Strange Isuue with Two MTH Engines - Using Same Name in the Remote

NJCJOEOGR Forum Member DIGITAL SUBSCRIBER

This is a new one on me. Can't quite figure this out or how it's even possible. shake

My friend, @Todd B., just got a MTH Premier Pacific engine, The Bullet, PS2, 20-3136-1. The engine was brand new, never run. He installed a BCR in it and we loaded into his DCS system and ran it with no issues.

Today, he brought the engine to my house to run on my layout. When I tried to load it into my DCS system, the remote kept saying "Engine Already in Remote". However, it wasn't. I tried about a dozen times, on different tracks and always got the same message.

I then set up a programming track with the TIU only connected to that track and the engine loaded correctly the first try. I put the locomotive back on the layout and reconnected the TIU. Started everything up and proceeded to start up the engine. It would not start. I kept getting a "Maintenance Required" message.

Next I decided to try and start up one of my engines that was sitting on the layout to make sure my TIU was working properly. This was a RailKing Reading MP15DC, 30-20959-1. I brought that engine up in the remote and pressed start up. The MP15DC started up no problem, however, so did The Bullet. The both responded to the MP15DC name in the remote.

I then shut everything down, Removed the MP15DC from the layout. I powered everything back up and brought up the MP15DC name in the remote and pressed start up. The Bullet started up and we were able to run it with all functions under the MP15DC engine name. When I tried it under The Bullet name it still did not work. I did try to run the MP15DC under The Bullet name but that didn't work either.

Can anyone explain this? And why won't The Bullet run under it's own name in the remote? confused

6/22/246:21 PM

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RailRideOGR Forum Member SUPPORTING MEMBER

Sounds like an ID number conflict. I have a Proto-2 era scale Big Boy whose battery wasn't holding its memory properly, and it defaulted to the same ID number as a NS diesel already in my remote...and it ran under that diesel's name on the display (the loco that entry actually refers to wasn't on the layout) I haven't gotten around to replacing the battery as I haven't run the loco since that first test run, so I haven't been able to test that theory, but out local experts should have a more definitive answer.

---PCJ

6/22/246:26 PM

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NJCJOEOGR Forum Member DIGITAL SUBSCRIBER

I wonder if he could have a faulty BCR?

6/22/246:32 PM

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PRRMP54OGR Forum Member SUPPORTING MEMBER

Take the MP15DC over to his layout and see what happens.

6/22/246:48 PM

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Todd B.OGR Forum Member DIGITAL SUBSCRIBER

That’s a good idea. Ill try the bullet again tomorrow, on my layout.

6/22/247:54 PM

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Engineer-JoeOGR Forum Member SUPPORTING MEMBER

just so you know what's happening (IMO!). You've already figured it out, but the post may help others.

I'm not a tech. I have a ton of their products and have used every release of DCS and all the bugs I've seen personally.

when the remote says the engine is already loaded, there's a conflict with the address already stored on the new engine's board and the remote. The remote has an engine in that address slot. So, it keeps saying already in remote. You know it's a different engine. The remote uses generic messages. So it's just saying that address is loaded. Of course, it should know that it's a different engine. Yet it doesn't add the new engine to a new address as expected. It doesn't help here.

I usually just run the new engine after pressing the read button, to test it. Whatever engine comes up after the read, is what the remote is telling you is loaded in that slot.

I'll remove that new engine from the rails. Make sure you have good DCS signal on the rails. I'll put the original engine on the powered rails and change its address. I then try and add the new engine again.

6/22/248:30 PM