'No New Engines' on MTH DCS WiFi with 20-2986-1

just an update to this, the seller has been great and offered a partial refund so i can get it repaired, a full refund, or they will attempt a repair.

I've contacted an MTH repairer I've bought some upgrade kits from in the past, so here's hoping it all works out.

If it was HO I could replace the decoder myself, but this is much more complex.

Is it DCS/DCC compatible?

If so, have you tried it with DCC?

What are you using for power that you can't run it conventionally?

yes, I don't have a DCC system capable of only putting a DCC signal into the track, without including DC power.

I'm using a continuous 18V AC power supply, i don't have a variable voltage source.

Have you measured the current to the locomotive when you first power it up?  If it's drawing no current, examine the 2-rail/3-rail switch, it's a common failure point.  Perhaps switch it back and forth a couple of times and see if that wakes it up.

thanks - tried the moving the switch a few times and it didn't improve. no noticeable difference in current when the loco was placed on the track.

the seller is keen to organise a repair, i was just worried about shipping but I'll see how it goes.

If there is no change in current draw with the engine track connected to the transformer, you're likely looking for a power supply issue from the track to the board.  When you first post the PS/3 board, you should get a noticeable power surge as it charges the supercaps, even a cheap ammeter should be able to see that.  Typically, I see a peak of around half an amp or so and then it tapers off to more like 1/10 of an amp when the cap has charged.

The reason I mention that switch is it's a cheap switch and it's frequently the problem with this kind of issue.

Does it act the same if you put it on a test track with just a transformer, no DCS signal?