NEW GUY NEEDS HELP!

[LANCE65]

HI EVERYONE, I'M HOPING SOMEONE CAN SHED A LITTLE LIGHT ON THE CODES USED TO OPERATE VARIOUS FEATURES ON DIFFERENT LOCOMOTIVES WITH AN MTH Z4000. I'M NEW TO MODEL RAILROADING (ABOUT 3 MONTHS), AND JUST BOUGHT THIS NEW Z4000 TRANSFORMER TODAY BECAUSE ALL I HAD WAS A 40W AND A 50W AND NEEDED MORE JUICE. THE INSTRUCTIONS SAY TO LOOK AT THE INSTRUCTIONS THAT CAME WITH THE ENGINES BUT THEY DON'T HAVE ANY MENTION OF ANY BUTTON SEQUENCES OR CODES. I HAVE AN MTH AMTRAK FP40 SET AND A LIONEL GP7 WITH RAILSOUNDS BUT NO IDEA HOW TO MAKE THEM UNCOUPLE OR MAKE STATION ANNOUNCEMENTS ETC. I ALSO HAVE A COUPLE OF WILLIAMS SD-90s, THAT'S WHY I NEEDED A BIGGER TRANSFORMER BUT THEY HAVE NO FEATURES OTHER THAN  A BELL AND WHISTLE. ANYWAY, IF SOMEONE COULD PROVIDE ANY ANSWERS FOR ME I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE IT BECAUSE I KEPT TELLING MY 5 AND 9 YEAR OLD SONS HOW COOL THIS TRANSFORMER WAS GOING TO BE AND ALL IT'S DOING IS PULLING THE TRAINS AROUND AND OPERATING THE HORNS AND BELLS. THE ENGINES DO HAVE BATTERIES IN THEM.  THANKS FOR ANY INFO YOU MAY HAVE!

[ADCX Rob]

The Z4000 will only be an advantage for MTH ProtoSounds engines. 

Get the manual out for your Amtrak... is it ProtoSounds equipped?  Even then, the advantage only applies if it is a PS-1 or ProtoSounds 1 engine.  The Z4000 makes it a lot easier to access the PS-1 features from the menu.  To unlock PS-2 features, you will need MTH DCS components.  For Lionel TMCC Command equipped engines, you will need a TMCC Command set(base & remote) or TMCC Legacy set(base & remote).

[SantaFe158]

Yep, as Rob said, you need a command base and remote for the GP7 (assuming it's TMCC equipped, otherwise all you can do is what you are already doing). I believe if you want to get all the features out of the FP40 set you also need an MTH command base and remote of some sort.

[phillyreading]

Do you have the new Z-4000 by MTH? A few years back MTH made a remote control unit that was sold for use with the Z-4000, don't know if that will help you any with PS-1 sound controls. For MTH PS-2 to have full useage you must buy the DCS base with handheld remote control unit and wire the DCS base into your track wiring.

If you need a manuel for an MTH engine, email MTH and request one for that engine.

You may get some features out of the Lionel engine with TMCC or Legacy with the DCS base but not all features. So to control both the Lionel & MTH engines you must have both systems, DCS and Legacy. Legacy is the newer version of command control from Lionel and should work with TMCC as well, not 100% certain about that.

To get into command control will cost a few hundred dollars for each system, so first think about the cost! Then if you can afford it, go for it.

Lee F.

[dbaker48]

Lance BEFORE you get any further, which engine do you have?  (MTH Amtrak?)  MTH has some with Horn only, PS1 and PS2.  DONT BUY ANYTHING UNTIL YOU KNOW FOR SURE WHICH ENGINE YOU HAVE!!

If it is Horn only OR the PS1 engine you will already have everything you need.

IF YOU HAVE PS2, you can purchase the introductory system, OR the full blown system.

The introductory system will control 1 PS2 engine at a time remotely, and activate most of the features. and is less than $100.  And is NOT expandable.

The "DCS" system will cost more, and will satisfy you system requirements for quite a while using MTH engines.   This system will be about $350

[LANCE65]

THANKS EVERYONE FOR ALL OF THE ADVICE. I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE TIME TO HELP. I'M SURE I'LL HAVE PLENTY MORE QUESTIONS ALONG THE WAY!