MTH - What have I actually got here?

The tag on the boards says "Loco Sounds", which in my opinion is better then PS1... But it is not PS2 and a conventionally run train only.

Dan

Hmm, the little I've found on Loco Sounds says there is no factory reset.

It's kind of looking like I bought a brick.

Have you tried this yet?

Tried what?

Put a WBB 6 amp reverse board and whistle/bell board in it and run it conventional.

Do you have a conventional transformer? Try it with that to see if it does anything.

I assume you have attempted to test run it and it is DOA. The first thing to do is check for loose wires. The problem could be as simple as a disconnected or broken power wire or a short. Be sure to check inside the wire nut. Sometimes the wires inside can be disconnected and it still looks like they are connected. Then check the tender connection. Older MTH locomotives often have bad solder joints there, which can shut things down. 

If it really is dead, Rob's suggestion is a good one. You could also check around for a used, tested Loco-Sounds board. They show up on the Bay from time to time, and anybody who does command upgrades usually has all kinds of leftover conventional electronics that they would be happy to sell at a reasonable price. 

Lots of times stuff on eBay that does not run has had some ham-fisted clod muck with it and make sure no one else could fix it.

That's the part they never say. They might say it does not work, but they never say that they tried to fix it and now it is FUBAR.

If you really like this engine and you make sure the motor is good you could always do a PS2 upgrade.

Dan

Well, I've done some further testing.

I run all conventional postwar, this is my first "modern" loco purchase.

I put together a horn/bell button on the bench, because I didn't have one. The engine whistles and rings the bell. (Sounds like a bad 1990's Christmas ornament)

I'm starting to think that it's stuck in neutral.

I thought I read once about the sequence whistle and 3 bells to get it out of neutral, but that didn't work.

So I do have sounds, just no movement.

No visibly loose connections or bad solder joints, I'm going to start a closer inspection.

I would start with bench testing the motor. Block up the engine (wheels off the table), DON'T hook up the tender and try the motor with a DC transformer (direct connection to the motor leads). This will make sure the motor is working or not. If the motor is good, check the outputs from the board to the motor. You may also what to check that the motor turns freely, seen a couple stuck gearboxes too.

Dan

Does it have a reverse lockout switch? The photos appear to show a switch or two on the tender. The lockout switch could be unmarked, or it could be installed backwards so it reads on when it is actually off. 

According to the MTH Product Locator, the catalog for your engine can be seen at

http://www.mthtrains.com/content/30-1245-1

This engine, 30-1245-1 should have Proto Sound 2. It first appeared in a 2002 catalog, so it likely has 5-volt PS 2 electronics.

I have 4 different versions of this engine, and they are excellent runners.

Southwest is right to check the switch, but it seems strange to set it to neutral then shut off the switch.

Bobby, I think the person who told him the product number may have been mistaken.

Dan

Well, the motor work fine.  I checked it with an HO transformer I had.

I'm not getting any voltage to the motor from the board, however.  continuity on the harness is good, No voltage at the pins on the plug in the tender.

Looks like it's find another board, or conversion time.

I'm guessing this engine has synchronized smoke, will I get that with a williams board?  I'm guessing no.

Now that I'm looking, let me tear into something.  There is a cutout under the engine cab for a slide switch, but no switch.  I'm going to open that up and have a look.

Maybe GGG will chime in and have a replacement board. I have one for a 4-8-4 but I'm not sure that will work with that engine.

Dan

Not having power to the tether for the motor could still be the engine in neutral. There should be 3 switches on this engine: Volume pot (on the tender), Reverse switch (on the tender) and a smoke switch (this could be on the tender but I would guess on the engine itself). Have you cycled the reverse switch yet?

Eh, the switch hole must be for a feature I don;t have on this loco. (PS-1 or 2?)

Nothing's been tampered with.  Just never had that switch.

It a shame, this loco looks to have barely had any track time ever.

I don't have a reverse switch, just the volume pot and the smoke switch.

Are you absolutely sure that's a smoke switch? I've seen switches mislabeled more than once. The smoke switch is normally on the engine itself, not the tender (although I have seen it both ways.) I'd still suggest putting it in the other position and trying it,unless you are 100% certain that it really is a smoke switch.

You may or may not be able to trace the wire through the tether to the smoke unit. The empty slot under the cab would be my first guess for where the smoke switch goes, but some engines have it hidden up under the leading truck or under the running board where it is hard to find. 

IT WORKS!

Turns out it was stuck in neutral.

I had to do the Whistle and three bells super-mega-ultra-uber fast and it started rolling.  Everything I've been reading sad about a half-second apart.

I did the whole sequence in about a half-second combined and that did it.

Thanks guys, for all your help.

Now I'm going to put it back together and play with my new toy!

Great, glad to hear it. I've gotten eBay bargains that way myself, engines that were not working but just stuck in neutral or needing a reset or whatever. Enjoy your good deal. 

Very cool! Glad you got it running.

Dan

Ha Ha, Now I need traction tires...

This is why I like postwar so much... <grin>

Some postwar engines had traction tires too. 

I got a really nice RailKing SD45 cheap on Ebay, because it was stuck in neutral, PS1 did the reset and it's good as gold. It  also looked to have very little run time. Sometimes you get lucky................sometimes you don't. Of course the unlucky is when you paid too much for it because you needed that particular road name or engine......... Glad you fell to the lucky few.................