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Mt MTH PRR T1 duplex locomotive has been in the shop for 1 year after I upgraded it from PS1 to PS2. It worked well when I finished, but while changing the sound file I somehow managed to mess things up.  I took it to a LHS and they sent the boards to MTH for re-programming. I was just informed that MTH said the processor had been scrambled and would not reset. It is also not currently available to replace, so the boards are useless. They said my only option was to buy a new set of boards.

Has anyone heard of this happening before?

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Absolutely, putting the wrong chain files or a bad flash could brick (scramble) a board set. It might not be recoverable, we are warned of this risk when flashing boards. It's a risk and chance we take each and every time we do it.

That's why all over the package in upgrade kits, there are warnings on the board anti-static bag. Once you open that and play the game of mess around and find out--------sadly you found out.

Last edited by Vernon Barry

I actually haven't heard of a software load scrambling a PS/2 board.  I have seen them scrambled to the point they had to go back to MTH for them to use their development system to reload the boot code, that can result from a bad sound file.  This happens more with PS/3 files, I've seen several incidents where more than one board had to go back to MTH as a result of a bad chain file.

There is no way to "scramble the processor", it's the FLASH boot code that would be scrambled.

Last edited by gunrunnerjohn

Either way, the OP seems to doubt what they have been told. I realize the sticker shock cost of the mistake, but it doesn't really change anything.

MTH may no longer have the previous way of flashing certain boards since the downsizing and sell off of much older equipment (this appears to be stating it's a PS2 upgrade kit, which likely would be a PS2 3V board set) or maybe this specific board just would no longer reprogram, and yes, that's now true, MTH no longer has the replacement "PS2 3V processor boards" only the upper "power board". I get the feeling "lost in translation" from MTH to customer- Processor or processor board is just wording.

An upgrade kit was user installed. Mistakes happened. They sent it to MTH who said we can no longer repair or replace that directly (PS2 3V).

The "fix" is a new PS3/2 Stacker board set with PS2 3V style connectors to match the existing wiring harness.

AE10000353V          https://www.mthpartsandsales.com/

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Last edited by Vernon Barry

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