Mth railking 30-1113-1 Board issue - worth fixing?

IMO, it depends on the overall condition, the price you paid, and how much you like the engine.  If you like it, why not fix it?  If you sell it (assuming that you'll honestly disclose the condition), the price will reflect its non-operational status anyway.

I'm sure that others with more knowledge of MTH electronics will chime in with suggestions of other things that you can try.  30-1113-1 is PS-1, so maybe consider other ways of making it run.

My thought was, this was simply the case of the user not inspecting and replacing the battery on a PS1 or PS2 (I know this engine is PS1 from the part number and 2 dings at startup). Again, hindsight is 2020- but the board probably was NOT bad you started had you replaced the failed battery before attempting to test and power up.

The lesson to learn here is:

#1 look up the product number and get the manual and details for any MTH engine you are considering buying or have bought. It's so easy single google takes you right to the product page 99.9999% of the time. https://mthtrains.com/30-1113-1

#2 Again, downloading the manual from the "Support" tab of the product page

#3 Reading the manual and going to the battery replacement section (Page 14)

REPLACING THE PROTOSOUND BATTERY
The battery, located in the engine’s tender (see Figure 10 on page 20 for the location
of the tender mounting screws), is a rechargeable NiCad type which is continually
charged from the track when power is applied. NiCad batteries are a dry battery and
should not leak or cause any damage to your locomotive and will last up to five years or
longer.
If you notice that the sounds seem distorted or garbled at low voltages or become silent
when power from the transformer is shut off, the battery may be going bad. Before
replacing the battery, you should put the engine in NEUTRAL and leave the transformer
throttle at about 12 volts for fifteen minutes. This should temporarily recharge the battery. If
the garbled or distorted sounds are reduced, then your battery charge has worn down. You
can give your battery a full charge by leaving the engine ON in NEUTRAL for 16 to 18 hours.
(Make sure the smoke unit switch is in the OFF position to prevent harm to the smoke unit)
If you need to replace the ProtoSound™ battery, it is a special NiCad 7-cell, 8.4v battery -
NOT the 6-cell, 7.2v battery found in most convenience stores. The 6-cell NiCad is NOT
recommended for use with ProtoSound™ applications. Replacement ProtoSound™
batteries are available from MTH ProtoSound Electronics at 9693-A Gerwig Lane,
Columbia, MD 21046. A standard 9v alkaline battery can be substituted as a temporary fix,
but since alkaline batteries can’t take a charge, it will eventually wear down. Regardless, it
should give you a week to a couple of months use while you wait for your replacement
ProtoSound™ battery to arrive.

Body mounting screws of the tender in the 4 corners

Again, at the end of the day- the lesson is this was an engine made in 1997 with Protosound that contains a rechargeable battery that most likely should be inspected or replaced BEFORE attempting to power up any engine new to you that you are not aware of the state of this battery.

Again, there is a chance the board might be OK and might be repairable, but the damage was most likely caused by a failed rechargeable battery that are prone to internally shorting especially with age. When you powered up, the charging circuit has a limiting resistor and most likely that is where the smoke came from.

I just saw this happen before my very eyes last week Thursday night when a member of our club brought in a PS1 engine new to them, and the previous owner had installed a non-rechargeable battery. Even after installing a BCR and even tried a genuine MTH new battery, the charging circuit in this case was previously damaged and would smoke. I ended up replacing that lower PS1 board and put the failed board into my PS1 parts pile for it's component level repair on a rainy day. I'm hoping it was just the LM337 voltage regulator but obviously could be other things that failed.

Again, most likely, you need minimally a new battery or could use a BCR or DIY super capacitor setup. That said, depending on how long it cooked and the damage, you might need a lower board.

My course of action would be install a proper battery or BCR and power up with the tender cover off and instantly cut power if you see that resistor smoking. If it still smokes with a good battery or BCR, then the circuit is damaged, either repair or replace the lower board.

Another thing at play- this is a very early PS1 and as such being that 1997 year, may be one of those that does not play well with certain transformers.

MTH PS1 parts listing https://www.mthpartsandsales.c...lists/200?type=lists

Sorry, for whatever reason I have not been able to directly link to a specific MTH part URL. At best I can screen grab.

Again you might need this chip from the premier version? Maybe someone else can chime in who is an true expert on PS1, I know enough to do basic repairs but don't know all the history.

Thanks everyone - it was my mistake not to change that battery before I ran it- I appreciate the feedback

I have that loco and the 6 cars to go with it. It's one of my favorites.

Mine is in line for a full ERR upgrade with Railsounds and GRJs smoke enhancements this fall.

Good luck with yours.

Ward

PS: To answer your question, it depends on how much you like this engine.  I estimate the full ERR upgrade I'm doing will cost between $350 to $400. I don't plan on recovering that if I were ever to sell it but to me it is worth it.

@Nov posted:

So I bought a 30-1113-1 New York Central Dreyfus in an estate sale.  Put it on the track and got 2 bells, have tried all the fixes in the manual with no luck. I looked around at replacement boards and for the money is this even worth fixing or should I cut my loses?  I appreciate your feedback. Dave

Nov,

My bet is that it doesn't need fixing.  It needs patience.

Before you get carried away with expensive work check this out:

   Keep in mind ... | Mellow Hudson Mike

The behavior you've described is very common, with perfectly normal PS1's.

Mike

Change battery to new and charged or use a new Alkaline 9V temporarily for a test.  Apply voltage and make sure lower than 10V.  Hit direction button, if it 2 dings again, or in a test you can't cycle past the first reset position (directions state how to do a reset).  Chances are the engine has an ID conflict and needs reprograming.

Do inspect battery harness to make sure no corrosion on leads.  G

@Vernon Barry posted:

Another thing at play- this is a very early PS1 and as such being that 1997 year, may be one of those that does not play well with certain transformers.

@Nov-   I concur- I have a couple of early PS-1's and they don't play nice with my CW-80, but are fine with my KW and Z-750. The CW-80 puts out a chopped sine wave that isn't compatible with these engines. The manual has a list of compatible transformers.

I just added an early PS-2 loco to the fleet and didn't power it until I installed a new BCR and speaker (another known issue).

Bob