Quirky PS2 engine

If it has a tender check harness and connection.  Also the Tach strip and tach reader (ensure clean, no issues).  If this is a painted flywheel, look to replace with a tach strip.  G

It sounds like a break in the wiring harness between the tender and engine. With it started up wiggle the tether and see what happens.

Thank you GGG and VAGolfer.  Will check this tonight.  I always hesitate to open these things, as it seems I break more things than fix    So thought I would ask experts just in case I overlooked an obvious DUH.

Took the metal tender shell off and ran engine many times taking different paths through layout.  Also walked along side tender, poking and prodding wires and parts with no change.  Upon close examination one black wire had some insulation worn off and wire was visible using a magnifying glass.  It was next to shell side.  So don't know what this wire did OR indeed if it was touching the metal shell side.

So will run a "naked tender" frame for several weeks to see if engine acts up again.

I had one engine that ran fine with tender shell off, but as soon as you put the shell on and it bends the harness, the train would act up.  If it is running fine now that probably eliminates the tach and flywheel issues.  So the bare wire may have been it.  Good Job!  G

Well it appears you were right.  When engine went through sharp right turns it acted up but not left turns.  Pushed/pulled harness and found the 'sensitive" spot where engine would behave or go out of control.  Unfortunately, its within the harness jacket. 

Will hope that MTH still stocks them (see my post on 3 rail forum), else may have to remove jacket and see if I can find wire break and repair, then resleeve with heat shrink tubing.

Replaced the tether cable and all is well.

But for one shining day the ficticious division of the Pittsburgh & West Virginia offered steam powered extreme  high speed service between connecting points.   However when the engine abruptly stopped, throwing all heavy weight car passengers against walls and floor, families of the injured and dead are now suing the division as well as the owning RR (probably into bankruptcy.) 

Well tether changing was a bust. Engine ran fine for a day or so then began acting up again, lurching then stalling then starting.  I removed tender shell, carefully re-checked all my connections and shrink sleeving for wire exposure/breaks.  Now engine is almost dead.  When I put on track and apply power, DCS can't find engine and engine goes through a conventional start up sequence, then almost immediately into shutdown then silence, no lights on anywhere.  New battery makes no difference.

So guess I send it back to Columbia MD and hope MTH has boards.  If not, maybe a forum member has a removed set or locate someone who repairs 5V PS2.  Or worst case, keep eye on ebay if an USRA 0-6-0 comes up.

Looking at MTH website looks like lots of USRA 0-6-0 there and I imagine they all have same electronics with same cab chatter and functions so I could swap shells worst case with a functioning but beat up USRA engine.

Bummer.