Need some help please

A MTH 20-3808-1 Is the newest PS3 bigboy https://mthtrains.com/20-3808-1

@Choo-Choo Johnny posted:

Hi Guys,

I recently purchased an mth big boy proto 3 20-3038-1 I know I’m not right in the head, but I would love to get this thing to have it have down steam are there any kits or suggestions that I can do with this?

thank you

I have some serious questions as to what you mean (BTW, these are typically advertised Lionel Features on Visionline or Legacy engines)

Blowdown steam- typically located under and around the cab area simulating a boiler blowdown to remove scale a sediment.

Cylinder cock steam- seen when starting after a longer stop when the cylinders have cooled to prevent hydrolock.

Safety valve or "popoff" steam- the safety overpressure valves on top of the boiler that will occasionally open when sitting for a time period (thus limited steam consumption) while the fire is hotter than the demand.

MTH has no provisions for any of those 3 features natively as part of the DCS system. You would have to substitute one function for another function to control them under DCS. (Example, fire the front coupler could in theory activate a timed steam release with additional circuitry). You could just bleed a little stack steam as cylinder steam using tubing, however would not be controlled unless additional circuity to run a second fan. Same with blowdown steam.

Again, natively, the PS3 does not have a command or output specific to those features- let alone tied to when those specific sounds play as part of the sound file.

Either way, this would be an extremely advanced modification, possibly requiring custom circuitry and programming, extensive knowledge of smoke units, power systems, fan controls, and how to take an output like a coupler to trigger a timer circuit to keep a fan and smoke heater running for a set time- let alone voltage regulation and all the other details.

Given enough money, time and parts, you can build one customized engine, but really if that was your goal, you bought the wrong engine IMO.

Would honestly just like to be able to divert some of the stack steam down to the wheels when in neutral

it thanks for all of the info

I just got mine today.  Like to have never got the thing logged into DCS.  As usual, the leaflet they send telling you about the engine only discusses how to switch this to that, turn the volume up or down, and turn the smoke generator on or off.  It has all sorts of troubleshooting ideas, none of which cover what mine is doing.

Once I discovered the round, plastic bar across the front of the tender had to be removed in order to even begin to attempt to attach the tender to the engine correctly, thank you country bumpkin's trains for that tid bit of non published information, I was able to actually attach the tender to the engine.  Guess what, unless the tender is fully attached to the engine, DCS can't read its existence on the track.  Solved that issue.  Once an added engine, I started the engine.  Tested the whistle, tested the bell, mostly for volume, tested the crew talk, but noticed the smoke wasn't emitting from the stack, nor was the buzzing noise it makes buzzing.  Tapped my plus sign about four times, and the darn thing just sat there.  No movement.  Further investigation surfaced that the headlight or number boards weren't lit.

All I could do is reach under the tender where the electric connectors were located and push harder.  Fired it back up, and low and behold the headlight was on, the number plates were lit, the smoke generator was buzzing, so i turned it off, enclosed room, smoke stinks too much.  Tapped the plus sign about 5 times and off it went, slow but moving.  Then about 2 feet up the track it stopped for no reason, shut down.

All of my other engines work just fine on that layout.  I start them, they start.  I move them at speed, they move at speed.  All switches open and close like they are supposed too, and i have had 4 separate trains going at one time with no hiccups, sniffles, coughs or burps.  This is a 2021 limited edition, very expensive steam locomotive that sitting still does everything it was designed to do.  But once it moves forward or backward at some point very early in the movement, something happens between the connections and the engine stops and shuts down.  It's not like you can see up under there and tell if the connection is tight.  Bad connection was what caused me to have no engine read, then to have no engine movement.  Is there any way to tell if the connection is tight?  This thing costs too much to shelve and never run.  That's my original plan, but it would be nice to know that once reintroduced to the track, it will start, and keep moving, not start, and shut down 2 feet from where it started.

Thanks, I'm all out of ideas.  Just looking for help.

@Yardmaster96

Your "response" above is the equivalent of hi-jacking somebody else's (@Choo-Choo Johnny) thread.  His thread deals with a specific "problem" (how to redirect the flow of engine smoke), and your "response" does not address his problem.  Very impolite.

Please start your own thread (probably in the MTH DCS forum) and you might get some suggestions to resolve your problems.

Chuck

Better title next time, please

Thank you Chuck

@Choo-Choo Johnny posted:

Would honestly just like to be able to divert some of the stack steam down to the wheels when in neutral

it thanks for all of the info

That would not be that hard.  If you just wanted to divert some of the smoke to the wheels when stopped, it's simple to monitor the motor to know when it's stopped.

Locomotive Motion Detection Circuit

The relay is activated whenever the motor has voltage, we assume that means were in motion, especially for locomotives with cruise control.  The relay N/C contacts can run a small fan motor to tap off some smoke from the main stack and pipe it wherever you want it.  When you start moving, they open and the fan motor stops.

John you are anazing

so far everything I posted as a problem you’ve had a solution for

thank you

is this unit something you sell?

could you walk me through installation?

I admit I’m still a novice but I am a good student

Is there room for an automotive vacuum hose Y anywhere if you cut it down?

This one has 1/8" D ports.  I would think much of the smoke coming from the bottom would dissipate when the train moves and increase when it stops.  The top should look like more smoke because it is in mid air.

John

@Choo-Choo Johnny posted:

could you walk me through installation?

I admit I’m still a novice but I am a good student

Well, most of the installation is mechanical work getting the smoke where you want it and creating the fan chamber.  That would not be something I couldn't easily "walk" you through.

Thank you so much