MTH PS1 Question

There's been several Posts on this Forum about old MTH batteries ruining PS2 boards (do a Search to see for yourself) so it wouldn't be a bad idea to either replace the battery with a new one or with a BCR (Battery Component Replacement). Note: The advantage of the latter is that you'd never have to buy another battery.

Good Luck and enjoy your train!

Although it's my understanding the PS1 boards not as prone to failure as the PS2 boards, my recommendation would be the same - given the number of years that have passed since PS1s were first introduced.

Just steer clear of the 5V PS/2 boards.

If you only run conventional, PS-1 engines can be great, if you buy at a good price.  Don't pay more than about $200 less than you would for a comparable PS-2/PS-3 engine, and be sure to put a BCR in it before you start it up.

Have bought several PS1  PCC street cars and doodlebugs. After burning up the first one I learned to first install a conventional battery to see if it would run and sound all the features. If it did I would install a BCR battery.

Some PS1 were prone to failure due to a low battery. Most were not. Replace the rechargeable battery with a new fully charged battery or a BCR.

not trying to make a quick buck here, but i can offer something to you that makes running PS1 in coventional more enjoyable.  If you get a manual you will see how you can activate certain features using combos of whistle and I think bell buttons.  It's rather difficult to execute though as the timing has to PERFECT.

There is a device that I bought and used when I had a PS1 engine called a PowerProgrammer.  It has the added advantage of having spike protection built in.  Say you want to execute PS1 feature #5 - you could look up the right combo of clicks and do it if lucky or you just tell the programmer to execute function 5 and it does the combo perfectly for you.

If you think you're interested in it I will sell you mine.  Email me if so.

walt

Walt, for around $400 you can buy a Z-4000 transformer and use it's PS/1 programming feature as well.

@JET posted:

MTH will "burn" you a new chip for $30 and you can get the proper chip removal tool online, so it's easily repairable.

Time will tell how much longer you'll be able to get PS/1 chips from MTH or whatever entity takes it's place.

I'm shocked they didn't burn the read protection link in the chips, that's very uncharacteristic for MTH to fail to protect their intellectual property.

@JET posted:

https://www.mthtrains.com/news/659

That "news" is a year old, I'd like to be hearing something a bit more current now that MTH is being carved up...

I think it was all farmed out to QSI, MTH probably didn't know it was possible to protect and they were a smaller "nicer" company in 1997.

Certain (not all) PS1 locomotives refused to work with chopped wave transformers such as the Lionel ZW-L. I have one such example, a Premier K4, that was produced in the window of production time (1996-97) when this was an issue.

Worn-out rechargeable batteries scrambling PS1 chips was a much more common problem, but one that was more easily correctable. I have replaced most of my PS1 locomotives with BCRs.

Other than that, PS1 has been reliable, as has PS2 after the 5-volt board design was changed.

thanks for all the information guys!

@walt rapp posted:

not trying to make a quick buck here, but i can offer something to you that makes running PS1 in coventional more enjoyable.  If you get a manual you will see how you can activate certain features using combos of whistle and I think bell buttons.  It's rather difficult to execute though as the timing has to PERFECT.

There is a device that I bought and used when I had a PS1 engine called a PowerProgrammer.  It has the added advantage of having spike protection built in.  Say you want to execute PS1 feature #5 - you could look up the right combo of clicks and do it if lucky or you just tell the programmer to execute function 5 and it does the combo perfectly for you.

If you think you're interested in it I will sell you mine.  Email me if so.

walt

I'd be interested if he doesn't want it.

@Trainlover9943 posted:

I'd be interested if he doesn't want it.

I sent an email to you.  I want to wait to see if C Murley is interested.  I'll give him a day or 2.

thanks

walt

Hey Walt, thanks for the offer, but ill pass. i dont have the locomotive yet so may as well send it to someone who could use it!  thanks for the offer for sure though!

@C_Murley posted:

Hey Walt, thanks for the offer, but ill pass. i dont have the locomotive yet so may as well send it to someone who could use it!  thanks for the offer for sure though!

Thanks for letting me know.  There is a person that wants to buy it from me but I asked for him to wait until I heard first from you.  Now I know it will be OK to sell it to him.

UPDATE:

Just heard from Matt.  He only does PayPal and I don't so he scrapped the deal.  I add this in case anyone else is interested.

- walt

So i scored my locomotive and it is ps1, factory new old stock.  its coming from a hobby shop. it was tested and a new "green" battery installed before heading my way. in your alls opinion is this good to go for awhile or should i open it up and install the bcr still at this point? again, ill only be running it conventional,  thanks!!

@C_Murley posted:

So i scored my locomotive and it is ps1, factory new old stock.  its coming from a hobby shop. it was tested and a new "green" battery installed before heading my way. in your alls opinion is this good to go for awhile or should i open it up and install the bcr still at this point? again, ill only be running it conventional,  thanks!!

All of my PS-1 engines get a BCR before being put on the track.

@C_Murley posted:

So i scored my locomotive and it is ps1, factory new old stock.  its coming from a hobby shop. it was tested and a new "green" battery installed before heading my way. in your alls opinion is this good to go for awhile or should i open it up and install the bcr still at this point? again, ill only be running it conventional,  thanks!!

If the battery is new it'll last years before you need replacement. no rush

Agreed. Just keep in mind that if you idle a model long enough without use (such as several months) that new battery will still lose its charge, meaning you run a risk of scrambling the brains of the locomotive as with an old battery. So follow MTH’s instructions on how to avoid that problem.

One more suggestion, take a pair of pliers and carefully close / tighten the external terminals on the 9V battery / BCR and wired 9V connector and then snap them together.

I originally did this with just my fingers, it seemed tight, but a few months later it apparently loosened up and acted as if the BCR wasn't charged at all when it had 8 volts.

I have three engines that use BCR  .    I place the engine on the track & charge up the BCR at 10 volts for no less than 3 minutes .  Then I press the direction button on the Z4000 or z1000 transformers .   I would  check the battery in your new engine to verify it is a new green battery .  I would  charge the battery 5 minutes before before running in any direction .