MTH RS-3 RK Scale Diesel Question

Past RS-3 diesels have never had smoke units and I don't believe current ones do either. 

The product page for 30-20215-1 says yes, but I'd verify.

Just peek down the stack, you should see the brass outlet of the smoke unit if it has one, they're directly in line with single stack locomotives as a rule.

If you really want to know, pop the shell off.

All I can see is black down the stack, can't see any brass. My eyes are pretty bad though (cataracts they won't remove until spring for some reason?). Will probably end up taking it apart to see. Sure is a lot of conflicting information on it though. I think SJC is probably right.

If it does not have smoke, can it be added to the existing PS3 guts it already has? If it can be added what do I need to get? Can you get the whole smoke unit as one part? I asked you about some smoke fans in another thread a while ago, want to get some of those too if the are all the same. All for MTH diesels.

I don't see brass down the stack of my Alco S2 but it smokes.

Possibly when you added smoke fluid it was air bound not allowing the fluid to go in. My S2 does this all the time. When adding fluid. blow down the stack. The only thing I question is the box does not state operating smoke compared to MTH website. Opening it up would verify.

From what I recollect, the RK 'Scale' RS1's have smoke but the older RS3's did not. Using your DCS remote, Try turning off the sounds (keypad 4?) while sitting stationary and turn the smoke off and on and off again. If it has smoke you should be able to hear the fan kick on and go off as you switch the unit.

Under the frame where the volume pot is, does the unit also have a smoke pot?  If so it has smoke.  Some engine use a plastic funnel to connect and offset smoke unit to the stack, so you may not see brass.

I would not pour smoke fluid until you verify it has smoke unit.  If the stack is open, that fluid will get on the circuit board and than you will have real problems.  G

I will try the sound off and listen for the smoke fan test. I will also look for the smoke pot. I usually don't pay any attention to those because I run only command control. Don't remember if I even looked on this engine?

Too late for adding smoke fluid, I followed the manual's instructions for 'things to do before running your engine'. The manual (detailed one) I downloaded from MTH website said to add 15-20 drops of smoke fluid, so I did. This was a couple months ago when I got it. It just now started bugging me again about the smoke unit. It still runs fine, a nice engine, great sound.

I am going to take the shell off anyway, maybe this weekend or first of next week. My curiosity meter is starting to peg on this one.

Thank you all for the replies.

Removing the shell is certainly the 100% way to know if there's a smoke unit.

....or if you've dumped smoke fluid down the stack.

We're getting somewhere...it's got a smoke pot on the bottom as GGG suggested! Along with a volume pot. And you can hear the fan when doing the c.sam test. Only problem now is no smoke. I have tried blowing down the stack several times, also tried that before upon first trial of engine.

All I gotta do now is remove the shell and get the smoke to come out the stack. Suspecting a loose wire, bad resistor or something now? GRJ, I sent you an email earlier.    

Obviously, if you hear a fan, there's probably a smoke unit in there.

Just came back over here, yes, it has a smoke unit, getting ready to take it apart and see what's inside and why it isn't smoking. Reading the manual right after this. This thing is still under warranty, but I really don't want to send it anywhere (unless I have to) and my LHS is backed up 'til Jan/Feb sometime.

GRJ, got your email. Will get back to you when (if) I figure the RS-3 thing out. Think I'm down to just the smoke fan motors since the SW1500 is out of the question. Unless I need something else for the RS-3.

Never taken an engine apart before. Cover me, I'm goin' in!

You should call MTH service about your specific model.  Some have been poor smokers because of the flash code. An update load of the flash code could resolve your issue.  G

Whew, made it back out alive (and the RS-3 also survived, it's back in one piece). I think it had a few problems, but nothing major, just mis-alignment and maybe the original wick install. Also the unit only had one smoke heating element, not two like I had seen in videos. It now smokes a little bit, but not like my other MTH engines.

What's the proper way to install a new smoke wick in one of these? Do you use the entire wick as they come from MTH?

GGG, if I re-wicked this thing properly, you might be on to something about calling MTH and the flash code. Is that something I can do myself, or does my LHS or MTH have to do it? I will call them tomorrow.

Here's what it looked like inside.

MTH uses that smoke unit in some models, it's not as prolific a smoker as the standard 2-resistor model.  It should be decent, just not "your house is burning" smoke.

You can load the file if you know how to load a sound file via the computer and a TIU.  In this case all you need to do is load the chain file which has the engine characteristics and such.  I do believe they adjusted the code for the single element units. 

Just checked and yours is a brand new one and the files are not even out yet.  I would call and log the complaint about smoke level.  G

I've only had this engine for about two months or so. Had to get a manual from something earlier, but forget which one? Do remember having a hard time finding one, but I think it was PS3.

How long does it usually take them to get the files out for new items? Seems like having those files ready before releasing something would be a good idea? Maybe they had difficulties or found a glitch?

I don't know how to load the files, but I need to learn, and I guess there's no time like the present as they say. We'll see if old dogs can learn some new tricks?

Probably too late to call MTH today, will try tomorrow.

Thanks to all for helping me with this one!

How long does it usually take them to get the files out for new items?

Much faster if you call and request a corrected file.

Will move MTH up on tomorrow's call list

Looks like they updated those this morning: www.mthtrains.com/content/30-20215-1

Yes they did, looks like a file or 2 in the chain may be newer versions too.  G

I will try these first and see what happens. Another first experience coming up, loading the PS3 engine files. If that goes well maybe I'll tackle the TIU and remote upgrade to 4.30, if not...please stay tuned, further assistance will be needed.

Maybe they do read the OGR forums and were anticipating my call today? They must have detected I was in dire straits and come to the rescue. 

Ok, got the engine upgraded and it did improve the smoke. Still not the greatest, but better than it was. I imagine this is probably about the best the little single element smoke unit will do. At least you can see it now and tell for sure it's smoking, which was hard to do before. Or the new wick and smoke fluid is finally getting broken in? Anyway it appears to work better now.

Also upgraded my TIU and Remote to 4.30 and finally got around to replacing the wheel in my DCS remote. That new wheel really made a difference. Didn't realize how broken the old one was, even with my wooden shim in there to fill in for the broken bracket that held it in place. It's now all working better than new! I don't remember it ever working this good?

Ended up using a USB cable to do all the TIU/Remote and engine upgrading. My USB to serial crashed the computer about 4-5% into the backup of the engine. Tried it three time and it did that. So much for the Serial to USB adapter. I did install the driver and made sure it was the most current version. I never did like serial ports.

The USB cable took some fiddling, but it finally got going. Plugging in the USB cable did light the red light on the TIU, that was with the power strip turned off that feed all the power to everything. For the upgrades, I had it powered with a Z500 in the aux port. I think Barry has mentioned this before and it's in his book, but I ended up not doing all that cable plugging and unplugging in the start screen and it still worked just fine. Just have to plug in the stereo mini cable for the TIU upgrade.

Funny how you get use to the feel of something that isn't right.  Had customer bring in his large Premier Y-6B asking me to change the sound file/reload it since it doesn't sound so well.  It was the 16ohm speaker going bad.  He didn't believe it was the speaker since the bell and whistle still functioned and it made sounds.

So I changed the speaker and the sounds were night and day.  He barely walked in the shop and heard it and could not believe it was his engine and the original sound file.  G

It sure is, I was used to having to press the wheel at least a couple of times to select anything, now just one time does it. And you don't have to press that hard either.

It really got bad a couple weeks ago when I dropped it. When I got it apart to replace the wheel, my little wood shim had become dis-lodged (from the drop) and was no longer holding the wheel up where the bracket was broken, so it was angled way down on one side. Pretty ugly.