Proto Sound 2 Decapod Won't Move

It's a PS2 3V and it boots and makes sounds. Not to mention, it boots up and responds to DCS. So generally, NO the electronics are not fried.

The tether does carry motor power from the tender up to the engine, so yes, if you have a bad or broken tether pin and it so happens to be motor power- then no it won't move or even attempt to move.

Some notes after reviewing the video again:

Again, engine starts up silent with power on the track. DCS remote commands startup sequence, the headlight turns on and sound begins. You scroll up the speed thumbwheel and no movement. Then you hit direction button- notice the headlight went out!!! I also so the smoke kick on and off also looked like it was related to direction change.

Motor wiring ALSO provides PV at the engine side (power for smoke and headlight) in many engines via the diodes in the harness.

So yeah, I highly suspect a tether issue. Does this engine have the replaceable tether section? Otherwise, you have to splice all 10 wires

https://www.mthpartsandsales.c...lists/131?type=lists

If you connect a DC can motor to the yellow and white wires of the 2 pin harness on the PS2 3V board, that also would show the board to be good and this probably is a wiring issue.

Another possible tether related failure is cracked solder joints to the PCB socket at the engine side. People pull and jam in the tether and that can crack and tear the traces.

Basically, the topside of this PCB (solder side that faces up into the boiler shell under the cab).

If you apply power and then turn off power does it play shutdown sounds?  If not dead battery regardless of charging.  Or the above mentioned.  Harness, or pins on receptacle.  Motor short out also.  G

Success!

@Vernon Barry I took your advice and attached some wires from the 2 pin connector on the 3v board to the locomotive motor and she runs!

I checked continuity between the 2 pin connector and several points on tether and it all seemed fine. However the yellow wire on the PCB socket was giving mixed readings so for good measure I resoldered the yellow and white wire connections. That seems to have done the trick! Good as new

Thanks for the help!

This leads me to another question though... Should I do anything about the battery that's currently in the locomotive? The MTH manual said those batteries are good for 5 years and I got this loco used 7 years ago. Would a BCR2 be worth looking into or should I just leave it alone?

I'm a big fan of BCRs s yes, that is a good option IMO.

The BCR is a worthwhile investment. I leave the batteries in until they die and then the engine gets a BCR. The only exception for me is the older 5v PS2 engines, I replace those with a new NiMH battery.

If you are handy with the soldering iron, you can make your own BCR for considerably less than buying a ready made one.

@H1000 any info on how to go about making one?

@TrainDane3768 posted:

@H1000 any info on how to go about making one?

Gun Runner John has a good post on this:

https://ogrforum.com/...2#161208612977296172

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

The 3V BCR is simply a 1.5F 5V supercap and a couple of wires.  When I take the old battery out, I just clip the wires at the battery, solder them to the supercap with a little heatshrink for insulation, and I have a replacement battery with the correct connector.  Remember, red to positive on the supercap.

Here is a link to a supercap on DigiKey that should do the job: https://www.digikey.com/en/pro...22C155PSBA0H/6166275

Here's one I'm about to put back into a locomotive.  The connector and leads were lopped off the dead NiCad and just soldered onto the supercap.