1st day with a MTH and I think $$$$ went up in smoke!!!

[flower123]

I think If you are using the Lionel KW you will need a Lionel 6-5906 Sound Activation button(about $15) to get the most out of your MTH with Proto Sound. Secondly, with regards to the battery.  If you replace it with a J&W Battery 9 volt replacement, you will never have to charge your battery again.  They are about $20, but well worth it.  Ready to go when you start the engine.  MTH is OK, but I really love my Legacy. Hope this helps.  However, the MTH do pour out some smoke.

[challenger3980]

Hi Guys,

   I can give you one REALLY GOOD possible reason that the shop reccomended the KW rather than DCS. Jeremy said that his Locomotive has Proto Sound & Proto Smoke, he didn't say it has Proto Sound 2. DCS wont do anything for a PS1 locomotive that conventional control wont do, as far as I know.

   Jeremy has PM'ed me and said that he has gotten the 3 Clangs of Doom, which is usually from a PS1 locomotive with a weak battery. From what I know, and what he has told me, it sounds like he needs a reset kit, to restore  aq scrambled control chip.

Doug

[Berk765]

The transformer might just not be compatible with the engine. My MTH does wierd things when I run it on the Lionel CW-80 transformer. Might be that.

[dwiemer]

Not being familiar with your locomotive, but it may have a switch in the cab, or under it that can shut off smoke without using DCS to do it.  May want to check before the charging.  If you leave the smoke unit on and let it run out of smoke fluid, it will burn the smoke unit up.

Dennis

[dougdagrump]

If you go to the MTH website and do a search for the engine based on either the part number or the number on the engine you will be able to read an on-line owner's manual. It will tell you where the smoke and sound control switches are located.

[jayres1973]

The shop was the "ROUNDHOUSE" in Louisville, Ky. They're really big on Lionel. And I'm using a fan to get the smoke out of the room. I don't think I can turn it off, all I have is a Lionel KW transformer going to the track. It's 190 watts, but only has the whistle switch and direction button.

Thanks again, Jeremy

[dougdagrump]

If you do the battery charge on the tracks be sure to turn off the smoke.

If you want you could always add the DCS controls later. Per the MTH  site the KW is compatible.

[ben10ben]

 I too am really curious as to why they would suggest a KW over DCS.

The shop wasn't Berkshire Trains in Lexington by some remote chance, was it?

[Buckeye Riveter]

sir james I

I have some of their engines(seven or eight) and would like to say a few words about them, but I  won't.

Don't worry, SJ, over the years many of said plenty.  At least Jeremy is not using RealTrax switches.  Did I mention to you guys that I had to fix another one? 

 

[sir james I]

Fastest way to charge is leave engine on the track and let it sit at 12 volts. Put paper on the track in front of the engine so if it were to take off the engine would run onto the paper and stop. If after ten or fifteen minutes the engine still does not run it may need to be charged outside the tender or replaced. Depends how long the dealer had it. It takes about 12 hours for a full charge.

I have some of their engines(seven or eight) and would like to say a few words about them, but I  won't.

[dwiemer]

You can do a search here of the forum, or, you could search MTH's web site for information regarding the charging system on your engine.  From what I recall, you leave the engine on the track with the engine in neutral and the transformer at 18v for a few hours.

Dennis

[ChiefEagles]

Should power it up in idle and let it sit for several hours.  Not the best way to charge one.  I have a charger that plugs in.  KW is OK but should have some overload protection.  The breaker in the KW is NOT enough.

[jayres1973]

We took the Loco out of the box to check it out and forgot it at the shop, ... the shop is about an hour from me, so they're mailing it to me. how do you charge it up?

[chuck]

Check the engine's manual about the battery and the charging procedures.  A PS-2 engine won't run with a dead battery and it's possible the one in the unit may need to charge up for a while if it's been on the shelf in the shop.

[rtraincollector]

jayres1973

I bought a MTH railking with Protosound/smoke yesterday. I was looking at the MTH DCS, but the shop owner suggested that I buy a KW transformer instead. He guaranteed the KW for a year, unlike the DCS system. So, now, .... being the first train set I've ever owned, I put the track together, .... it's the lionel fastrack O 36, it's all they had .. I was wanting the atlas stuff, but back to the situation, I wired the transformer to the track, set the loco and the tender on the track, the headlight lit briefly, the smoke was filling the room but it wouldn't move. So, I pushed the direction button on the KW a few times and the MTH started moving to my delight., .... made the chugging sounds, brakes squeals, horn, whistle, ... that was all good. that worked for about ten minutes. I stopped the loco by the handle on the KW and then unplugged the KW from the wall. I went back in the room powered it up again and the loco started running but no sound, no chug, no lights, ...... and now the loco won't move it just sits there puffing smoke as it should, not from anywhere else, ... but no movement. "Did I just burn up a lot of money???

thanks, Jeremy

First I'm not the best on this but to my understanding :

I'm lost as why he would sugest the KW over a DCS system as to get the most out of the engine you need the DCS system.

now the KW is great but it can't do all the DCS can for a MTH engine as KW is Lionel and just a transformer not the operating system.

Now for what the engine did I'm not sure but it should be under warnanty but after you get this all straightened I think I would be finding a new hobby shop. Now the person to help the most that I can think of is Don Baker hes out in CA. but comes on here very regular. he goes into the coffee shop I will try to email and see if he can give you better help

[jayres1973]

I bought a MTH railking with Protosound/smoke yesterday. I was looking at the MTH DCS, but the shop owner suggested that I buy a KW transformer instead. He guaranteed the KW for a year, unlike the DCS system. So, now, .... being the first train set I've ever owned, I put the track together, .... it's the lionel fastrack O 36, it's all they had .. I was wanting the atlas stuff, but back to the situation, I wired the transformer to the track, set the loco and the tender on the track, the headlight lit briefly, the smoke was filling the room but it wouldn't move. So, I pushed the direction button on the KW a few times and the MTH started moving to my delight., .... made the chugging sounds, brakes squeals, horn, whistle, ... that was all good. that worked for about ten minutes. I stopped the loco by the handle on the KW and then unplugged the KW from the wall. I went back in the room powered it up again and the loco started running but no sound, no chug, no lights, ...... and now the loco won't move it just sits there puffing smoke as it should, not from anywhere else, ... but no movement. "Did I just burn up a lot of money???

thanks, Jeremy