MTH's Triplex

[spikejones52002]

I received my new “MTH” triplex. I thought I would write a review.
It arrived well protected.
It would have been nice if they gave some instructions on removing it from the packaging. I do not like surprises and wondering if I released everything and might break something.
First a tag stating “top” is on the top of the foam. My luck I pulled it out looking at the bottom.  Went I lifted up the bottom. Several packages dropped out. What the packages are for, “NO” information.

Beside the Styrofoam shell, surrounding the engine is a steel frame and the tender is mounted on a steel plate.




Second of all they could have warned me of the screws sticking out the bottom of the pans. If you lift the engine or tender out of the Styrofoam and place it on a table. You will gouge the table.



Close up of the mounting brackets holding the tender to the plate.


Bottom of tender pan

You can see the screws out the bottom.



Tender Screws Close up




Engine Shipping packing fame.
After you remove the top plate. You have to carefully remove the protective pads.
 http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p96/SpikeJones5/Triplex007.jpg
Engine pan screws

After removing all the pads. You remove the mounting screws.


Engine shipping screws


Engine removed from pan.

I placed the engine and tender on an isolated track to program the new engine into the “TIU”.

The engine would not set on the track. As I lifted it back up. A thick black rubber pad dropped off. I found several more. They could have highlighted them with paint or “remove ribbon”.


Black rubber shipping pads.

This photo is to show the black rubber blocks.

When I lifted the engine again. The front articulated truck dropped out of the engine. One of the long mounting screws need to be replaced with a shoulder bolt “no information”.
I looked through the several packages. I found a shoulder bolt. It fit the retention loop for the articulated truck. It also is long and needs a slide washer and spring.
I placed the engine and tender on the isolated track and had to plug the tender cable to the engine. A white dot indicating the top would be helpful. It is just a tight space to feel if inserted correctly .
I coupled the tender and engine. I programed in the engine. I ran it to and fro several times 5ft.
Now I lifted it up on my over head layout. The engine was incorrectly polarized for signal pick up.
I checked the instructions. The small photo showed it on the fireman’s side near a cylinder. It stated to slide to the signal rail. I took it to mean side to side. When I found the switch by feel. It side front to back.

 

I flipped the switch and activated the engine.
 I slowly applied speed. The engine would only move a couple of inches and die.
I moved it from the inside track to the outside track. I brought over my two GG-1s. I placed a track cleaner car between them. I ran it around several times (no indication of dead spots).
I again brought over the Triplex. Again it would only run a couple of inches and die. I looked under the engine. All three driver trucks have two sets of tire brushes and a set of rail slides.
On just a thought I ramped the speed up quickly. The engine ran. It made two trips around my 18X13 loop.
On the second loop. The engine crashed. One of the screws that holds the drive rods to the front wheel of the tender truck came loose. The trucked jack-knifed.
Lucky I found the screw and lock-tight it.
Now the engine ran real good.
When I slowed it down it would die at one of the plastic frogs in the Aristo-Craft switches. I began to check the power pickup. I found only the rail slide on the middle truck picked up power and supplied it to the engine. All the other wheels and slide had electric conductivity. But when running very slow (1mph to about 5[on the controller]) when the middle truck slide was upon the insulated spot on the switch the engine died in both directions.
I do not know why Aristo-Craft would not redesign the switches with a power transfer switch. It would apply the proper polarity to the frogged isolated rails. Then wheels and slide would not electrically short out at the junction. The frog could be made of brass and not be a dead spot. Several of my Aristo-craft engines die as the transfer tracks also.
I wrote this suggestion to Aristo-craft. They never acknowledged my letter.
Running the triplex today I encountered several more problems. The engine does not run good in reverse. The tender derails easy.
Another problem, This one happens on my MTH J3. After running several minutes (10 - 15). The sound system changes from chugging to a clickety-clack. I do not have control of any function. I pushed every button, nothing. Then I hit the reverse and the engine broke out of the clickety-clack and stopped.
Then I attempted to run forward. The engine moved about a foot and stopped dead. I can not get my “TIU” to read the Triplex anymore.

[Mike Dorsch CJ&M r.r.]

I'm sorry to hear you had such a hard time with your new engine . I have a challenger on e bay right now that runs real good if you want to buy  that..........just kidding!  I'm sure once you get the bugs out of it you will love it as I did my challenger . I'm selling it cuz i'm going to St. Aubins open house next month and I want to get some new and different stuff. Good luck with it , it sure looks like a beauitful model .

[DMUinCT]

Interesting report.

    When Mike Wolf said I should buy a Triplex at the show last week, I told him it was too big to carry out to the yard each operating day. (I do have a Challenger).

     When you flag the "Clickety Clack" in the sound menu and the track speed exceedes 30mph the chug cuts out and goes to Clickety Clack. I don't like it and turn it off.  With small driver locomotives setting the "chugs per rev" to 2 in place of the prototypical 4 in the Sound menu does sound better at toy train speeds.

     AristoCraft does use brass frogs with a micro-switch on the #6 switches.  On the tighter switches, they have an improved plastic frog that can be ordered free (part # frog).

     Send a letter to Mage (service) or Mike Wolf (Pres) or Rich Foster (V.Pres) telling them of your problems.   They have pride in the product.