I have a PS2 engine that has run very well for many years. The other day after a minor derailment it stopped moving. It will respond to a "Start Up" command and the lights and sounds work just fine but it will not go forward or backward. It will also not move in shut down mode. Any suggestions?
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Hello Ed,
An MTH Part number for the engine is always helpful in case we want to look up specifics.
Afew Questions:
Is this a 5 volt or 3 volt PS2 engine?
Have you tested the battery to see if it is in good shape?
Power up the engine with sound and then cut the track power, the engine should complete the shutdown sounds takes about 10 seconds.
If it does not, the battery may need to be replaced.
I have had some of the older 5 volt PS2 engines do this exact thing with a bad battery. Replaced the battery and all was good again.
Ed Welch posted:I have a PS2 engine that has run very well for many years. The other day after a minor derailment it stopped moving. It will respond to a "Start Up" command and the lights and sounds work just fine but it will not go forward or backward. It will also not move in shut down mode. Any suggestions?
There is chance the tach board has gone bad due to the derailment.
H1000 posted:Hello Ed,
An MTH Part number for the engine is always helpful in case we want to look up specifics.
Afew Questions:
Is this a 5 volt or 3 volt PS2 engine?
Have you tested the battery to see if it is in good shape?
Power up the engine with sound and then cut the track power, the engine should complete the shutdown sounds takes about 10 seconds.
If it does not, the battery may need to be replaced.I have had some of the older 5 volt PS2 engines do this exact thing with a bad battery. Replaced the battery and all was good again.
The Part Number is 30-1165-1. I'm not sure if it is 5 volt or 3 volt.
When I cut power to the track I can hear the normal shutdown sounds. It takes about six seconds.
Ed Welch posted:H1000 posted:Hello Ed,
An MTH Part number for the engine is always helpful in case we want to look up specifics.
Afew Questions:
Is this a 5 volt or 3 volt PS2 engine?
Have you tested the battery to see if it is in good shape?
Power up the engine with sound and then cut the track power, the engine should complete the shutdown sounds takes about 10 seconds.
If it does not, the battery may need to be replaced.I have had some of the older 5 volt PS2 engines do this exact thing with a bad battery. Replaced the battery and all was good again.
The Part Number is 30-1165-1. I'm not sure if it is 5 volt or 3 volt.
When I cut power to the track I can hear the normal shutdown sounds. It takes about six seconds.
This engine was manufactured in 2000 so it's one of the the very first built PS2 engines and definitely a 5 volt board. When was the last time you changed the battery in the tender?
For testing purposes you can change the battery in the tender with a standard 9 volt alkaline to see if that will solve the problem but don leave it in as a permanent solution.
https://mthtrains.com/sites/de...ction/30st18569i.pdf
above is the mthtrains.com web sight and you can read all about your engine!
Alan
H1000 posted:Ed Welch posted:H1000 posted:Hello Ed,
An MTH Part number for the engine is always helpful in case we want to look up specifics.
Afew Questions:
Is this a 5 volt or 3 volt PS2 engine?
Have you tested the battery to see if it is in good shape?
Power up the engine with sound and then cut the track power, the engine should complete the shutdown sounds takes about 10 seconds.
If it does not, the battery may need to be replaced.I have had some of the older 5 volt PS2 engines do this exact thing with a bad battery. Replaced the battery and all was good again.
The Part Number is 30-1165-1. I'm not sure if it is 5 volt or 3 volt.
When I cut power to the track I can hear the normal shutdown sounds. It takes about six seconds.
This engine was manufactured in 2000 so it's one of the the very first built PS2 engines and definitely a 5 volt board. When was the last time you changed the battery in the tender?
For testing purposes you can change the battery in the tender with a standard 9 volt alkaline to see if that will solve the problem but don leave it in as a permanent solution.
I tried a new battery and found no change. I am getting worried that I have done something bad to the board.
Ed Welch posted:H1000 posted:Ed Welch posted:H1000 posted:Hello Ed,
An MTH Part number for the engine is always helpful in case we want to look up specifics.
Afew Questions:
Is this a 5 volt or 3 volt PS2 engine?
Have you tested the battery to see if it is in good shape?
Power up the engine with sound and then cut the track power, the engine should complete the shutdown sounds takes about 10 seconds.
If it does not, the battery may need to be replaced.I have had some of the older 5 volt PS2 engines do this exact thing with a bad battery. Replaced the battery and all was good again.
The Part Number is 30-1165-1. I'm not sure if it is 5 volt or 3 volt.
When I cut power to the track I can hear the normal shutdown sounds. It takes about six seconds.
This engine was manufactured in 2000 so it's one of the the very first built PS2 engines and definitely a 5 volt board. When was the last time you changed the battery in the tender?
For testing purposes you can change the battery in the tender with a standard 9 volt alkaline to see if that will solve the problem but don leave it in as a permanent solution.
I tried a new battery and found no change. I am getting worried that I have done something bad to the board.
Your locomotive is a 5v PS2 board. There is a chance your board has gone bad. Very common.
Ed
if it’s a bad board, there are some very good techs on the site that might be able to minimize the repair cost. Would be a bummer, though. Good luck.
You might tray a conventional reset before seeking board replacement, it's a lot less expensive anyway.
The exact 'Conventional Reset' procedure is described here, in this recent post by RJR
I wouldn't call the board bad just yet.
Like RTR12 said, try a reset.
Also, will it run forward and back in conventional mode?
Check the Running gear on the engine, Is there any binding in the side rods, or is a traction tire twisted in with the side rods?
I have tried a "Feature Reset" and a "Factory Reset". I can't see anything binding anywhere.
I'm not sure how to get it into conventional mode. I am using a Lionel "Brick" and a TIU. I tried using the "More" soft key and selecting "Conv Mode" but that did not seem to change anything.
Ed Welch posted:I have tried a "Feature Reset" and a "Factory Reset". I can't see anything binding anywhere.
I'm not sure how to get it into conventional mode. I am using a Lionel "Brick" and a TIU. I tried using the "More" soft key and selecting "Conv Mode" but that did not seem to change anything.
You need to use a transformer and track. No tiu
Ed Welch posted:I have tried a "Feature Reset" and a "Factory Reset". I can't see anything binding anywhere.
I'm not sure how to get it into conventional mode. I am using a Lionel "Brick" and a TIU. I tried using the "More" soft key and selecting "Conv Mode" but that did not seem to change anything.
To me that doesn’t sound promising. I just pushed the conv mode button and the loco sped up to 22V speed. If you put the loco on a variable track an start at 0 of 5V you should be able to start it in conventional mode with the tiu.
Hello Ed, I am going to chime in here because I just worked on a friends engine which is the same MTH Item # 30-1165-1 NYC Mohawk.
His engine was doing the same thing all the sounds would work along with lights and smoke but no movement.
We removed the connecting rods from the engine to eliminate any bound up or bent connecting rods.
Doing this didn't change anything.
We removed the engine shell by removing the 4 Philip style screws in the corners of the engine.
The engine shell on this model comes off very easily so it shouldn't be a problem. MTH did a nice job keeping all the wiring tucked in on this model.
We set the engine back on the track and connected the engine to the tender and started the engine up, (we where using a transformer not a MTH DCS system).
You can try to put the engine in either direction with the DCS remote if this is what you are using for a control system.
With the shell off the engine you can see the motor flywheel with the striped tac tape.
In our case the flywheel tried to turn in forward and reverse but the engine would not move. Putting the engine in the forward direction I tried turning the flywheel with my fingers and the engine took off and ran.
We ran the engine in both directions and only hesitated a couple times after that but changing the direction of the engine the engine would again move. We figured there was something going on in the gearbox but it somehow fixed itself.
We pulled 6 MTH Premier Lighted passenger cars with the engine and had no trouble running in either direction.
We put the shell back on the engine along with the connecting rods and so far the engine is running with no troubles as I type this.
Not sure if this is the issue with your engine but it's worth a shot before you send it out for a repair.
Good luck, and let us know what you find.
A 'Conventional Reset' is usually it's done with a transformer with the whistle and bell buttons.
You have to remove the DCS signal for the engine to come up in conventional mode.
If all you have is a brick for power I'm not sure you can do a 'Conventional Reset'? It might be possible with the DCS remote using a variable channel and the whistle and bell buttons on the remote, but I am not sure about that?
Maybe someone with more experience on this will chime in here. I have never needed a conventional reset so I've never tried it.
I had a layout in my basement that was featured in OGR Run 303 (January 2019) but we have since moved to a retirement community and my stuff is packed away in a garage. I got some things out before Christmas for people here to enjoy and that is when this happened.
I guess I will have to dig out my Z4000 and try some of these further suggestions. I appreciate all the help and will keep you posted.
The Z4000 would be ideal for a conventional reset. I have serious doubts about the DCS remote doing that because the DCS signal would have to be off for the engine to come up in conventional mode. Just a passing thought...and probably not a good one. But the Z4K will definitely do the job, just hope it helps with your problem after having to dig it out.
Forgot to add, pretty cool that your layout made the OGR magazine, congratulations!
rtr12 posted:The Z4000 would be ideal for a conventional reset. I have serious doubts about the DCS remote doing that because the DCS signal would have to be off for the engine to come up in conventional mode. Just a passing thought...and probably not a good one. But the Z4K will definitely do the job, just hope it helps with your problem after having to dig it out.
Forgot to add, pretty cool that your layout made the OGR magazine, congratulations!
You could try a DCS factory reeet
Learning curve here. If I take a PS2 engine and put it on a track with any ac transformer, doesn’t it come up in conventional? I definitely want to focus on helping Ed, but this is interesting. Can the DCS handheld trigger the horn and bell on a truly conventional loco on a variable track with the DCS signal off?
I am pretty sure that won't work, as I said above. I was just thinking out loud about the horn and bell buttons earlier, but I don't think the remote will do anything at all with no DCS signal to get the horn and bell commands it to the engine. Probably shouldn't have even said anything.
Yes, they come up in conventional with no DCS signal on the track. He will be fine with his Z4K.
I believe Ed said he already tried the Feature and Factory Resets with the remote.
rtr12 posted:The Z4000 would be ideal for a conventional reset. I have serious doubts about the DCS remote doing that because the DCS signal would have to be off for the engine to come up in conventional mode. Just a passing thought...and probably not a good one. But the Z4K will definitely do the job, just hope it helps with your problem after having to dig it out.
Forgot to add, pretty cool that your layout made the OGR magazine, congratulations!
Found the Z4000 but don't have it connected yet.
To do a "conventional reset" do I just power it up connected to the Z4000 without a TIU? Do I need to do anything more?
As far as I know, yes that's all there is to it and it has to be in neutral. Sounds like you have that covered too.
If you look at page 5 of the manual linked in the post above from Alan Mancus, it's a little more detailed. I'd cut and paste it here, but there have been problems with copyrighted stuff on the forum and I imagine this is copyrighted.
Or the post H1000 linked above while I was posting this.
What kind of derailment? A fall off the track type, or simple derailment. For PS-2 a factory or feature reset should have worked.
Take shell off where board is and make sure 5 pin connector for motor leads fully inserted.
Take shell off engine and rotate flywheel as mentioned above to ensure no binding of motor or linkage. Make sure you turn it so the wheels go full cycle. Are the eccentric rods ok?
After that could be wire harness, bad plug, or yes the board went bad. A tech with test set can help resolve the issue. G
We have recently moved to Evanston, Illinois (just north of Chicago) and I have not yet connected with other train guys or shops in this area.
I have a volt/ohm meter. Could I learn anything by checking the voltage across the motor in various modes?
Ed,
I was having a problem with a PS3 engine and took it to Chicagoland Hobby yesterday. They helped me validate that it was the engine and not me / my layout.
John
Hello Ed, I was hoping it was something simple like what I had with this same engine.
When you had the shell off and you where changing directions did you hear a click when the engine changed directions ??
On the engine I worked on you could hear a click every time the engine changed directions.
If I remember correctly there is a direction solenoid in the engine which closes when you change directions from the neutral state. Just curious, I didn't see that mentioned in any of the suggestions.
The yellow and white wires connected to the motor are your direction wires (one wire for forward the other wire for reverse) I am sure you could check the AC voltage at the connection at the motor and see if you have any voltage at the motor.
Hoping it was something easy but it looks like it's a bit more.
MarkStrittmatter posted:Hello Ed, I was hoping it was something simple like what I had with this same engine.
When you had the shell off and you where changing directions did you hear a click when the engine changed directions ??
On the engine I worked on you could hear a click every time the engine changed directions.If I remember correctly there is a direction solenoid in the engine which closes when you change directions from the neutral state. Just curious, I didn't see that mentioned in any of the suggestions.
The yellow and white wires connected to the motor are your direction wires (one wire for forward the other wire for reverse) I am sure you could check the AC voltage at the connection at the motor and see if you have any voltage at the motor.
Hoping it was something easy but it looks like it's a bit more.
Yes, I do hear a click when I send a change direction signal.
When I but the VOM probes between the yellow and white wires I get no reading. I'm not sure if that is how I was supposed to measure it but when one of the probes slips and touches the flywheel (making a connection between the flywheel and the wire) THE ENGINE MOVES quite quickly, sometimes forward sometimes in reverse (and the meter jumps).
I don't know what this means but it must mean something. Hope you can help.
Good evening Ed, with the test probes from your voltmeter, you put the red test probe on either the white or yellow wire on the motor itself. The black test probe from your voltmeter would go to ground, the metal frame of the locomotive or something like that.
If you put one of the test probes say the red one on the yellow wire on the motor and the black one on the white wire on the motor you would not get a reading on your voltmeter because you are not making a ground.
I am not sure which wire color ( Yellow or White) on the motor is forward or reverse but it's interesting when you make a ground which is what you are doing when the other probe (assuming the black colored one) from your voltmeter slips and makes contact with the fly wheel the motor while run.
Maybe GGG and some of the other techs can chime in on this one.
Did you try GGG's suggestions of checking the connections he mentioned? Kind of sounds like something isn't making good contact somewhere? And I agree with Mark above, maybe GGG will have some suggestions or be able to ID the problem from your test info. He's a well respected MTH tech here and this now sounds like something needing his expertise with boards, wiring etc.
You need to stop testing before you do more damage. The reason it moves when you hit the chassis with the lead is your shorting the PV to ground. Sounds like the FET may have been damaged and you are no longer getting return for motor operation. You make that slip on the DC 5V or PCB ground and you destroy the board.
Minor derailment rules out the binding, or harness becoming loose. The spike and short caused some damage. Worst case is to blow a possibly otherwise repairable board by an error in troubleshooting. G
MarkStrittmatter posted:...
The yellow and white wires connected to the motor are your direction wires (one wire for forward the other wire for reverse) I am sure you could check the AC voltage at the connection at the motor and see if you have any voltage at the motor..
The voltage at the motor is DC. Use the DC Voltage mode of your meter.
The DC voltage reading at the motor terminals should cycle thru 0 (neutral), large positive voltage like +15V or more (forward), 0 (neutral), large negative voltage like -15V or more (reverse).
The 2 motor wires (typically yellow and white) go back to the PS2 board set in the tender via the tether-cable. There is a 5-pin connector on the larger PS2 board. This will have only 2 of the 5 positions occupied and will typically be yellow and white. The board orientation may make it difficult or impossible to measure the voltage but the idea is to measure the DC voltage at the connector. The crimped wires will typically have enough exposed metal to probe the voltage if you can access them....but again it may be difficult or impossible to access. The idea is if you don't see the alternating DC voltage (0, +DC, 0, -DC) at the PS2 board's 5-pin motor connector, then the PS2 board likely fried a transistor. The transistor itself is inexpensive (less than $1) but can be a challenge to replace it with those 2 funky brass strips (heat sink). But if you do see the alternating DC voltage at the PS2 board in the tender... but not at the motor itself in the engine...then this is good news and simply trace the 2 motor wires from tender to tether to engine.
Thanks so much to everyone who has responded and offered help. I has allowed me to eliminate some possible problems that I might have been able to fix myself. At this point I think that GGG is right and I should seek professional help.
Ed,
If you are in Evanston, I think Chicagoland is the closest hobby shop to you, and your easiest and fastest option.
John
My personal option is to contact GGG or another tech on this forum for repair.
GGG knows his stuff well and I recommend him having him fix an old ps2 to ps3 steamer.
I believe his turnaround will be as fast as a hobby shop, maybe quicker, 
I know this happened after a derailment. However is it possible somehow it is now locked in neutral? Other than the derailment incident it acts like it is. This is just a guess as I am far from anyone considered to be knowlegable when it comes to fixing modern electronics in trains.
I suggest you contact GGG.
But for the record, for anyone brave (or foolhardy!) enough to go poking around the PS2 5V electronics, the 5-position motor connector I mentioned previously is as shown. If everything else works but there is no DC motor voltage at the motor output connector, there's a good chance you have a defective motor transistor. These are difficult to replace as they are soldered/fastened underneath a brass heatsink strip as shown.
Separately, I seem to recall reading some repair facilities won't touch the PS2 5V board...or maybe it was they won't do component-level repair? In any event, contact GGG and heed his advice!
Next to impossible Stan! 
I'm one for four on getting those on, and I'm not going to attempt any more of them, not worth the trouble! You have to get the strip soldered on with the FET, and by the time you get the strip secure, the FET has been cooked. Don't know how they do it at the factory...
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