MTH RailKing S2 Turbine PS1 - What Do I Have Here?

Hey Joe:

I think you have the "poverty pack" RailKing version of this model, the one that came with only the electronic whistle and smoke feature.

I'm no expert, but that QSI circuit board in your pictures is certainly not a full blown PS1 board, and it looks like it is the original board installed in this loco.

The other "give-away" is the absence of the "protocoupler" on the tender....yours only has the "thumb tack" pin that is magnetically activated by a special un-coupling section of track.

Upgrading to have full PS1 features can be a challenge, but not impossible...as far as I know.

Joe, I recommend just running it, and having fun!!!

Peter.....Buco Australia.

Joe I recently converted that exact locomotive to ERR and I was careful to remove the electronics without any butchering or cutting. Your are more than welcome to them so you can have the proper sound set if you don’t mind running it in conventional.

It’s a QSI DCRU (DC motor reverse unit) with an added whistle board.  If you upgrade to PS1, the issue will be finding a  set of boards and a chip for it, as the source for chips has dried up.

I believe this line of electronics was called "LocoSounds." I've got a few diesels that I've picked up at great prices that have similar electronics. I use them for my track cleaning gang as I don't worry about them.

If you want to convert it to command control, I'd go with PS3. Despite this being a "LocoSounds/PS1 Lite" engine, the PS3 upgrade kit and it's instructions seem designed to convert locomotives like these to command control. MTH has reissued that particular larger S-2 shell several times, both in PS2 and PS3. You could upgrade it and easily find a relevant locomotive file.

Also keep in mind Joe, if you do add factory correct sounds, there’s no chuff, …..the Turbine didn’t chuff. The turbine wheels  just spins up like a jet engine.

Pat

Joe - Pretty sure you own 30-1149-0, as delivered, w/o Protosounds, and only electronic whistle.

Thanks guys. That makes more sense. The manual that came with the engine was for a PS1 model and that was making things more confusing.

What else I noticed is the Star speaker, with no flaking from a 25 year old item! Think made in Korea has a lot to do with that!

No loco sound, loco sound was the PS-2 non DCS conventional type board.  As noted just the DCRU with whistle.  That star is a good speaker.

It was the PS-2 5V 16 ohm 5W speaker with external magnet with coating that was issue.

Can be upgraded and MTH has the Turbine flash code and sound file.

Interesting MTH never made that engine in premier.  G