PS2 & PS3 start up as soon as you throttle up transformer.

Guyeh

Funny that I just started having that same problem last night.  I will let you know what I find. I do at least swap out the tiu and remote with same effects. Not sure but will find out.

Glenn

When you apply power to the TIU does the red light inside come on and blink?

 

You can use the remote to address the TIU and make sure the DCS Signal on the channels are turned on.

 

If you are using a single channel Fix 1 to power your layout.  Move the track input to Fixed 2 while still making sure the TIU is powered at Fixed 1 or via the AUX port and try it?

 

Need to determine if this is just a control issue, or if the TIU has had a hardware failure.  Which they can.   G

My red light wasn't on in the TIU. Someone unplugged my AUX power from the surge protector. Now everything works. Thanks for your input and everyone else that has helped me in the past. Thanks again.

Have you identified the culprit yet?

Nice when it is an easy one!  G

Here's the solution if this happens and TIU is on when it occurs.  Connect transformer to track; do not have a TIU in circuit.  Turn on voltage slowly, and have a hand ready to hold loco.  Press whistle button once, and then at half-second intervals, press bell button 5 tim es.  This will do what MTH calls a "conventional reset."  I got this cure from MTH and it works.

 

Factory or feature resets will not do this.

How does this solve a TIU not being plugged in?  G

GGG, note the second half of my first sentence.

I think it was the wife. I have a lamp under the table to see and it comes on when I turn on the surge protector so I think she kept pulling plugs out of the surge protector until the lamp went out and didn't tell me. But as usual she will say that "I didn't touch anything"

Probably a friendly poultergeist.

Hello guyeh • Was the Surge Protector the final answer to this issue?

I leave the power to all four main lines on all the time, 100% power. One Lionel Brick to each main line. I turn on the Hand Held DCS first than the 100% Power.

Check all the connections to the TIU, & install new batteries in the DCS.

Hope this helps. I also use a Surge Protector for the bricks & all the electronics.

Great discussion topic. 

 

I leave the power to all four main lines on all the time,

ALL the time?  Even when not running?  That is very unsafe, but it's your RR and your house

 

Ahem, clearly you meant to say:

"I must have mistakenly unplugged the AUX TIU power from the surge protector."

That's certainly what I thought he was trying to say!   I know he's not trying to find out if the doghouse is really waterproof!

 

Hi RJR • I turn the power off to the four bricks, when not in use, but leave them on max power. There are some model railroaders that do not even use a transformer. The bricks are wired to the tracks. I did not explain what I was doing very well, hope this helps, no fire hazard. Thanks for pointing this out.

Just wanted to make sure no reader misunderstood.

Finally had time to investigate my low dcs signal. Originally layout was working. Then signal problem. Changed out tiu and remote. Same problem. Next I swapped out my switches one by one. The last one swapped out and bingo. Even had chocke on all switches. The switch works but degrades signal. Tried another chocke but same issue. Just changed out the switch and all is well. No idea why just one will do this. I might try to swap out internal board from switch and see if if happens.

Glenn

Glenn, switches should never be powered from the track.  They should receive hot from a separate feed.  This is for operational reasons as well as DCS signal interference.