TMCC LOCOMOTIVE NOT RESPONDING TO DCS INSTALL

 No real need to slide the switch to program unless your changing the engines ID number. It must be in the run position to start up and move. All TMCC engines are delivered with 1 as the ID. 

 Have you ever run these using just TMCC ? 

 Did you purchase just the base only and plan on using just your DCS remote to run them ?

 You mentioned that the base was on. I'm guessing you plugged it into the wall. Just make sure it is a properly grounded 3 prong outlet.

 By any chance are you running more than one TIU. The last thing I believe that's asked when adding a TMCC engine into DCS. Is that you must assign it to the TIU the TMCC  base is plugged into. 

Dave

Thank you, all good questions.  I will answer all of them.

I placed it in the pgm position because Eric did that on his video.  After adding the engine he did say to place it back I the run position, which I did.

I use the DCS system only.  Too expensive to buy both a full Legacy and a DCS system.  Bought DCS so I could run both MTH and Lionel engines.

You are correct in that "on" means it's plugged in to a 3 prong receptacle.

I have one TIU and when I reach that point, since I don't have more than one it defaults to the only TIU it sees.

One thing Eric said after he returned the switch to Run, when you look at your list of engines, the TMCC you just added goes in the inactive list.  When you select it, it then goes to your active list, and you scroll up and select it again.  I don't think that option was provided for me.  Nothing I did appeared to change its inactive status.  Let me ask you this.  The wire you have to attach to the U connector and the outer track.  That wire connection is a direct connect set up?  Attach one end to the track and the other under the screw wheel on the base?  It does not have to route through the TIU at any time?

What do you have connecting the TIU yo the Base1L? You’ll need the MTH 9 pin splitter cable for TMCC Legacy or you’ll get no functionality 

Good question.  I purchased the correct connection cord off Ebay.  Model Train Stuff didn't have any in stock and wasn't sure when they would get any.  I do know that the cable is the one needed for correct connection.  Not that you can make this happen, but it would be nice if MTH had installed the same recognition software for Legacy engines that they use for their engines.  "Engine found" would answer a ton of questions.  Right now it just makes you guess until you press start up.

Yardmaster96 posted:

Not that you can make this happen, but it would be nice if MTH had installed the same recognition software for Legacy engines that they use for their engines.  "Engine found" would answer a ton of questions.  Right now it just makes you guess until you press start up.

No one can make this happen.  Lionel engines do not communicate back to the base.  There would be no way for DCS to even recognize there was a Legacy / TMCC engine on the track.

I don’t run any of my TMCC/Legacy locos with the DCS system. It’s judt easier to use their own stuff to run em. My layout has enough complexity and all I really want to do its just play trains

Let me run this by you.  About a year ago I purchased one of those DCS commander remote systems where you have a baby TIU and a remote.  Baby may be a bad analogy but you get my drift.  I hooked it to my transformer and of course when I set an MTH engine on the track, it just sat there quietly waiting.  I pressed start up and off we went with the engine sounds and air brakes and some crew talk.  I played with it a bit wasn't impressed.  Not the issue, keep listening.  I took my one Lionel engine, the one that started this expensive ball rolling, and the second the wheels touched the track, it fired up.  I'm asking, not telling, MTH engines are programmed to not fire up upon immediately getting power from the track thanks to the TIU and because it was a DCS item and not a Legacy item, the Legacy engine isn't programmed to know that and just fires up on impact because you have the correct amount of volts being generated to the track for start up?  I hope that made sense.

Why do I ask, boredom, wanted to talk.  No, I'm kidding.  The Legacy engine I set on the track yesterday is the same engine only with Norfolk Southern on the shell instead of Kansas City Southern.  ES44AC.  From the moment I set the engine on the track, it sat quietly and waited.  The other one woke up on impact.  It wasn't until I switched the RUN/PGM to PGM that it woke up and did a start up on its own.  One second all is quiet and then (sound effects) it starts up.  I of course couldn't do anything with it.  It finally had to time out and shut itself off and even then it murmured and ticked and kept making miniscule sounds.  I finally had to turn off the power to the track.

Anyone want to field this one?  I do appreciate the information.  All advice and knowledge on this subject is golden. 

I FIGURED IT OUT!!!!!  I watched Eric's Trains again and paid close attention to the directions and guess what?  No really, guess.  Ok I'll tell you.  I used the wrong ID number.  I thought when I reached that step, I was installing the 3rd locomotive, so I chose the 3 ID number.  You have to use the 1 as a default.  Did not know this, do now.  I went to my room, got out the Lionel engine, ran the steps again, and Eureka, the engine started and ran fine.  So.  If anyone out there is reading this reply and is having the same problem, now you know, use 1, the default ID setting to install your engine, but, if you have more than one engine to install, Lionel engine, you will have to change the ID number to 2 or 3 or 5 or 8, whatever, just something other than 1.  Why?  Because to enter your second and third and fourth etc etc, engine you will need to have the 1 location open at all times until you finally get the last TMCC engine added.

Now I get to go downstairs and change my ID address to 2.  Wish me luck, pray for me, possibly a candlelight vigil.  I'm new at this folks I need all the help I can get.

NOT SO FAST.....  Went downstairs.  Did everything I was supposed to do based on what I watched in the video.  The engine did exactly what Eric said it would do.  When I chose ID number 2, the engine started.  I returned the RUN/PGM switch to RUN.  I pressed 6 on the remote to shut down the engine...…….nothing.  Engine just kept running.  So, I returned the ID back to 1.  Engine responded to commands.

Thinking it wouldn't work, but, out of options, I got my second Lionel engine out, set it on the track and proceeded to perform what I figured was a useless attempt at installing the engine into the remote.  I got to the step where you select the ID, chose 1, found the engine in the inactive list, activated it, hit the start (3) button, and to my amazement and pleasure, it started, ran, moved, responded to all commands.  So my question now is what will happen when I put the prior TMCC engine on the track and try to use it?

Anyone want to field this one?

I also discovered something else.  It's annoying, but it can be solved.  I pulled out one of my MTH engines and decided to test the multiple engines on one layout.  At first it wasn't going well.  Lionel engine started and ran, but the remote couldn't find the MTH engine, kept saying it wasn't on the track.  Truthfully I have no idea exactly what I did to get that problem solved, but I did.  So now I have two engines on two different tracks, thank god, going in opposite directions.  I thankfully found out that my curves are far enough apart that collision doesn't happen.  So, I decided to park the Lionel train and see how well the MTH train pulled a large consist.  While I was setting up this test, I heard the Lionel engine begin to "growl", "hum", kind of sounded like it had hunger pains.  Then it just spontaneously started.  Didn't move, or talk or anything like that, but it started.  So I have discovered, at least in my world, Lionel engines will after about 5 minutes of silent dormancy, reignite without assistance from the engineer.  I guess the constant flow of electricity into the trains innards, via the track surface, stirs up something internal and the computer or motherboard or whatever thinks it should be running not sitting.

So if you have Legacy engines on your DCS layout, beware this only because you will have to constantly shut them down after 5 minutes of silent sitting.  If you can turn off your power to the track, like I can, or if you can easily unplug the transformer or TIU or whatever, do it because if you leave that layout over night 5 minutes after you walk away any lionel engine still sitting on an actively electrified track will spontaneously fire.  It will time out and shutdown on its own, but chances are it will fire up again.

At least on my layout that's the case.

Advice, suggestions, anyone else suffer this?