MTH PS2 GG1 Pantographs Not Working (They're Working Now!!)

Bob,

Ant chance that they're locked down physically?

Chief, you did everything correct.  Did you do a feature reset.  I have one G that does that a few times each year and the reset makes life good.  Did you delete the locomotive and add it back in.  If the resets are no help, you may need a pantograph board.  The MTH pan board is strong but I have seen a few bad ones.  Please feel free to hit my email if I can be of help.  

Barry Broskowitz posted:

Bob,

Ant chance that they're locked down physically?

Hi Barry,

That is the first thing I did was to make sure they were not locked down.  Thanks for your suggestion.

Bob

Marty Fitzhenry posted:

Chief, you did everything correct.  Did you do a feature reset.  I have one G that does that a few times each year and the reset makes life good.  Did you delete the locomotive and add it back in.  If the resets are no help, you may need a pantograph board.  The MTH pan board is strong but I have seen a few bad ones.  Please feel free to hit my email if I can be of help.  

Hey Marty,

 Thanks for responding!  Yes, tried both a "Feature and Factory Reset" (forgot to mention that fact in my inquiry).  I'll give it another try later tonight and get back with you.  Is the pantograph board hard to replace?  BTW, i believe I tried to contact you via email and IIRC it was returned marked undeliverable.  If there is another email that will put me in contact with you, please email me (email is in profile).

Thanks Again,

Bob

Are they set up for auto operation?  Switch on the engine in the on position if it has it?  When MAN is displayed on the soft key that is when they are in auto.  The soft key under MAN when pressed would "Place it in Auto" and show the arrow keys, and AUTO would show up under soft key in middle.  G

All of the above answers are correct in what I had dealt with along the GG1 loco. What I noticed too is the gears sometimes are so hard to turn I think it uses a lot of energy to turn gears that the board may have popped. I use a little bit of oil and work the gears by hand. That's after you have to take the mechanism out, but do what G had sad first.

There is a very small single slot screw under each pan.  I had to turn mine about 1/2 a turn and the pans worked.  I was not aware that the screw locked the pans out.  Also I found out that the MOP softkey I use with  DCS 5.0  was not present at Engine House Hobbies using DCS 6.0.

Those engines never had a gear problem. That screw should have no bearing on the mix unless you were running from the overhead.  The purpose of that screw is to hold the pans in a down/locked position and to hold the pan to the car body.  It is insulated in the event you want to run live catenary.  I run live catenary and know the GG-1 very well.

GGG posted:

Are they set up for auto operation?  Switch on the engine in the on position if it has it?  When MAN is displayed on the soft key that is when they are in auto.  The soft key under MAN when pressed would "Place it in Auto" and show the arrow keys, and AUTO would show up under soft key in middle.  G

Howdy G.,

 Well, that was the problem.   I stumbled through the "Soft Keys" until I found the Pantograph Menu, followed your instructions and we are Good 2 Go.   Was able to speak with Marty Fitzhenry and was given the same advice.   Thanks to you both, I now have working Pan's on my GG1.   Thanks to everyone who took the time to respond as well.

Chief Bob (Retired)

 Glad to help! G