PS3 Missing the watchdog

 I would disagree it's a PS3 thing. However, it can be. It maybe just your luck of the draw. It so happens that some stock engines with PS3, had some things that add to the issue. You can read about them if you search. There's the painted screw issue. There's the PS3 wires too close to the donut issue. Etc.

 I have several PS3 engines that are some of my best runners. I think there was a knee jerk re-action that followed several engine releases that had some culprits. I got one that acts up.

 My PS3 ES44 runs fantastic. I have two PS3 steamers that also are tops.

I had two PS2 engines that are picky over the watchdog signal and it's that they are weaker gathering the signal. I fixed my layout and they too behave. Those happen to be my pickiest engines.

 Having too many powered engines on one channel seems to trigger the problem.

Move the offending engine to someplace where there is a non-offending engine, and see if the problem is solved.

I have 13 PS3 engines and just upgraded a fourth to PS3 with a PS32 kit, and have no such problems.

The PS3 engines seem to be more sensitive to me. I'll admit I have a lot of engines on some circuits, but the PS2 engines don't mind. I don't have any PS3 diesels.

Both engines respond in a similar way. They may or may not miss the watchdog depending on where they are on the layout. But here's an interesting point; when they do miss the watchdog, they sit quiet for 15 or more seconds and then start up but not fully. The lights and sounds come on, but the engine will not move. I do a shutdown and restart for operation. My own theory here is that when there is a high current draw when starting a given circuit, by having multiple engines and passenger cars on it for example, the resulting voltage drop and or current flow affects the ability of the PS3 capacitor to charge and thus affects the board initially. What do you want from a ME?   

sounds slightly plausible to me!  

(What do I know? )

There are known issues with engines spontaneously starting in conventional mode when there are more engines than a channel's power source can handle.

That's why t's always a good idea to have all engines on sidings controlled by toggle) (or other types) switches. That also keeps the engine's chronometer's from running up a lot of non-run time.

These 2 PS3 engines are just more sensitive and I'll use special starting procedures for them.i'm a big user of block sections. I was hoping that maybe this situation had improved as I recall this being discussed here when the first PS3 engines were released. Just a small inconvenience.