MTH VO-1000 Smoke Issues.

Hello Dave, I just came across this post. I know it's from a while back but wanted to ask.....

I found one of these new. The MTH number is 20-21215-1. It is the one with 4 smoke stacks unlike the 20-21217-1 mentioned in your post that I believe has 1 stack. Would this one im looking at be effected by this software issue? I guess I could ask the seller at the train store but thought I would ask you while I was here.

Thanks,

Brad

Brad,

They are all from the same run.  I would re flash it as described above.

Dave

I'm late to the party on this - really useful info, and kinda scary too. 

Is this limited to the VO-1000 engines, or does it also affect other MTH engines?  If it affects others, is there a list?

Thanks.

It's worth checking any engine that has the small single resistor smoke unit that the VO-1000 has.  The issue is that MTH packaged the wrong smoke control type for these engines and they assumed the full sized dual-resistor smoke unit.  The single resistor unit will overheat with that chain file loaded.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

It's worth checking any engine that has the small single resistor smoke unit that the VO-1000 has.  The issue is that MTH packaged the wrong smoke control type for these engines and they assumed the full sized dual-resistor smoke unit.  The single resistor unit will overheat with that chain file loaded.

So does that mean this locomotive is not a great smoker? I noticed in some videos the smoke output almost seems it's not fan driven or its a low fan speed. It's appears at least in the 4 stack units the smoke just seems to "drift" out of the stacks without a lot of force from a fan motor.

Brad

Obviously the VO-1000 and some of the Camelback versions that use the small smoke unit aren't going to smoke like you'd expect a typical MTH engine to smoke.  However, I think the VO-1000 smokes enough to be representative of a typical diesel.  I was a bit disappointed in the smoke volume from my Camelback, the old RailKing PS/1 version has the huge PS/1 smoke unit it it.  I don't know why MTH couldn't fit the PS/2 smoke unit into the later version.

If you run it with the wrong chain file, it will be your best smoker.....for a while anyway.  lol.  

At least until it melts the shell or burns the trace on the smoke unit.  Reload the correct chain file!!!!

@David Minarik posted:

If you run it with the wrong chain file, it will be your best smoker.....for a while anyway.  lol.  

At least until it melts the shell or burns the trace on the smoke unit.  Reload the correct chain file!!!!

Understood, good advice.

I'm not at all good with computer stuff. I think I'll just stay away from that one. I have a couple other locomotives I've got my eyes on.

Brad

@David Minarik posted:

Brad,

They are all from the same run.  I would re flash it as described above.

Dave

Hi, Dave. This thread was unknown to me, until it was linked from a current thread about RS-3s with the wrong chain(?) file. Scrolling through that thread, I see MTH published a list of affected RS-3 engines. Was such a list published for the VO1000s? Thanks.

@Mark V. Spadaro posted:

Hi, Dave. This thread was unknown to me, until it was linked from a current thread about RS-3s with the wrong chain(?) file. Scrolling through that thread, I see MTH published a list of affected RS-3 engines. Was such a list published for the VO1000s? Thanks.

When I ran into the problem with my customers engines melting, MTH did not have the problem listed or even send out a tech bulletin.  Maybe that has changed.

Thanks, Dave. I was hoping to hear from “MTH RD”, but his (her?) last appearance on OGR Forum was 3/22/22.