If you didn;t get the plain couplers, might need to contact MTH. All the ones with the remote couplers come with a pair of plain couplers to swap out, if they were missing, someone took them out or forgot to put them in.
With each update to Protosounds 3.0, they have improved the DCC functionality. Mainly because people keep complaining. Some of the older locos can be updated, but you need a DCS system to do it. An MTH dealer should be able to help there.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
maxman Looking at the blurb on the MTH site, http://www.mthtrains.com/content/80-2147-1, all you can do with a DCC system is access the 28 different functions. You are not going to be able to read or change any CVs. However, you should also be able to change the address. Possibly you should re-post your question with a title like "how do I change the address on my MTH GG1?"
Looking at the blurb on the MTH site, http://www.mthtrains.com/content/80-2147-1, all you can do with a DCC system is access the 28 different functions. You are not going to be able to read or change any CVs. However, you should also be able to change the address.
Possibly you should re-post your question with a title like "how do I change the address on my MTH GG1?"
I know this is an older post, but I'm not sure this is entirely true. I just reprogrammed my MTH GG1 last night. This was one of the newly released Conrail GG1s that came out this past January.
Specifically, I gave it a 4 digit address, and changed CV52 to 1 to engage its "PWM" mode. This allows the MTH GG1s to run the same as the BLI GG1s so that they can be put in a consist together (three Conrail GG1s were pretty fun to run together!)
Important Note Added 7/11/13- Do not use the PWM mode, just change CV53 and 54 to 0 to make it run with the BLI GG1s. The problem is that the "Pulse Width Modulation" mode will burn out motors if the engine is run at a sustained speed. I'm told that the "pulse" cook the insulation off the motor windings if the GG1 were to be used running laps on oval for an hour or so.
This mode is apparently meant for switchers and things where the engine isn't doing a lot of work.
Maybe MTH has changed their capabilities? If that is the case, I'm a little less frustrated by them.
I used an NCE Power Pro in Programming on the Main mode.
Modeling Conrail, Amtrak and NJ DOT under the wires in New Jersey, July 1979.
For a locomotive costing USD400 I just can't understand how can MTH afford such things...
My unit did not come with replacement couplings. What to do now?
The MTH remote couplers are horrible. You need to literally slam into the cars to couple on, even if you open up the coupler first. It should have come with a pair of normal couplers yiu can swap out, which will result in much better performance (but no remote uncoupling).
Another question on my GG1: the couplers.
They just hardly couple at all! Manual states just F7/8 for them to perform but in fact, they just don't!
Any experience with them?
Thanks!
Sebastian
BTW, my GG1 came with only 3 screws linking frame and body. What to do now?
Thanks, Randy, it's good know they're both all metal...I guess it fits since the tooling would have been designed for metal shells for the MTH locos.
Crandell
The BLI one was all metal as well. Heavy. Had no trouble pulling a string of older cars with Walthers and Central Valley trucks, which aren't anywhere near as free rolling as modern stuff.
I am sorry, but I have not seen another GG1, so my Trix is the only exposure I have. I can tell you that it is all metal, well painted and decaled, detailed to what I would call 'average' extent, not super-detailed, but not a lot of molded-on stuff either. The fans sound is good as far as I can tell, and seems to be realistic. Horn is good, and so is the bell. It rides very smoothly and is heavy. For the price, it was a very good purchase.
The MTH model has been available since about 2009-ish, if I recall, and is rather expensive, but most of that company's locos are expensive in the non-diesel classes, at least in HO. The MTH GG1 is fashioned closely after the BLI one from a few years earlier because MTH won the tooling for the BLI GG1 in a lawsuit if won over BLI's builder. The builder owned the tooling, apparently, a rather biting loss to BLI.
The MTH version is all metal, so presumably heavier than the BLI version. In the BLI version's case, I have heard nothing but good about them. I have never read a comparison between any two GG1's.
Hopefully someone will speak up who has observed a couple and formed an opinion.
I'd be interested to read a comparison between the Trix GG1 and the BLI or MTH GG1.
Anyone could share his/her thoughts?
The MTH GG1 is probably worse than the NEM couplers - it has their remote uncoupling ones. Although at least on my FA's they supply a set of plain couplers to replace them - it's a bit of delicate surgery to get in there and swap them though, and I totally forgot I meant to do so between the last two shows I used them at - so I was faced with my A and B constantly comoing apart. The MTH couplers need to be really slammed together to make them couple up, and the remote uncoupling is just too gimmicky - how ofter are you dropping the entire train? And since only 1 needs to open, having the automatics on both ends of an A and B that are always coupled together is just silly. And under power - they don't stay together. I was definitely NOT hitting the front or rear coupler buttons, yet my A and B would come apart and since the A then had no load, it would run away in front of the B and the train. The B never came uncoupled from the rest of the train.
I was in reverse of regular railroad practice - I was ready to toss the FAs in a trash can and pull the train with my PCM T-1, the steamer is more reliable. Between the undesired incoupling and the sound just stopping for no real reason - I've had it with MTH. Think I'll put Loksound decoders in my Proto set and get rid of these.
rrinker My ex father in law has a BLI one, I don;t think he paid more than $250 for it with sound, ran great, never a problem. Despite being a die-cast metal shell, it was nicer looking than any of his Rivarossi or Mehano plastic ones. Sound is sort of a waste though, other than the horn and bell. There's just not a lot of sound to an electric loco. --Randy
My ex father in law has a BLI one, I don;t think he paid more than $250 for it with sound, ran great, never a problem. Despite being a die-cast metal shell, it was nicer looking than any of his Rivarossi or Mehano plastic ones. Sound is sort of a waste though, other than the horn and bell. There's just not a lot of sound to an electric loco.
One of my closest modeling friends isa PRR modeler, building a layout depecting the PRR in Baltimore circa 1947.
He has a whole fleet of BLI GG1's, all bought for $250 or less. They do run nice and look good.
As for the sound, you know I'm not into sound, but a GG1 has large noisey cooling fans for the traction motors - that is the primary sound created by the sound system. Sure, not the sound of a diesel prime mover, but a motor sound none the less.
I can't speak about the Trix version, never even seen one.
One thing that turned me off a little with the BLI model is the NEM style coupler mountings. I wonder if MTH changed that? That has also been one of my complaints with other Trix stuff I have seem - that and PA's with pilots that swivel like LIONEL - no thanks I'll pass.
I have a moderate sized fleet of Proto PA's for less than a single AA set from Trix - and they run real nice.
Sheldon
$350 was a great price on that, Crandell. I picked up both of my Trix Mikes for $225 and $250 several years ago.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
I gave up on a BLI GG1 four years ago because they were overpriced and rare. I found a Trix one at Modelbahn Otto, I think it was (spelled). It was the last one he knew of, and I snapped it up for about $350, a steal if you ask me.
It has the two working pantographs, a LokSound 3.0 or earlier version, sounds great, runs like a rabbit, and as sure footed. I wouldn't part with it.
selectorI don't believe BLI has made any GG1's since about 2004/5, and I don't know that they intend to bring another to market. In fact, the MTH HO GG1 is BLI's model won as part of the spoils in a lawsuit BLI's builder in Korea lost to MTH. It just has the myopic DCS system installed.
I had forgotten TRIX even made one.
I am just glad you got it working regardless of the brand. Nothing worse than a loco that won't run right due to electronics - like my Genesis 4-6-6-4. Groan.
I'm sorry, I oversaw your question.
I use the Roco Multizentrale Pro.
THANKS! I made it!
After reseting it, it worked and I could enter CV1 and moddify the address. As if it was a miracle.
I have no other explanation. Possibly so many short circuits created bugs in the decoder which could only dissapear by doing a reset.
Now, why to put the Digital Station into PoM just to change an address? Furthermore, not to be able to read CVs in a locomotive that cost USD 400??
The GG1 here looks ok. The GG1 will always be a "look at me". Cheap models by Mehano etc. don't look radically different. The great difference might be the wheels and the chasis. The rest is more or less the same. Quality seems ok, but hey, I expected great, elevated quality. Has anyone compared the MTH (or BLI) GG1 to the Trix GG1? What are your comments?
Sebastian,
I'll ask the question again: Which DCC system are you using? NCE has a special sheet for addressing MTH locomotives with their DCC systems. Even if yours is not an NCE system, it may have some helpful hints anyhow.
i love the look of MTH but i have my own misfortunes with & MTH big boy sad cause they could be soo much better
Are you SURE it's going backwards? Or just backwards from what it was - check the little 'F' decal on the frame corner.
If it's backwards, add 1 to CV39, so try 39.
There's another reset, a double click of F28 I think, at least on my FA's. On the main, when normally operating.
The primary reset is to put the loco ont he main, call up address 55 - SHORT address 55, so no leading 0's with NCE. Select programming ont he main, set CV55 to 55. Then take the loco off the track, or tip it, to depower it, and then reapply power, it should be on address 3 now.
Make sure no other locos with address 55 or consist 55 are on the track when you do this.
I don't believe BLI has made any GG1's since about 2004/5, and I don't know that they intend to bring another to market. In fact, the MTH HO GG1 is BLI's model won as part of the spoils in a lawsuit BLI's builder in Korea lost to MTH. It just has the myopic DCS system installed.
duckdoggerWow, you guys are really making me feel warm and fuzzy about my purchase.
So, I should keep the locos and rip out the MTH decoder/sound system replacing it with Tsunami?
If one suggestion doesn't work you can reset it back to factory settings. Try a different set of directions.
If all else fails instead of ripping it appart I think I would sell it and buy a BLI model of the same loco from eBay or the like. I sitll kick myself for not buying a bunch of the BLIs when Train World was selling them for $129.
I think the first thing is to go back and read the manual and make sure you are following the instructions completely. For example, it says that there is a switch that you have to move from one position to the other depending on whether you are using DCS or DCC. Did you do that? Also, it says that you have to remove the power from the loco for at least 5 seconds or else the changes won't be remembered. Did you do that? It suggests that you use programming on the main to get the long address changed, and that you need to program CVs 17 and 18 to get the long address, and refers you to a conversion table. Did you do that?
I don't have one of these, so I'm just trying to be helpful.
Good luck.
Wow, you guys are really making me feel warm and fuzzy about my purchase. So, I should keep the locos and rip out the MTH decoder/sound system replacing it with Tsunami?
Short of that Lemming jumping off a cliff move, you are saying it is hopeless? I'd be happy with, "No, it's only catastrophic ".
maxman I see a lot of opinions, but no definitive answer. Certainly someone should have one of these locos, or have a copy of the quick start guide. Or at least a link to an on-line instruction manual.
I see a lot of opinions, but no definitive answer. Certainly someone should have one of these locos, or have a copy of the quick start guide. Or at least a link to an on-line instruction manual.
Seems to me in a recent thread I suggested not too many people who frequent this forum were buying MTH based on the lack of conversation about same - maybe I was right after all.
Don't you understand, Mike Wolf is just like a socialist government - he knows what is better for you than anything you know yourself - simply submit and buy DCS, and throw away all those inferior DCC and DC model trains.
Just give him all your money and he will take care of you - trust me.
I just read the prices in the April MR of the upcomming MTH releases, and at first I thought that was the April Fools Joke.
(hiding in my bunker with my DC powered trains and a stash of Aristo Train Engineer throttles)
So, give me the bad news; I'm an adult and I can handle it.
Ordered an HO set of the PAs with 3.0 sound in War Bonnet from the Feb 2013 release. My LHS has had address programming "challenges" with the older runs due to their affinity for track power. What should I expect with my NCE 5 amp system?
Ok, so I did this (CV Mod in POM mode) and I got a "user break" message on the screen of my station.
And after setting CV 29 = 38, I have inverted the direction of the locomotive
How do I restore it?
I tried changing the address on CV 1 but nothing happened other than "no confirmation" message. Address keeps being 3.
I have read the manual throughout (http://www.mthtrains.com/sites/default/files/download/instruction/80dl13833i.pdf)
There is a troubleshooting section, with the issue of the address. According to this wording, I should be able to change the CV in the program track!
"
Lost or Unknown Address Solution
I can't call up my engine on the address I believe it to be set at
So, I am irritated to have this issue on a USD 400 model. What is this supposed to mean???