I'm running this loco on a DCC layout. I've had the Empire State Express Hudson for about ten years and for reasons I have yet to understand, the sound functions come in and out. I think it is due to a combination of the function keys I press but I've never figured out why the sound comes and goes. I've gone through the manual and the only thing I found on sound control is a small knob in the tender that can be turned with a screwdriver. Just this evening I was playing with the function keys to see what I could figure out and when I pressed the 3 key, the sound came back on. I tested the bell (1) and whistle (2) and both worked fine. Then I made a short run with it and the chuffing sounds were working. These are really the only sound functions I really need and I should have stopped there but I started pressing the other keys to see what they did. #4 caused a station announcement to be made but when it was completed the bell started ringing and I couldn't shut it off. I finally lifted the wheels off the track and when I put it back down, the bell had stopped. I then tested all the other keys from 5 through 0. After doing that I discovered the 3 key which I had used to turn the sound on had shut off. Not only that, when I pressed the 3 key, it would only stay one momentarily while I held the key down. Now I'm completely confused and can't figure out how to turn the sound functions back on. Does anyone know the key or combination of keys that need to be pressed to get the sound functions back on?
John-NYBWDoes anyone know the key or combination of keys that need to be pressed to get the sound functions back on?
https://www.mthtrains.com/sites/default/files/Protosound%203.0%20Basic%20DCC%20Troubleshooting.pdf
The Empire State Express Hudson is my only MTH locomotive. I don't run it often enough to get very familiar with the functions but I do keep a chart handy since their function convention is not exactly what I'm used to.
Scroll down to page 22 here and print that page:
https://mthtrains.com/sites/default/files/download/instruction/80st15841i.pdf
F3 is startup/shutdown. Most other DCC decoders use F8 for this.
"PFA" is on F4. That's MTH lingo for Passenger Freight Announcement. In one scenario I read that the bell will continue to ring until you bring the speed to zero (or lift the engine off the rails as you have done).
F6 will mute the sound. Unlike F3 the engine will continue to run but without sound other than whistle and bell.
F7 will step theough sound volume levels. Press it enough and I suppose you can mute the sound.
F8 turns the smoke maker on or off (in addition to the switch on the tender).
F9 to 28 are more gimmicky sounds.
Hope that helps —
Good Luck, Ed
What DCC system are you using? Normally only F2 is momentary, for the whistle. But in some systems it's possible to also make F3 a momentary function, which it appears you have done. This is a throttle function, has nothing to do with the loco.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
rrinker What DCC system are you using? Normally only F2 is momentary, for the whistle. But in some systems it's possible to also make F3 a momentary function, which it appears you have done. This is a throttle function, has nothing to do with the loco. --Randy
I'm using a Lenz system with a LH100 tethered throttle. At first when I was experimenting, I hit the 3 key and it stayed on and it brought the sound to life. I then started experimenting with the rest of the keyboard just to see what each numbered key would produce in the way of sound and that's when things went haywire. Apparently one of the combinations of keys I hit not only killed the sound but turned the 3 key into momentary mode. I've been reading through my LH100 manual trying to find answers but so far no luck. The throttle is somewhat finnicky in that sometimes if I don't press the key firmly enough it doesn't take so I'm not even sure what combination of keys I might have hit.
Well, that painful than it needed to be, it's under the loco settings, not the throttle settings.
You probably hit F 1 and then 3. Select your loco, and then hit F and 1. Across the bottom it will show functions 0-8. The ones that it shows the number for, are in continuous or latched mode, the ones that are missing are in momentary mode. So you will probably see 0 1 4 5 6 7 8 on yours. Press 3 and 3 should come back. Then press Enter, and if necessary, Esc to go back to the running screen.
rrinker Well, that painful than it needed to be, it's under the loco settings, not the throttle settings. You probably hit F 1 and then 3. Select your loco, and then hit F and 1. Across the bottom it will show functions 0-8. The ones that it shows the number for, are in continuous or latched mode, the ones that are missing are in momentary mode. So you will probably see 0 1 4 5 6 7 8 on yours. Press 3 and 3 should come back. Then press Enter, and if necessary, Esc to go back to the running screen. --Randy
When I powered the layout back up this morning, things seemed to return to normal and I had sort of figured out what you are telling me now. The 3 key was no longer in momentary mode. I had figured out that if I pressed 3, the sound would return. It seemed like the chuffing didn't start until I had first sounded the whistle. That seemed to jump start the chuffing. I still don't think I completely understand what is going on but I have the bell, the whistle, and the chuff so I'm going to leave well enough alone.
I was having a similar problem with my Trix Mikado which I got second hand at an estate sale and it had no manual. The sound seemed to come and go just like the MTH Hudson. I finally figured out that it is the 1 key which turns sound on and off and the whistle is the 3 key. I just have to keep straight in my head how these two locos are different from all the others on my roster.
Thanks for the help.
John-NYBWI had figured out that if I pressed 3, the sound would return.
Did you read any of the documentation I included the links to?
Your answers lie within.
John-NYBW I finally figured out that it is the 1 key which turns sound on and off and the whistle is the 3 key. I just have to keep straight in my head how these two locos are different from all the others on my roster.
As I mentioned in my reply above, you can print page 22 of the MTH manual and keep this chart as a handy reference. This is a downside of having sound decoders from different manufacturers.
Maybe you don't have Acrobat Reader? Here is the chart I was trying to show you:
MTH_Function by Edmund, on Flickr
So far, I haven't found the English Version of the Trix Mikado instruction sheet. Mine is non-sound and I installed my own decoder of choice. Translation can be accomplished using Google Translate.
https://static.maerklin.de/damcontent/d1/92/d19256d2eb9fb1c861a9e505fc67bd201464798438.pdf
IIRC the early Trix Mikados had an ESU V3 or 3.5 in them. Again, the Function assignments are not the same convention as MTH or some of the more recent decoders.
Trix_2-8-2_DCC by Edmund, on Flickr
Just trying to help, Ed
And the Trix Mike, being an old ESU decoder, follows the Euro convention of F3 for whistle, which is why many systems give you the option of making F3 a momentary or a latching function. Lenz appears to allow you to set any F key as momentary, on a per loco address basis (there has to be some limit to how many it can remember, the memory of the command station and/or throttle is not unlimited).
So to run the Trix Mike easily, for that loco's address, F3 should be set momentary, but for the MTH, it needs to be latching. Which appears to be completely doable according to the Lenz user manual. The settings would be remembered, so switching between the two locos would result in the appropriate action for the F3 key.
gmpullman Did you read any of the documentation I included the links to? Your answers lie within.
I had read the documentation but with the LH100 on my Lenz system going haywire, I wasn't able to put it to use. After shutting down and coming back the next day, it seemed to have reset and I was able to play around with it to the point I was able to get the chuffing sound back on. The list of function keys was helpful but I'm wondering if my Hudson might be an earlier generation because not all of the keys seem to function the way the list indicates they should.