ProtoSound 1 - whistle will not shut off

Did you do the reset correctly?

Jon,

First, my thanks for your very clear description of the reset procedure.

Everything goes smoothly through the power cycling 18 times -- but after that, there are no clinks or clanks.  I've tried waiting some seconds after the power cycles -- nothing heard.  I tried continuing with the procedure through to its end, but the problem persists.  Lights, smoke, start up sounds, forward, reverse -- all perfect.  But the only way I seem to be able to silence the whistle (and everything else) is with the potentiometer under the tender.  The whistle is not at all distorted; the bell does not ring when the bell button is pressed while the engine is running.

A friend suggested temporarily reversing the red and white leads from the transformer - this did not help either.

Will it hurt the engine to be run with the volume turned completely off, even though the whistle circuit is active, while I am looking for a solution to this problem?

Do you perhaps have another suggestion?  Might the problem be addressed via Reset 6?

I am out of my depth on this!

Thanks again,

Doug

I had the same issue with a older premier PS1 N@W  J. I tried the reset feature 18 with no change with a Z400. I turned down the volume control fully and ran the locomotive for over a year like that , I eventually installed a ERR sound  board and a BCR.

I’m only guessing here !  I was told that the Black button on my Z4000 was to reset the PS-1 engines..   have you tried the black button ?

Alex -- thanks.  So the continuously activated whistle did no harm to the other functions?

Boomer -- pressing a black button alone does not do the reset, if you are referring to the PROGRAM buttons.  Jon (above) gives the necessary steps.

The engine clanks twice as the BCR charges, then again as the steam sounds initiate.  My other MTH engines do not do this.  Does anyone know whether this is somehow connected to the stuck whistle?  

Thanks again

Doug

I wonder if the BCR can't hold a charge long enough to make it all the way through the reset sequence.

Put a nine volt battery in it to do the reset. If that works then put the BRC back in.  Worth a try

A whistle in motion usually means that when the motor gets energized it is putting a dc offset on the track.  So check your motor leads at the motor and pcb at back of engine to see if you have a stray short to chassis ground.  Pinched wire.

Also you can have a bad bottom board with a shorted diode doing the same thing.  I also agree with testing with new 9V.  G

I want to thank everyone for suggesting possible fixes to my always whistling MTH Southern 4-6-2.  My work has amped up over the past couple of days, though, and I have not yet had a chance to try the most recent ideas.  I'll report back!  Again, many thanks.

Doug

Dear Jon, Alex, Boomer, rplst8, Forest and GGG --

When I opened the tender this morning, the first thing I noticed was that the circuit boards were not parallel -- the top board was not properly seated.  To actually remove the shell so that one has access to the battery/bcr, the wires to the rear red lights need to be removed.  This is a tightly fitted plug which is essentially impossible to remove or insert with the top board fully seated.  None of the wires appeared to have been pinched; the seller has assured me that the engine itself has not been opened (so I have not checked the motor wires).

With the tender shell off, I replaced the bcr with a 9V battery, seated the board, and ran through the reset sequence.  For the first time, the engine responded as have my other PS1 locos -- textbook perfect.  With the tired wheels held above the track, I put the engine into forward, and then reverse -- the whistle behaved as it ought.  I reinstalled the BCR -- tested again, and then put the shell back.  Now the engine works almost perfectly, EXCEPT that I cannot get the bell to sound.  Ran the reset procedure again (bcr installed), but still no bell.

I can live without the bell, but if anyone has an idea as to why it won't sound when the engine is moving or when it is in neutral, I would be most grateful to hear it.

This is a beautiful model, and I am very glad to have it working.

Thanks again to you all!

Doug