Okay, through trial and error I was able to add some of the engines back.   But I have much bigger problems with this.

1.  Multiple engines went racing..one time I could not even bring it back down and the E button would not work.  I literally had to to catch the engine racing by at 120 mph and pull it off the track..just averting disaster

2.  Seems when you toggle of from sidings or have a break in power the engine goes inactive.  You have to re add.  

3.  As I understand you can only add one engine at a time at the rest have to be off the track.   I can't do this every time.

Is there a thread with best practices or something....this 30 minute run session was really miserable between racing trains and trying to add and readd engines.  There has to be a better way.

Just need some guidance as both my remotes are down.  

MTH engines go “inactive” if they are not powered when the system starts.  Runaway engines happen when they do not “see” the watchdog signal - they assume you are running conventional.  Track sections with toggle switches will be a problem if power is on and you flip the switch; there is no time to see the watchdog signal.  Before you flip the toggle switch, turn off the power then flip the switch and add power.

You should not have power going to any engine that you aren't running. You should not power up too many engines as both your power and possibly the signal will suffer.

The watchdog goes out when the TIU channel sees power. It can be not seen by engines for several reasons.

If too many engines ( or other powered equipment) are on that channel. If a PS3 engine has power wires routed incorrectly. If engines or cars that draw power don't have chokes installed. Poor power supply at the rails for various reasons, like wire size, poor connections, dirty track, wheels, and/or rollers.

Don't use track power for other things when possible. Like switch machines or lighted buildings.

These are tips for DCS in general. Wifi or DCS remote use included.

@msp posted:

Guidance for best practices using WI-FI

This curmudgeon/dinosaur replies:

Best practices for using Wi-Fi = Don't use Wi-Fi.

Conventional control rules. 

Steven J. Serenska

@Danr posted:

MTH engines go “inactive” if they are not powered when the system starts.  Runaway engines happen when they do not “see” the watchdog signal - they assume you are running conventional.  Track sections with toggle switches will be a problem if power is on and you flip the switch; there is no time to see the watchdog signal.  Before you flip the toggle switch, turn off the power then flip the switch and add power.

So what is different in the WI-FI environment v. the remote?

1.  I have to readd the engines each time or at least some of time with WI-FI ..i did not with the remote

2.  Won't say never but cannot recall a time with a runaway train with the remote...happened 4-5 times in a 30 minute session last night

3.  Makes sense on the toggle ..that I have always wondered about...so make sure toggle is turned on before adding power to the track.

@Engineer-Joe posted:

You should not have power going to any engine that you aren't running. You should not power up too many engines as both your power and possibly the signal will suffer.

The watchdog goes out when the TIU channel sees power. It can be not seen by engines for several reasons.

If too many engines ( or other powered equipment) are on that channel. If a PS3 engine has power wires routed incorrectly. If engines or cars that draw power don't have chokes installed. Poor power supply at the rails for various reasons, like wire size, poor connections, dirty track, wheels, and/or rollers.

Don't use track power for other things when possible. Like switch machines or lighted buildings.

These are tips for DCS in general. Wifi or DCS remote use included.

Thanks for the tips...again these have not been major issues when using the remote.   I will be conscious of powering up more than on engine...for the most part the others are toggled off.....and I don't use track power for anything else....

@Serenska posted:

This curmudgeon/dinosaur replies:

Best practices for using Wi-Fi = Don't use Wi-Fi.

Conventional control rules. 

Steven J. Serenska

Well - if I can't control runaway trains ...I just might.  

Finally,

Is there a limit of number of engines that can be added on the "standard" APP..seems like i remember something about that.   I have the standard app - again rarely have used the wi-fi as i have been using the remotes.

& Test your track signal strength!

@Serenska posted:

This curmudgeon/dinosaur replies:

Best practices for using Wi-Fi = Don't use Wi-Fi.

Conventional control rules. 

Steven J. Serenska

This is useless here. If he ran conventional, all his trains would be smashing into things. Even in conventional, you need to take the power away from unused engines.

@Engineer-Joe posted:

This is useless here.

Sorry, I hadn't realized I had wandered into "The Valley of the Foaming-at-the-Mouth Literalists". 

By all means, please enjoy what will no doubt be a protracted discussion of how to get the trains you own to actually run.

While you're doing that, I'll go play with trains built before 1991.  They actually do run even if that's something considered useless here.

Steven J. Serenska

Yes, I bet they do. So to be clear at the start, you are condemning everyone else who runs command control?

Good luck with that. When someone asks for help, I don't usually start with "get rid of it".

By all means, stay in the 50's.

What part of your post is helping here?

@Serenska posted:

Sorry, I hadn't realized I had wandered into "The Valley of the Foaming-at-the-Mouth Literalists".

By all means, please enjoy what will no doubt be a protracted discussion of how to get the trains you own to actually run.

While you're doing that, I'll go play with trains built before 1991.  They actually do run even if that's something considered useless here.

Steven J. Serenska

@Serenska posted:

This curmudgeon/dinosaur replies:

Best practices for using Wi-Fi = Don't use Wi-Fi.

Conventional control rules. 

Steven J. Serenska

I see no value in your post sir. We are here to try and help one another. I've gotten some GREAT advice from novices and pro a like here. Occasionally I hope to offer some of my own. Putting folks down because they want to use the newest technologies and having some problems is not very gentleman of you.

What HELP have YOU provided to this forum ?

Perhaps another forum would suite you, Facebook perhaps ?

@Engineer-Joe posted:

Yes, I bet they do. So to be clear at the start, you are condemning everyone else who runs command control?

Good luck with that. When someone asks for help, I don't usually start with "get rid of it".

By all means, stay in the 50's.

What part of your post is helping here?

It was a JOKE.  Remember humor?  I think it disappeared around 2005 or so.

Now both of you stop, or I swear I'm gonna pull the car over...

So, are you talking about losing control with WIFI only, or are you talking about engines missing the watchdog commands?

@msp posted:

Okay, through trial and error I was able to add some of the engines back.   But I have much bigger problems with this.

1.  Multiple engines went racing..one time I could not even bring it back down and the E button would not work.  I literally had to to catch the engine racing by at 120 mph and pull it off the track..just averting disaster

2.  Seems when you toggle of from sidings or have a break in power the engine goes inactive.  You have to re add.  ???

3.  As I understand you can only add one engine at a time at the rest have to be off the track.   I can't do this every time.

Is there a thread with best practices or something....this 30 minute run session was really miserable between racing trains and trying to add and readd engines.  There has to be a better way.

Just need some guidance as both my remotes are down.  

This post had me thinking you were having issues with engines missing the watchdog at power up.

If you have to re-add engines, you have battery issues. If they are PS2 you need to replace the batteries if they won't charge properly. Having to re-add every session means the address change is not sticking. The primary reason for this is a dead battery. If PS3, the caps or circuit might be bad.

You do know that you won't get the watchdog command if your siding's power switch is wired after the TIU, right?

@Serenska posted:

This curmudgeon/dinosaur replies:

Best practices for using Wi-Fi = Don't use Wi-Fi.

Conventional control rules. 

Steven J. Serenska

I took it as a joke...

all of this trouble I am speaking of has to do with using Wi-FI....both my remotes are down...when I was using remotes I did not have all of this trouble.

The most problematic of all of it is the runaway train.....that only seems to happen when using Wi-Fi.  Losing engines - only happens in wi-fi....which i have been using the last couple weeks and will have to continue to do so until I get the remotes fixed.

@Engineer-Joe posted:

You do know that you won't get the watchdog command if your siding's power switch is wired after the TIU, right?

I am not sure what you mean by after the TIU?  I am thinking it is before as it is wired track to terminal block to TIU as it is in between track and terminal block.

after the TIU in the chain. If it was before, when you throw the switch, the TIU channel gets power and sends the watch dog signal.

This has nothing to do with WIFI. This is about how your layout is wired, and how you chose to power it up.

You shouldn't bash MTH WIFI for reasons you don't seem to grasp. That of course is just my opinion. Take it or ignore it.

As far as any jokes posted, I think I could laugh if it was funny. If it's piling on, bashing about WIFI, maybe it's dark humor that goes over my head?

Conventional rules what exactly?