MTH Scale Wheel Steam Conversion Or Replacement DCS Board

yes, you can get replacement boards.

I run MTH 2 rail steam and diesel.

A subject that is near and dear to my heart. @Classy Woods, LLC you are absolutely correct! The MTH "-2" steam models used to be everywhere and at reasonable prices but ever since the MTH MW "retirement" they are very hard to find. The number one reason is MTH doesn't make them anymore. I remember when MTH ran the CNJ Blue Comet in PS2. I bought the Queen of the valley but I didn't have enough funds to buy the Blue Comet as well. When MTH ran those engines in Proto 3 I should have bought it and I don't remember why I didn't but my point is now I may never get one because it seems most people that have these engines are holding on to them and the ones that are selling them are selling them at high prices. However, since the pandemic model train prices are up across the board plus the fact that MTH doesn't make the "-2" engines anymore explains why the prices for these engines are high. I live in fear of something catastrophic happening to my MTH train collection because although they may not be worth a ton of money they are NOT easily replaced. i do have on order the Atlas 2-8-0 which is basically a Weaver engine with MTH electronics. This is the closet I can get to a factory MTH -2 engine.

I believe I have around 6 or 7 of these "-2" engines plus about 4 engines that were either converted to 2 rail or are MTH 2 rail from the first time MTH made 2 rail engines in the late '90s. These other engines are not convertible to run on 3 rail track.

Anyway, I have no qualms about running them. If the electronics blow up as Joe mentioned you can get MTH upgrade kits but there is one caveat. If the engine is a Proto 3 and it blows up and you replace the boards with the upgrade kit you may not be able to get the same sound set as what the original Proto 3 board had. Another option is (if you are a 2 rail guy like me and you use DCC) you can install a Blunami (Soundtraxx) or a Loksound decoder or others but those two seem to be two of the most popular options. A pro to going this route is you will get different sounds and more choices for whistles, etc but the downside is you will lose the synchronized smoke and synchronized chuffing. The Bluenami is actually easier to install for 2 rail than the MTH upgrade kit. There are other pros and cons. I am not knowledgeable enough to do a full comparison here.  I have been following the 3 rail guys who are installing Bluenami and it is very interesting. I have seen them add smoke but again it will not be synchronized to the chuffs.

My opinion is electronics will always be available in some form or another especially if you use an open protocol like DCC. Hopefully the MTH upgrade kits will also always be available. I don't worry about the electronics. I more worry about other stuff that if it breaks or wears out that is very hard to replace but that goes for any engine in both 2 rail and 3 rail.

@Hudson J1e posted:

Anyway, I have no qualms about running them. If the electronics blow up as Joe mentioned you can get MTH upgrade kits but there is one caveat. If the engine is a Proto 3 and it blows up and you replace the boards with the upgrade kit you may not be able to get the same sound set as what the original Proto 3 board had.

You can also buy the factory PS/3 steam tender and/or boiler board and download the exact sound/chain files as were in the original, no problem there as of now.  They're as available as the upgrade kits, and it would be silly to rewire with the upgrade kit and lose features rather than just buy the right boards.

I didn't know that. Very good information. Thanks John.

@Classy Woods, LLC posted:

Hi Everyone,

I'm finding it somewhat of a battle to find 2 rail steam locomotives with DCC and sound.  .......

Are you planning on attending the March Meet 2 rail show in Lombard IL on March 22-23 ?  Have you been to one of these ?

SZ

@Hudson J1e posted:

The MTH "-2" steam models used to be everywhere and at reasonable prices but ever since the MTH MW "retirement" they are very hard to find. The number one reason is MTH doesn't make them anymore.

I wonder if there was any agreement between Atlas O and MTH to drop any more 2 rail releases.

I see the Atlas 2 rail diesels continue that were purchased. The steam models (all?) are probably still owned by MTH.

Joe you are absolutely correct about the diesels. They are available from Atlas in their Premier line but you had better pre-order what you want. Most dealers no longer order extras (as far as I can tell) of the -2 diesels. The only one I can think of that might order an extra or two is Beth at the Public Delivery Track. I was just thinking steam since that is what the OP posted about.

I think you are correct that MTH kept all the tooling for the -2 steam engines.

Thank you for the information. This is good news.  I hope to semi-retire in a year and will have more time to devote to my trains.  To answer Steinzeit I am considering going to the O scale meet in Lombard in March.  I have never attended and I am excited to do so. GunrunnerJohn perhaps I'll reach out someday.  Since closing my woodworking business 6 years ago, I have been working in the electromechanical field learning more about electronics and hope to use that for the benefit of my trains. 

I have three NYC L-3 and L-4 Mohawks and three GE diesels (U25B, AC4400, and a GEVO). They are almost exactly to scale (I checked) and a mix of PS2 and PS3. The AC and the GEVO have the correct engine sounds but the U boat has a GP30 EMD file (which I find offensive!)

All engines operate flawlessly on 2 Rail at 18 VDC. The Mohawks in particular are probably the most prototypically correct steam models ever offered by anyone in O Scale. They are EXACTLY to the same dimensions as the NYC Elevation drawings. (One concession made for the L-4 class is that the drivers scale to 69-inches whereas the L-4's had 72-inch drivers. MTH wanted one mechanism design for both L-3 and L-4 and an L-4 with 3-inches of tire wear would be at 69-inches, so this was a reasonable compromise.) That difference in diameter in O Scale is .0625-inches, a nit. I have L-3A #3001 and it is EXACTLY to scale.

MTH also correctly modeled both standard and cistern tenders (L-3 and L-4) and each tender has the correct coal and water capacity. Hydro and Hammer dates are correct for the region where each road number operated as a "late" Mohawk. Lettering and numbering is both correct and spaced correctly. Each cab number has the CORRECT subclass letter which is upper case but one half-height. The builders plate information including locomotive serial number is correct for EACH road number. The 2-Rail front truck wheels are the correct 33 or 36-inches, and more importantly the front truck wheelbase is correct at 86 scale inches. The front pilot is at a more reasonable height. The engine to tender distance is adjustable to "almost prototype" but adjustable for track radius. MTH pulled out ALL of the stops with these engines. I also have and run a USH L-4B and it is a compromise and inaccurate. It has the as-built front pump shields and no top check, and some other inaccuracies.

I keep hoping that MTH will offer a Niagara and a J-3A Super Hudson in 2-rail O Scale. (I have two 3-Rail Niagaras and the second run has the correct power reverse.) Both Niagaras run well on my 3-Rail.) So MTH has most of the pieces for a 2-Rail Niagara, and they have the mechanism, front trucks, trailing truck and tender trucks for a J-3 since they offered Dreyfuss engines with both Boxpok and Scullin drivers.

@Hudson5432 posted:

I keep hoping that MTH will offer a Niagara and a J-3A Super Hudson in 2-rail O Scale. (I have two 3-Rail Niagaras and the second run has the correct power reverse.) Both Niagaras run well on my 3-Rail.) So MTH has most of the pieces for a 2-Rail Niagara, and they have the mechanism, front trucks, trailing truck and tender trucks for a J-3 since they offered Dreyfuss engines with both Boxpok and Scullin drivers.

I would pre-order either of those two engines in a heartbeat!