Proto 2 starts up and all functions work on test track. It will not start up on the layout

When you first tried the engine on your main layout. Was the engine previously in the remote and you were just trying to start it ?   Or were you trying to add it ?

When you created your test track. It sounds like you were adding the engine to the remote.  Not just addressing it to start.

On your main layout. If you have another MTH engine you can run. Can you do a signal test where you were trying the Triplex. The clicking is the watchdog signal. That shows that the DCS  signal is present.

Try doing a recovery Ed, ….that’d be the first step,….

Pat

Sounds to me like the layout has poor signal strength.  I find that if I add an engine on a test track, I can normally run it even with a weaker signal on the rails.  The fact that you can't run it certainly suggests a track signal issue.

Do you have more than one TIU in operation?  That's the one wild card here.

@harmonyards posted:

Try doing a recovery Ed, ….that’d be the first step,…

Pat, in this case, that's probably not going to help.  He already has the engine in the remote correctly configured from the test track.  The engine address is not in doubt.

@Quarter Gauger 48 posted:

Sounds like it is stuck in conventional mode.  Evan though it is recognized by the TIU, Sounds crazy, but, I have some Ps2 engines that just will not run unless there on a conventional PWR source track........

If it were stuck in conventional mode it wouldn't run on the test track.

@Dave_C posted:

When you first tried the engine on your main layout. Was the engine previously in the remote and you were just trying to start it ?   Or were you trying to add it ?

When you created your test track. It sounds like you were adding the engine to the remote.  Not just addressing it to start.

On your main layout. If you have another MTH engine you can run. Can you do a signal test where you were trying the Triplex. The clicking is the watchdog signal. That shows that the DCS  signal is present.

1. First try on the layout was to add it to the remote. I could not add it.
2. correct. On the test track I added it to the remote, then started it up.
3. I do have other engines and I’ll do a signal test.
4. That’s what I thought the click was. Thanks.

John, only one TIU. I’ll check the signal. Would it matter that the track power runs out of the tiu through a fuse to the track? The test track bypassed the fuse. I have no problems with my PS3 engines. I put a PS/3 on the same track with the PS/2 then powered up the track. PS/3 started up. PS/2, nothing.

Hi if it's a ps 2 engine the polarity of the track from tiu does matter red must be on the inside rail or won't work. on the ps 3 engine polarity does not matter and will work either way!

Alan

@ToledoEd posted:

John, only one TIU. I’ll check the signal. Would it matter that the track power runs out of the tiu through a fuse to the track? The test track bypassed the fuse. I have no problems with my PS3 engines. I put a PS/3 on the same track with the PS/2 then powered up the track. PS/3 started up. PS/2, nothing.

As long as the polarity is correct, the fuse is insignificant.  Alan may be onto something, check to see if track polarity is proper.

Positive is attached to the middle track. Common to the outside rails. I run Legacy and TMCC engines also. Is that the polarity you mean?

Yes, red terminal from the TIU to the center rail, black to the outside rails.

Ed, does there happen to be anything else on the same channel in question such as passenger cars or a TMCC engine ?  They can have an effect on your track signal. Not sure if would show up more on a Proto 2 than 3.

Of all engines to give you trouble. The Triplex is a beast to handle moving off and on a layout.

Although the BCR2 appears to be working, I would also try replacing it with a new MTH battery. I had a board that just didn't like the BCR for some reason.

The fact that you hear a click at power up is a good thing. It's not responding so I usually find out what address is stored in the board. If it reverted back to an old address, or obtained a new one, the remote maybe not talking to it for some reason?

Dead batteries get this issue. So I'd lean towards the BCR.

When you press read on the remote with only this engine getting power on your layout, does a different engine come up? If so, press start up and see what happens.

You stated that the remote recognizes that it's actually on the track and it becomes active?

did you put it back on the test track and verify that it still worked?

Engineer-Joe's comments prompted me to start over.  I powered up and the engine was gone from the remote. So, I put it back on the test track and started over. Powered up and it read the engine, but ID'd as my NW J611.  Everything worked, but it hijacked that ID. So, I deleted the J611 then powered up the test track again and it found the Triplex.  So far so good. Then I transferred it to the layout, crossed my fingers, and "Eureka!" it started up as the Triplex:

Thanks for all the help.

Ed, I thought your test track was on conventional connection.  Didn't realize it was a program track........

Nice to see it running, Quite a very cool loco.......

Ed, welcome to the confusion created by how MTH handles engine numbers!

Next time a similar situation comes up, try this.

On the layout that it's working on, do a factory reset of the engine.  Move it to the problem layout and try adding it.  Usually that will get the numbers right.

Thanks John. Since it's working, I'm of the "if it ain't broke you will break it if you mess with it!" school. I'll just reassign the J611 and declare victory. If I have a problem in the future, then I'll do as you suggest.  DIY is not my strong suit.  Many a handyman loves to see my phone number pop up on their cell phone.   Merry Christmas!

Thanks Ted. It is very cool and a " gaw'd ar'ful smoker"..which I love.  Looking forward to Zack's looks when he sees it running for the first time...smoke out of both ends..(hey, the engine...not, well...) and all that motion. 

Ed, after you use the DCS for a while, you'll discover that if you have more than one remote, you can make a real MESS of the locomotive numbers!   I have a couple of remotes for the layout that I try to maintain the numbers in sync, and then I have one for my workbench, that one I regularly reset to clear out all the engines.  Some time back I got my two layout remotes so scrambled that I just reset both of them and started adding the engines one at a time to one.  Then I cloned that one to the other one.  The DCS scheme of keeping the engine numbers in each remote doesn't impress me, it's a PITA to maintain multiple remotes.

If I'm going to run one of my DCS locomotives using the workbench remote, I first reset it to make sure it won't change the engine number of the locomotive when I add it.

John, I use the MTH App on occasion  I suspect I'll run into number issues you describe  Thanks for the heads-up   

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

  Some time back I got my two layout remotes so scrambled that I just reset both of them and started adding the engines one at a time to one.  Then I cloned that one to the other one.  The DCS scheme of keeping the engine numbers in each remote doesn't impress me, it's a PITA to maintain multiple remotes.

Did they all fit? I've seen a picture of your engine shelves.

@John H posted:

Did they all fit? I've seen a picture of your engine shelves.

That's a real problem.   Actually, I think all my MTH locomotives probably fit into one remote, I don't think I have 99 of them yet.  The TMCC/Legacy stuff might be a closer race...

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

Ed, after you use the DCS for a while, you'll discover that if you have more than one remote, you can make a real MESS of the locomotive numbers!   I have a couple of remotes for the layout that I try to maintain the numbers in sync, and then I have one for my workbench, that one I regularly reset to clear out all the engines.  Some time back I got my two layout remotes so scrambled that I just reset both of them and started adding the engines one at a time to one.  Then I cloned that one to the other one.  The DCS scheme of keeping the engine numbers in each remote doesn't impress me, it's a PITA to maintain multiple remotes.

If I'm going to run one of my DCS locomotives using the workbench remote, I first reset it to make sure it won't change the engine number of the locomotive when I add it.

I've got two remotes and two TIUs: one TIU for the layout, one for the workbench. Both TIUs have an address of 1 so the remotes can interchange between the two. Whenever I add a new locomotive I just save a back up copy of the remote and load it into the other remote. Then I can run any locomotive with the bench or layout TIU and either remote and everything stays the same.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

That's a real problem.   Actually, I think all my MTH locomotives probably fit into one remote, I don't think I have 99 of them yet.  The TMCC/Legacy stuff might be a closer race...

John, looks like you're dragging your feet. Step on it please,  we need to know what you'll do when you hit 100 engines!

@Lou1985 posted:

I've got two remotes and two TIUs: one TIU for the layout, one for the workbench. Both TIUs have an address of 1 so the remotes can interchange between the two. Whenever I add a new locomotive I just save a back up copy of the remote and load it into the other remote. Then I can run any locomotive with the bench or layout TIU and either remote and everything stays the same.

I have pretty much the same setup Lou.  I have a bench setup with the TIU, BASE1L, and my transformer.  Both the layout TIU and bench TIU are indeed #1, I find that much easier to manage.

Problem is the time an effort of always having a current backup copy of the one remote.  I've done this on occasion when things get really screwed up, but it's time consuming.  The remote backup and restore is painfully slow!

I have a separate remote just for working on the bench that I add non-resident locomotives to, I can just clear that one to start fresh whenever I like.

@ToledoEd posted:

John, looks like you're dragging your feet. Step on it please,  we need to know what you'll do when you hit 100 engines!

Some will have to live outside the remote.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

I have pretty much the same setup Lou.  I have a bench setup with the TIU, BASE1L, and my transformer.  Both the layout TIU and bench TIU are indeed #1, I find that much easier to manage.

Problem is the time an effort of always having a current backup copy of the one remote.  I've done this on occasion when things get really screwed up, but it's time consuming.  The remote backup and restore is painfully slow!

I have a separate remote just for working on the bench that I add non-resident locomotives to, I can just clear that one to start fresh whenever I like.

It usually only takes me less than ~15 minutes to backup and clone a remote. But I've only got 35 locomotives stored in it .

It's not just how many engines, it's also how many consists you've built with them. I have three remotes and several touch pad devices. I run in 2 scales. I run large trains. I used to use 1 remote and trying to keep the layouts running was tough.

I finally decided to get a new remote and use the oldest just for G scale. Then I got a third remote that comes in for the winter and outside on the G scale for the summer. So I still got things messed up every season.

The good news is that I got a lot of troubleshooting experience when I bought too many engines. I'd throw out a number that some wouldn't believe, and others wouldn't care. It's just that having this many engines means you have to do good housekeeping every time you run.

Good thing my HO scale stuff is boxed up and stored.