New stuff arrived

It appears you can buy one off of MTH's site. You may want to check with your local dealer to order one as well. Getting one of these should not be a problem.

http://www.shopatron.com/produ....0.1.1.8391.0.0.0.0?

Scott Smith

There seems to be some confusion about which car is the add-on baggage car. If you look at the catalog pictures it shows the Hagerstown car (in the new ready to run and in the last tinplate catalog). However if you read the description you will notice that the New Haven is the baggage car as I found out after the add-on car arrived. Here's the Hagerstown car in the catalog picture.

 Here is what it really looks like. The lesson here is read and don't order based on the pictures-not that I am unhappy with the Hagerstown car. It just means one more car to buy. Just know it going in.

Scott Smith

Well: between the email from MTH yesterday the 29th and all the noise here Jason just got my order, for the Celebration Series 11-5508-1.  My first Tinplate.

Allan:

SORRY to hear about your problem loco, and hope the issue will be resolved soon!

Just glad the Armored Loco set has a traditional motor!

Sorry to hear your new engine went TangoUniform on you.  I've had my share of defective new items.  It ain't fun.

But I must say MTH has always been right on top of getting the problems resolved, and has sent UPS pickup tags.

And MTH customer service has improved a lot over the past year.  I've found their Service Department most helpful.

The locomotive was shipped to MTH this afternoon.  Will provide details about the problem after it returns.  It would have gone out to MTH earlier, but our shipping person was off for a couple of days.  No great rush to get it back, so long as it performs properly once it is returned.

As stated above, MTH has a good record of standing behind their products.

Update to my previous post:

My dealer notified me this afternoon that my (hopefully ) repaired locomotive was somehow returned to him and he's shipping it on to me.  Interesting, since the locomotive was sent from our office AND the enclosed letter detailing the symptoms listed my full return office address.

My dealer did set up the RA for me, but it's kind of a shame that he has to pick up any return postage for getting the item back to me, not to mention the additional delay involved.

Fortunately, as noted earlier, I have more than enough other toys to keep me busy in the meantime.

A full report on the repair, etc., will follow shortly.

For the record:  Item sent to MTH March 1; received back March __.

Allan,

I'm surprised that your locomotive took three weeks to be returned since you mailed it from the office and used the office as a return address.

OK, OK, I get it, yes, I love American tinplate too. It's taken me a while to warm to it, I love Hornby and I'm the Darstaed Distributor for Australia. But last night I ordered the 269 set, and today, after looking at the Celebration set pics posted by Scott, I'm ordering that too. I'm just wondering where I might fit a Standard gauge loop, they look fantastic!

I received my locomotive today, thanks to Dave Minarik, my dealer, taking the time to make sure it got into the hands of the USPS yesterday.  According to the Service Invoice, they "replaced audio amp IC and repaired cut speaker wire."  Won't have a chance to run it until this evening, but will report further.

I am very, very sorry that I looked at this thread.

I now want one of those sets...

Yes, it has that effect. Allan and Scott have added many thousands to MTH's bottom line here.

One more follow-up:  MTH did fix the engine, as noted above.  HOWEVER, they neglected to reset it to the factory default, so, when using the DCS Remote Commander on my tinplate layout, the locomotive runs in both directions, but without any sounds or lights.

Now, since I have the full DCS system (TIU, AIU, Remote, etc.) installed on my U.S. Army layout, I was able to add the engine to the remote on that layout and operate it with all features.  Tomorrow, after a bit more test running on that layout, I'll need to reset it to the factory default so I can run it again with the DCS Remote Commander on the tinplate pike (which ultimately will also be fitted with the full DCS system since I have a second system available).

In a nutshell, the failure to reset to factory default doesn't really affect me, BUT it would affect someone who purchases a starter set (mostt now come with the DCS Remote Commander) and who does not have the full DCS setup available to perform the reset procedure.  I will suggest to MTH that when they repair a starter-level locomotive, they routinely re-set to factory default before sending it back to the customer.  My guess is that many first-time starter set owners would place their locomotive on the track; find that it runs without any lights or sounds; and assume that there is still something wrong.  Not particularly good for dealers or for MTH Service since they would have to remedy the "problem" in one way or another.

This little locomotive, along with its orange-and-blue cousin, is a neat addition to my tinplate roster.

Well, I guess I must be missing a step somewhere in that reset procedure, because it didn't work.  I reset the engine on my full DCS layout, then lifted it off the rails and placed it on the tinplate layout.  No response at all.

Placed it back on the full DCS layout; added it as a new engine; and all functions work properly.

Obviously, the reset procedure I executed wasn't done properly, or I left something out.

No problem, because I'll hook my "old" DCS system up to the tinplate layout this weekend and dispense with the DCS Remote Commander.

Alan,

It seems to me there is a "Feature" reset and a "Full" reset.

The Full reset (and I may be using the wrong term, forgive me) resets everything back to default, including the Engine I.D. #.

You probably did this already, but I thought I should mention it, sir.

Allan,

When you reset a PS3 locomotive with a DCS Command Set, you MUST hit "startup" button and THEN the complete factory reset of the locomotive.  After you turn off the power to the track, I always wait 20 seconds or more before removing the locomotive from the track.  That should work.

-PhilAE

MTH National ASC

I will certainly give that a try, Phil!  Thanks!

I've found that when resetting DCS equipped engines. And then attempting to run them on a conventional track. I gotta wait as much as a day before the engine will run conventionally. Amd then it's fine. But if I do the engine reset and go right to a conventional layout. No go. So let it wait after the full reset and then try it again later.

-Pat Rolland

Hi, Phil!

That technique did indeed work (on my second try).  I did as you said:

1.  Placed engine on the track of my full DCS layout.

2.  Added engine to the active list.

3.  Pressed "Startup" and waited for the sounds, lights, etc. to start up (which occurs almost instantly).

4.  Selected "Menu" on the remote

5.  Scrolled to and selected "Advanced"

6.  Scrolled to and selected "Factory Reset"

7.  Scrolled to and selected the proper engine-- "Green 254"

8.  Selected and confirmed selection (at this point the sounds became a bit louder and distorted)

9.  Selected "Shut down"

10.  Turned off track power

11.  Moved the engine to my tinplate layout, and plugged in the DCS Remote Commander to power the track

12.  Pressed the "SU/SD" button on the remote and all worked fine from that point on

I believe I have the above sequence correct and as comprehensive as possible.  Perhaps the detailed sequence may help others who might need to execute that routine after a PS2 or PS3 locomotive has been serviced and returned (and one which is destined for operation via the DCS Remote Commander).  Thanks for the tip!

I need to formally blame Alan Miller, Scott Smith, and everyone else on this thread and the TinPlate forum for my recent financial indescretions.

Two more cars for the Coal Train just arrived, as well as an Orange and Blue 400E with PS2.

Gentlemen, it is all your fault!

(thank you)

Always happy to assist where I can, RAK!  

Allen and Scott,

  Have either of you noticed if  blue roof on your celebration set  254E has less gloss than the roofs of the passenger cars? On my set it is distinctly duller and I'm wondering if they are all like that or if mine is an anomaly.

Looks the same (locomotive and cars) to me, Brad.  My entire train is currently in a display case with numerous other MTH and LCT tinplate in my living room, so I just did a quick check.

Does the engine have a single note horn?

Chuck,

  It does have a single note horn.