Unable to reset/restore TMCC Standard Gauge Hiawatha

Are you SURE you have TMCC signal on the rails?  If you don't have a TMCC signal, the locomotive will indeed take off.

Either that or something broke in the engine when you had the short.

This is my first TMCC year. How do I tell if I have a signal?

Thanks

Put a different engine on the tracks and see if you can run it with the TMCC remote.  You may be looking in the wrong place for the issue.

Unfortunately this is my only Standard gauge TMCC engine. Should I try a different engine in conventional mode??? I have several prewar Lionel and some TinPlate MTH. What I did do in conventional mode was to power the track and I can increase and decrease voltage and watch the lights brighten and dim in  the passenger cars.

My O gauge loop is still running TMCC ok with my O Gauge Hiawatha.

I have a ZW for power and run two powermasters to transmit power.

I recently bought a #990 Legacy set and 2 Legacy powerhouses.  Should I try to set that up? This is a learning curve for us

If I fried my nice big Hiawatha, is it fixable?

Definitely not my best Standard Gauge week

Thanks

When I did apply power to the track with the engine on it, the Hiawatha moved forward. I could hear some chugging and some ticking sound.
I dint know if that helps

Can be a couple issues, but not sure why it would be moving right away unless a shorted motor lead.

Can have a faulty switch, can have a grounded Antenna, can have a bad R2LC if this is a modular engine.

Not familiar with Lionel TMCC standard gauge.  Do you have a model number?  G

71-3004-200 set from 2001

Are these repairable issues if indeed I did break something ?

Update

the number is 6-13004

i can get the engine to run in conventional

mode It cycles through reverse neutral and forward. The whistle will blow . It also chugs

I am unable to get it to reprogram following the manual

Whats my next option?

Thanks

How did you "Reset" the track? Is the TMCC wire still attached to the rails from the base?

I reset the track by putting the power master in program mode and conventional and then on the cab1 remote press track and 2. The red light flashed on the base and the PW

when I try to program the engine I put the engine in program the pw in cmd press eng 1

then press eng 1 aux1,4

nothing happens

the black wire is attached to the outer rails

While it sounds like you have another issue, IIRC 1st: "Eng" 2nd: The number you want to assign it. 3rd "Set" 4th Slide the switch back to "Run"

As John says if you have signal and nothing in the engine got "whacked", it shouldn't take off like a rocket.

I followed those instructions first. Then I did the reset process as described in the manual. That didn’t work.
What I don’t know how to do is find out if I have a TMCC signal to that track. I know I have a signal to the O Gauge loop because that train runs fine on TMCC control. I was assuming that I had a signal because I can run the standard gauge loco on conventional. I’m trying to sort this out in my first year of TMCC

@Trainfamily posted:

I followed those instructions first. Then I did the reset process as described in the manual. That didn’t work.
What I don’t know how to do is find out if I have a TMCC signal to that track. I know I have a signal to the O Gauge loop because that train runs fine on TMCC control. I was assuming that I had a signal because I can run the standard gauge loco on conventional. I’m trying to sort this out in my first year of TMCC

How is it wired? Can you just swap the wires between loops?

I could do that. I'll keep chipping away at it. I will post those results when completed.

Thanks

David

I am confused.  Do you have a TMCC base or just 2 power masters and a cab-1?  If your running TMCC you need a TMCC base attached to the track.  Set voltage to 18V.  Control TMCC engine with eng ID and CAB1.   To reset engine follow instructions in your manual with the program/run switch on the ENGINE not the Power Master.

According to Lionel Web this has a R2LC and basic DCDR so yes it is repairable.  But you need to know if you have good TMCC before you can figure out if the Engine is good or bad.  Yes trying LEgacy base is an alternative.  G

Sorry I wasn't clear. I do have the TMCC base in addition to running the ZW through two power masters, one to the O Gauge track and one to the Standard Gauge track. . I did follow the manual instructions. I had been running the Hiawatha with TMCC with no problems until I had the short. After I cleared the short and replaced the fuse in the powermaster, I was not able to address the loco and noted the red light on the powermaster did not flash or flicker when I sent signals to the loco. At that point, I followed the reset instructions in the manual, including using the run/program switch on the loco, but it wouldn't reset or restore. I noted that during that process, the red light in the base was flashing but not the one in the powermaster,

I hope this clarifies what I intended.

Thank you

The old CAB1 talks directly to the TMCC PowerMaster, it doesn't go through the TMCC command base.  If the PowerMaster isn't seeing the signal but the TMCC command base is, you have a problem with the PowerMaster.

Does the wire to the O gauge loop also run through the Power Master ?

updates from the tmcc novice

Re: wires going to loops. I have two loops and two powermasters and one base.

1. I swapped out the Standard loop powermaster with a spare but untested powermaster. Still no success running the loco with TMCC Cab1 command. It will run in conventional mode with CAB1 remote but it does seem erratic. I do see the red light flash on the base and powermaster.

2. I then swapped powermasters one to the other. IE, track 1 is now track 2 and track 2 is track 1. The O gauge loop with the little Hiawatha runs perfectly in command mode. That would suggest to me that the system that tried to run the Standard Gauge is working ok. The Standard loop now shows the same problems I had before swapping the 2 systems. The big Hiawatha runs in conventional but not command. I get chuffing and can reverse direction and blow the whistle in conventional. Nothing happens in command.

Does that mean the engine is the problem? I do worry about the track but I can't see anything that shows a problem. After all it does run in conventional.

The short was caused when I inadvertently dropped a track clip and I didn't see that it ended up between the center rail and outer rail.

I hope I'm clear. I really very much appreciate all of your time from everyone trying to sort this out

another thought

Sitting on the floor next to me in the den is my new #990 Legacy control system and two Legacy Powermasters. I bought them a couple of weeks ago because I bought a Legacy Locomotive.

Would it be appropriate to install this system in place of my TMCC controls to see if it makes a difference in trying to run my Big Hiawwatha???

I just put my MTH 400E traditional on the Standard Gauge track. It works as it should in conventional mode.

I don't know if that helps for the process of diagnosis

Maybe try leaving the powermasters out. Just hook the transformer to the track. Hook a wire from the command base to the outside rail of the track. Turn the transformer power up address the cab 1 with the engine number of engine and see what happens.

I will try that today

Taking the powerhouse out of the equation made no difference. There is still no connection between the loco and TMCC control. It only runs in conventional mode.

Time to find someone to fix the engine???

If your TMCC base can control a TMCC engine then you know it is good.  That would mean standard gauge is the issue.  For get the power issue.  If you can get power to the track at 12-18V and the engine does not work in command.  Either engine or TMCC base is bad.  The CAB-1 can not be effected by a short on the track, only the command base and engine.

I imagine something may have happened to the engine R2LC.  Easy swap if you have a spare from another engine.  But if this is your only engine you need to prove the TMCC base works.  G

The TMCC base is running the O Gauge Hiawatha perfectly on track 1.

It's only the Standard Gauge tubular track that's causing me sleepness nights

Is the R2LC a plug in installation?

Yes.  If your O gauge is modular you have a R2LC in it.  You can swap them to see if the issue follows the R2LC.  G

UPDATE

I bought a R2LC08 from Lionel and installed it today. I put the loco on the track and addressed eng1 and it responded with chugging. I increased voltage and it is running again under TMCC control.

I no longer have a whistle or bell. What is my next step in reviving my Hiawatha?

Thanks

David

Update to the update

I forgot to do the reset procedure. Once I did that, following the manual, all functions started working.

Hiawatha 101 is ready to go again