Out of fear regarding the future of LGB products, I recently purchased (3 months actually) a couple Railking1 locos, the DCS system, Track Interface Unit (TIU), etc and have never been able to get anything running. I am using a Bridgeworks Transformer, 2 rail DC. The TIU is powered through input1 and uses output1 to a test track. The remote powers up but doesn't recognize either engine on the rail. I have checked to eliminate polarity problems, etc.
I assume I am missing something easy (or that I got a defective TIU). Can anybody help?
Thank you in advance,
Richard Frajola (Taos & Rio Grande RR)
I went to DCS a few years ago and never looked back.
1. Needed, a power supply putting out a steady 18-22 volts DC wired to the "TIU" "Fixed Input 1" Red is plus, Black is negitive.
2. Wire the "Fixed Output 1" to the track, note which wire to which rail is plus and negitive.
3. Place a locomotive on the track, normal polarity is with the "negitive rail" under the engineer's side of the locomotive. Hudsons, GS2 & 4s, and "Narrow Nose" -8s have a polarity switch to let you put the locomotive on the track facing ether way.
4. Turn on the "Hand Held Remote" then turn on your power supply to the "Track Interface Unit" (TIU).
5. On the Remote press the "Read" button and wait, a few seconds later it should find the "TIU". It then will read "No Engine Found".
6. On the Remote press "Menu", use the scrolling wheel to scroll down to "System", press wheel, "Engine Setup" comes up, press wheel, "Add Engine" press wheel, "Add MTH Engine" press wheel.
7. It will now display "Looking For Engine", after a few seconds it hopefully will say "Engine Found". It will then automatically display you engine name, railroad, and number.
8. Press the "Start Up" button, good luck.
Don U. TCA 73-5735
Thank you very much for response. After your step 5 I get "Found TIU ADDR 2, then "No Active Engines".
Continuing thru step 6 to step 7, I get "Looking for Engine" followed by "No Engine To Add"
Bad TIU box?
The "TIU" should be "Address 1".
Do steps 1 to 4.
Press "Menu", scroll to "System", press wheel, scroll to "TIU Setup", press wheel, "Edit TIU Addr", press wheel, "TIU2", press wheel, "Select New TIU Addr", scroll to TIU 1, Press wheel.
Thanks again. I re-programmed to TIU1 as suggested. Same end result ... reads "Found TIU1" - - no active engines - looking for engine - "No engine to add" ......
Eureka (I think) - A polarity problem and it is now working. Thank you for your assistance.
If you look closely, you can see the smoke:
Once the Engine is added, the Remote remembers. When you hit the "Read" button it will find the "TIU" and then the Engines that are on the track. Press "ENG" and Scroll/Push to choose which to run. If you are running two locomotives, press "ENG", press Scroll wheel, it will toggle between the two engines.
Sound: Press "Menu", "Sound" comes up, press wheel. You now can see the base Volume settings. Bell and Horn is defaulted to 100%, Engine and Accent to 70%. Select and push wheel, use the wheel to select new volume level, push the wheel to set. If you want to raise or lower all sounds beyond the "Menu" settings, you can, buttons 2 and 5 are master Volume up and down.
Polarity: Only effects 2 rail track. Remember, MTH (Mike Wolf's Train House) made there money building "O" gauge 3 rail for the past 25 years. "G" and "HO" are new to them. Newer production locomotives (such as the F3s) have a Polatity Switch somewhere. Older locomotives must be put on the track to match polarity. To get an older engine to be aimed in the direction you want, the output wires on "Fixed Output 1", red & black, can be switched to match the engine with no problem and no damage.
Smoke: Press "Menu", scroll down to "Control" and press wheel, "Smoke Volume" and press wheel, use the S1 S2 S3 buttons to select "Min" "Med" "Max" smoke output, press wheel. In this section (Control) you can also set the Accel and Decell rates.
AFTER MAKING ALL YOUR SELECTIONS AND SETTINGS, hold down the "S5" button untill the screen reads "Powering Down Saving Data....." . Next operating session the Remote will remember.
When you get good at this, you will find this is the ONLY system you buy only once. It's Software based, you can go "On Line" to MTH and download directly to your "TIU" and then the "Remote" the newest version of Software, free. If you wish to change the sound files in your locomotives, you can do that too.
Good luck, you'll like it.
MTH Santa Fe Dash-8s
The photo below is a MTH Hudson
If you obtain another piece of MTH's equiptment that the TIU controls.
The initial installation has to be programed into the controller on an isolated section of track.
I am waiting for MTH to sell their engine receiver controllers by themself. Then I will replace all my Locolinc receivers.
Thanks all - I tried last night to get my 4-8-4 to work. I tried to add to system on a clean oval of track. After an hour, and completely random attempts with different direction and polarity, it started rolling. When I tried to set sound levels, etc - "no engine on track" intermittently.
I cannot get things to have any consistent results. Thought maybe RF interference from TV remote or telephones but that doesn't seem to be it. Have changed batteries about 5 times, that is not it. Very weird. About ready to trash the investment.
The 4-8-4s have a Polraity Switch inside the hinged Smoke Box front (headlight). Look close, its on the right by the hindge. MTH sent out an added page as it was omitted from the manual.
If the engine was added, I think you "sparked it to life" (there's a relay in there). Once the engine comes to life hit the "Shut Down" button, wait a few seconds and hit the "start up" button, it often works. The Read Button is allways a fallback.
Hi, ALL,
Try this site should solve all your running problems......
http://www.rayman4449.dynip.com/
Nick...
Get the Garden Railways newsletter delivered to your inbox twice a month