One of my MTH Engines Won't Run on Ross Track?

Terry,

    99% of all post war and modern engines run well on Ross track & switches which, MTH engine are you having trouble with, running on Ross track?  Have you tried running the engine in Conventional?

PCRR/Dave

On your atlas track do a signal strength test with the offending engine.  Is it a 10 or degraded? 

Does the ross have a coated/blackened center rail?  Are outside rails connected?

The one engine may have a low resistance in the AC power pickup wires causing a lower DCS signal transmission path then your other engine.

This can be the coating on the black ground screw, loose nickel screw on the red center rail pickup.  Dirty wheels or pickup roller (internal to the roller).

What model is the offending engine?  G

The one engine runs well on both loops.  That engine is eliminated as the problem.

Both loops provide suitable power for the one engine.  IMO, that eliminates the Ross loop as the problem.

The only variable is the other engine. 

Is there anything unique to the second engine as far as wheelbase, age,  damage, style (steam/diesel), other?

From your description, I would look primarily at the engine which has variable performance

It is not the track.  Ross track is perfect.  This is another post with no information about the engine.  A product number would be helpful.  Are these 5 volt engines?  How about the status of the battery.  

No information on what transformer he is using to power the track.  Is his Var 1 set to fixed?  He did not say.  That is probably where the issue may be.  

NO NO on STEEL WOOL.  Never use steel wool anywhere near trains or tracks.

If any member wants help, how about giving out some information on products used.  

Hokey smokes!  does a caboose light up?...... and try turning the engine so it's facing the opposite direction.(traction tires) It  seems the engine is seeing the dcs signal ??  

Gregg, do you know what engines he is talking about?

Like others have stated, it is not the Ross track.  One thing to check that hasn't been mentioned, is the the engine not running showing up in the "active list" of engines available?

Gene you are correct, total lack of information.  My concern is he is running on Var 1 output.  Is it set to fixed or not.  

We do need more info but I know what is like to be so wrapped up in a situation you forget to add details.

I agree, the Ross product is no way at fault.

Terry will probably jump on board after work.

Marty is correct, without the engine numbers it is a c---shoot.

Agree, see no way it could be the Ross track.

Do both loops, Atlas and Ross, have the outer rails tied together?

 No I don't, Hopefully Terry will be  back to us. In the meantime ???

And Is the tiu turned  ON   via fixed 1 or an aux power supply? wait a minute the other engine runs fine.

Terry,

There is at least one, and there may be more than one, issue. During all of the following testing, ensure that the TIU is receiving power either via Fixed Channel #1 Input or through the Aux. Power port.

The first thing to do is a DCS signal test of both engines on the Atlas track. This will baseline the two engine's relative ability to see a DCS signal. If there is a significant difference between the two engine's readings, the lower-signal strength engine is suspect.

Next, do a DCS signal test on the Ross track, using the engine that DCS can see on Ross track. If there is a significant difference between the two readings for this engine, one on Atlas track and the other on Ross track, continue below.

Either the TIU's DCS signal on this channel is suspect, or the electrical connection to the Ross track is suspect. To determine which it may be, simply swap the TIU channel outputs between the two channels and see if the problem moves to the Atlas track. If it does, the TIU channel has an issue. If it does not, there is a problem with the electrical connection to the Ross track, or the Ross track track topology itself.

Post your results.

Barry,

   I agree more than likely the connection to the Ross Track is at fault in some way,

if the engine runs on his other track with a 10 signal, it should run on the Ross if everything is connected correctly.

PCRR/Dave

Terry,

Sometimes it is an easy mix up.

I have seen this done by some very experienced O-gaugers, but are you sure the RED hot feed/wire is to center rails and BLACK common to an outside rail?

Ron

Ron,

I have seen this done by some very experienced O-gaugers, but are you sure the RED hot feed/wire is to center rails and BLACK common to an outside rail?

That's not the problem.

If it was, neither engine would run under DCS and both would immediately come up in conventional mode, if PS2.

More information is needed on the equipment used and identification numbers.  Ballpark threads like this are a pain.  Lets not forget he lives up north and we do not know what the power into his layout is.

Again, more information needed.  I feel based on the lack of information that Barry hit it.

Make sure both outside rails are connected to either each other/and to the TIU. All the tracks on Ross are isolated and connecting both outside rails will make a big difference in the signal.

Scott Smith

Wow! So many replies. Thank-you! Sorry for being late back to the thread and for supplying inadequate info in the first place.

The MTH engine that took to the Ross track like a "duck to water" is the CN 4-8-4 U1f. Product #20-3498-1, offered in 2013.

The one that absolutely refused to be recognized on the Ross track, although fine on the Atlas test strip, is an MTH EMD8 A-A combo. Product #20-20050-1, offered in 2010. It seems to have the modification to replace the battery?

I am using an MTH Z1000 transformer. The track is connected to Fixed Out 1. The Z1000 to Fixed In 1 and the Fixed In 1 is jumpered to Var In 1.

Just to be sure, I tried again:

The diesel sitting on the Ross loop: I hear two faint clicks in rapid succession when power is applied. Then silence. Read Track results in "No Active DCS Engines." The engine DOES appear in the inactive list but selecting it results in "Engine not on track."

I remove the diesel and set the 4-8-4 on the track. It runs fine! It always did!

I set the diesel on a short section of Atlas track. I attach the power leads to the Atlas section to the exact same Var Out 1 terminals of the TIU after removing the leads to the Ross loop. Diesel is detected and starts normally???

Only thing changed that I can see is the track???

Thoroughly perplexed, I pulled a long piece out of the Ross loop and used it as a test track in place of the Atlas. The diesel ran fine on it!

I placed it back on the main Ross loop, (now open because of the section I removed) and tried gain. Diesel ran fine! So, I put the section back into the loop. It's now a loop again. Diesel runs fine on it. No "No Active DCS Engines" message.

In short all seems fine now.

Don't know what to say, really.  I don't think I'll ever know what was wrong??

Makes me sound like a completely crazy person?

I guess "all's well that ends well" is appropriate?

Thanks again . . .

Maybe the read was the issue, vice adding it?  I guess I am confused if the engine was already in the remote.  Just select it.

It is worth doing a signal strength test with the 2 engines to see if they are 10s or if one is significantly lower.   G

Gremlins! They sometimes infiltrate your equipment when you are not looking. Just don't get them wet of feed them after midnight.