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were can i get my mth repaired, and that will do the job right

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were can i get my mth repaired, and that will do the job right
Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, June 3, 2007 10:03 PM
can someone recommend a good perferably cheap repair center? My 2-8-0 is not working Sad [:(]. i tested the motor it works but something is wrong in the electronics somewere...i would appreciate and help..i want to see if i can afford to get this engine up and running....thanks....
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Posted by njalb1 on Sunday, June 3, 2007 10:18 PM

Join the crowd ??? My 4-6-0 with loco sound has been in the shop twice and still is acting up!

  After running for about 10 minutes with the smoke unit on both the sound and smoke act up. 

 Kmow one seems to know what the fix is???

  Here is a vid of the sound and smoke problem ????

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v372/diz/?action=view&current=M4V06136.flv

 

   I could use some help also !    Thanks!

 

 

I hate cheap electronics!!

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Posted by Reading T-1 on Sunday, June 3, 2007 10:25 PM
PROTO 1, sorry about your luck. Low battery will fry the board. Upgrade to ps2 problem fixed
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Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, June 3, 2007 10:33 PM

mine dont take a battery.....

 

i had help problem solving and a big thank you for that...but i need to see about getting it repaired...what i dont understand is how this could happen...the guy i got it from never ran it...there is no evidence of it running...oh well ill stop whining and get it fixed....

 

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Posted by willpick on Monday, June 4, 2007 5:24 AM

Zeke, I read your reply, it sure looks like you will need to get it repaired. If you take it/send it to an MTH service center. I checked the mth list, there are 5 places in california, but I don't know which is closest to you. You can check them by going to the website:  www.mth-railking.com/service/center.asp  hope you can find one near you.

Quality control of these trains has been spotty, sometimes there are lemons, sometimes you get perfect units. It's mostly due to the electronics being built by a chinese worker who works 12+ hours a day--and the fact that while the design may be robust, the cheap parts used are not.

A Day Without Trains is a Day Wasted

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Posted by DMUinCT on Monday, June 4, 2007 8:14 AM

I have had two MTH "G" gauge locomotives with Protosound II "act up".  Would not start up or just sits there flashing like it's trying.  The amp meter on my power pack would pulse.  Or, when running for a while smoke and sound dies and engine will lose control.

Turned off just smoke (not sound) all was OK.

Don't do this unless you have opened up a locomotive before. 

Opened it up, remember, the fan on the smoke is driven by the Protosound II.  The fan motor had frozen. Cut the wires, removed the fan motor, lub the bearings, free up the armature, and test with a battery.  Spliced wires and re-install.

It would appear that smoke fluid (maybe excessive) had leaked from the reservoir and washed out the bearing lubricant. Re-sealed the reservoir with automotive gasket paste.

(B&A Hudson and NS-8, both second run engines)

Don U. TCA 73-5735

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Posted by Anonymous on Monday, June 4, 2007 6:19 PM
 willpick wrote:

Zeke, I read your reply, it sure looks like you will need to get it repaired. If you take it/send it to an MTH service center. I checked the mth list, there are 5 places in california, but I don't know which is closest to you. You can check them by going to the website:  www.mth-railking.com/service/center.asp  hope you can find one near you.

Quality control of these trains has been spotty, sometimes there are lemons, sometimes you get perfect units. It's mostly due to the electronics being built by a chinese worker who works 12+ hours a day--and the fact that while the design may be robust, the cheap parts used are not.

 

you must have a magic keyboard cuz everytime i type in my zip it says unavailable...and their is a list but ca isnt on it?

 

 

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Posted by Anonymous on Monday, June 4, 2007 6:21 PM
 DMUinCT wrote:

I have had two MTH "G" gauge locomotives with Protosound II "act up".  Would not start up or just sits there flashing like it's trying.  The amp meter on my power pack would pulse.  Or, when running for a while smoke and sound dies and engine will lose control.

Turned off just smoke (not sound) all was OK.

Don't do this unless you have opened up a locomotive before. 

Opened it up, remember, the fan on the smoke is driven by the Protosound II.  The fan motor had frozen. Cut the wires, removed the fan motor, lub the bearings, free up the armature, and test with a battery.  Spliced wires and re-install.

It would appear that smoke fluid (maybe excessive) had leaked from the reservoir and washed out the bearing lubricant. Re-sealed the reservoir with automotive gasket paste.

(B&A Hudson and NS-8, both second run engines)

 

i have opened this one up like 6 times in two days, but i dont know if this is the problem, its brand new?...  but i will check it out, i mean what can it hurt ?

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Posted by Anonymous on Monday, June 4, 2007 8:29 PM

okay went to the local train shop here and wow...i would never leave any train item there to be repaired.....i will leave it at that...

 

besides he wanted $225  bucks to repair it......

 

 

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Posted by willpick on Monday, June 4, 2007 9:35 PM
Geez,Zeke! for 225$ you could get an almost brand new set! I know that 2-8-0 locos are available on Ebay for around 100$, and you probably could find one at a local train show for less than 100$--- just something to think about---

A Day Without Trains is a Day Wasted

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Posted by Anonymous on Monday, June 4, 2007 9:42 PM

ya i agree i will not pay that much for this train to be fixed from him.....if i had that much to spend id get something i really wanted...i just saw this and thought wow  a deal...but thanks for all the help...what do you think about the smoke fan being stuck?

 

 

 

could that be the problem?

 

at this point i dont know what i will do with this set

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Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, June 5, 2007 6:39 PM

well i got a few names and send some emails to get it serviced. one place i sent an email was davis trains, not thinking they were going out of business. didnt realize it was the same one, anyways i got an email saying that they werent accepting any new orders til sep of 08..

 

my search continues

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Posted by dbaker48 on Tuesday, June 5, 2007 7:14 PM
Zeke - Only if your interested..... The Train Shack, located in Burbank does do repair.  Their charges are $65/hour + parts.  I've never had anything done by them.  But they do know trains.  Maybe... someone on a MTH dedicated forum may do repair could always ask.  You know the one dedicated to DCS

Don

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Posted by CSXect on Tuesday, June 5, 2007 7:18 PM
Just a thought here Zeke the wire from the tendar to the loco is it connected??? If so is it pluged in so the wire curves up (which is the correct way) if not it is pluged in backwordsBanged Head [banghead]Blindfold [X-)]
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Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, June 6, 2007 12:38 AM

 CSXect wrote:
Just a thought here Zeke the wire from the tendar to the loco is it connected??? If so is it pluged in so the wire curves up (which is the correct way) if not it is pluged in backwordsBanged Head [banghead]Blindfold [X-)]

 

i plugged it in right, i am one of those guys who actually reads directions. i wish it was that easy......

 

don that sounds great but i really cant afford to do that.....i was really hoping someone here had the answer....were are the mth forums? maybe i can search for an answer there...

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Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, June 6, 2007 7:24 AM

zeke

I'm going to send you an email about this...

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Posted by Anonymous on Friday, June 8, 2007 1:05 AM
 Reading T-1 wrote:
PROTO 1, sorry about your luck. Low battery will fry the board. Upgrade to ps2 problem fixed


Not quite, my PS2 engine is dead. Speaking with a service guy in Colorado left me with much dissapointment as he told me I'd need to replace the board. $200! I spent less on the engine itself! I'm probably going to just have it wired to run forward only and miss out on the fun sounds. :-(
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Posted by willpick on Friday, June 8, 2007 7:39 AM
DaylightFan and anyone else who needs a repair due to blown boards-- Williams Electric Trains and Dallee electronics make boards that will give you forward/reverse/neutral control. The Williams board is available, and one website had them in stock, price 25$+ shipping. I believe that the installation is relatively simple-- website is www.mapajunction.com   Marty is one of the best Williams dealers out there-- and while you are there, check out the Williams products-- they are quite good conventional control engines. pretty bullet proof---

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Posted by sir james I on Friday, June 8, 2007 8:07 AM
willpick; DITTO, you nailed it, a Williams board would be an easy decision for me.

"IT's GOOD TO BE THE KING",by Mel Brooks 

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Posted by Anonymous on Friday, June 8, 2007 4:03 PM
Willpick, that's what I'm going to do. I'm sad that I'll lose all the fun functions of the Protosound 2, (which I thought was supposed to be bulletproof.) I volunteer at our local science museum which has a really good deal with a Williams dealer. I can probably get that board even cheaper than that.

I have a new RailKing daylight with Protosound 2, the newer version, on order so that can be my new "show engine." Thanks for the help guys!
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Posted by Anonymous on Friday, June 8, 2007 5:00 PM

 willpick wrote:
DaylightFan and anyone else who needs a repair due to blown boards-- Williams Electric Trains and Dallee electronics make boards that will give you forward/reverse/neutral control. The Williams board is available, and one website had them in stock, price 25$+ shipping. I believe that the installation is relatively simple-- website is www.mapajunction.com   Marty is one of the best Williams dealers out there-- and while you are there, check out the Williams products-- they are quite good conventional control engines. pretty bullet proof---

 

is this easy to do?

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Posted by willpick on Friday, June 8, 2007 7:46 PM

Zeke, it should be pretty easy-- the Dallee unit comes with step by step instructions(downloadable from website also)-- The Williams unit should also have instructions with it. While I was checking Martys website in the "traditional" lines listing are the tenders with sound--  70$ undecorated(painted black) has the sound board inside, gives you basic whistle & bell sounds. Dallee also has sound boards available, but they are mostly for DC operation--

Hope you get your engine fixed one way or another----

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Posted by jefelectric on Friday, June 8, 2007 7:56 PM

Zeke, If you open up your Williams diesel, you can see exactly what the board looks like and how to wire it.  With a steamer, you would have to put the board in the tender of course.  As recommended before, Marty is the go to guy for Williams.

You will have to figure out which are the motor leads in the tender, that should be obvious from the existing connection to the MTH board but not sure since I haven't seen one with loco sounds opened up.

John Fullerton Home of the BUBB&A  http://www.jeanandjohn.net/trains.html
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Posted by Anonymous on Friday, June 8, 2007 9:40 PM

thanks john

 

im searching for a volunteer who knows how to do this. Im not ready for this type of repair, yet. I just dont feel confident.

 

 

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Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, June 10, 2007 3:18 PM
i think iam not gonna deal with this train . i think i will either give it away or ebay it. I just dont want to mess with it!
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Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, June 16, 2007 10:27 PM
the train set is gone i sold it on ebay and recoupped my money. I just dont want to deal with the repairs and all. besides i would only have used it around the tree, maybe...but thatnks for all the help.

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