. Just bizarre behavior which seems impossible until you see it happen.
The closest MTH Authorized Service center said over the phone that given what it might be, the diagnosis and possible repair would be more than the cost or a new replacement locomotive and that was if MTH still had the boards available. Looking at their parts, they do not.
RU running conventional or DCS? If conventional a reset is not a complete factory reset. Reloading sound file should be done. What do you have to lose. You're trying to fix a glitch not a complete failure. It is a very odd symptom I have never seen. Only other thing I can think of is some sort of short on the motor leads somewhere. In reverse the + and - are reversed with white lead becoming positive. BUt that is normally detected in motion and would also trigger random bell/whistle depending on which lead is shorted. G
I have only conventional for the MTH locos. I appreciate all the help. I will wait until my next trip south to stop by Roundhouse South in Port Orange, Fl and let them try a full reset. If the thing still acts as it does, I will accept the character flaw and play with it. Everything works, it runs. I'll just need to remember to play FY sounds before I reverse it. The rest I can live with.
If you're running conventional, are you sure the transformer leads aren't reversed?
Transformer leads are correct. And remember, all is well until the bell and whistle responses switch in the middle of running the locomotive after I reverse it. They revert back to normal after I power down and start up again.
Thank you again.
Well, with those symptoms, I can't imagine it being anything but the board.