MTH Rail King SD-45 won't run

Still could be the battery ...Power it up and then  shut off  track power. Sounds should continue on for at least 6 or 7 seconds.

Thanks.  The sounds turn off with the track power so it must be dead.  The manual said to charge it on the track for 6-7 hours then. Or buy the battery charger.  I'm surprised the battery affects the direction control and not just the sounds. 

Has the battery ever been changed? If not, that engine (30-2363-1) is 15 years old and it's well past time for a new one. I would buy the battery before the charger.

Thanks.  I was afraid of that.   It's never been changed.  I didn't even know there was such a thing with these engines.  

I guess that was only 14 years old (Mar. 2003), but still time for a battery replacement. Some of the good MTH techs here recommend getting the proper MTH replacement battery.

Definitely.  Just hope I dont have to buy another battery the next time I want to run it in however many years.  

So here's an update:  I read the manual more thoroughly and found that the battery is needed to control the direction.   Also, the battery can be replaced with a standard 9 volt alkaline battery which is good because I was unable to find a replacement battery on the MTH parts site or eBay.  Unless there is a new battery that replaces the original model number PB 1605.

The shell requires 6 mounting screws to be removed and were pictured in the manual under lubrication and maintenance.  

I replaced the rechargeable battery with the 9v alkaline battery and the engine runs now!

I will have to remove the battery when I store it and leave a note to remind me it needs the battery to run.  So if anyone else is in the same situation with this beautiful piece of junk I hope this thread will find you. 

I replaced the rechargeable battery with the 9v alkaline battery and the engine runs now!

You didn't read the entire statement. The manual clearly states that this is a temporary fix only!

If left in the engine, eventually the Alkaline battery's inability to accept a charge will cause it to explode, leak, catch fire, or otherwise create a mess.

Barry Broskowitz posted:

I replaced the rechargeable battery with the 9v alkaline battery and the engine runs now!

You didn't read the entire statement. The manual clearly states that this is a temporary fix only!

If left in the engine, eventually the Alkaline battery's inability to accept a charge will cause it to explode, leak, catch fire, or otherwise create a mess.

Thanks for your concern but my manual for this engine doesn't say that.  I will not be leaving the battery in it for more than a few days before it goes back in the box.

Attatched is a picture of the battery statement. 

Thanks for your concern but my manual for this engine doesn't say that.

What part of "...until your replacement arrives..." leads you to believe that the Alkaline battery may be left in in place long-term?  

As I've stated clearly the alkaline battery will only be in temporarily                So it will not be in "long term".  I just needed the 9 volt to get the engine to run.  Now it will be removed.   You have a nice day now. 

Further research led me to an article published in Classic Toy Trains magazine in 2010 about replacement alternatives for MTH rechargeable batteries.

 I also backtracked the part numbers on the MTH website to see if they coincided with items listed on eBay and I learned that the new MTH battery number is : 50-1008 or part number BG-4000005 witten on the actual battery.

Barry is very knowledgeable on MTH products and he is only trying to keep you from ruining your engine. He helps all of us here with MTH and DCS when we need it (his book is also worth every penny if you are using DCS). That is also why I didn't bother to suggest the 9v alkaline battery test and only suggested the new MTH battery. 

There is one other option, the Battery Component Replacement (or BCR). Might be worth taking a look, although these have been reported to go bad just like the batteries? I don't think they leak though, but I don't have any and have never used one.

rtr12 posted:

Barry is very knowledgeable on MTH products and he is only trying to keep you from ruining your engine. He helps all of us here with MTH and DCS when we need it (his book is also worth every penny if you are using DCS). That is also why I didn't bother to suggest the 9v alkaline battery test and only suggested the new MTH battery. 

There is one other option, the Battery Component Replacement (or BCR). Might be worth taking a look, although these have been reported to go bad just like the batteries? I don't think they leak though, but I don't have any and have never used one.

Thanks.  He didn't seem to understand that I was using the 9 volt temporarily as is suggested in the manual.  He kept insinuating that I would leave it in "long term" and seemed obnoxious about me neglecting to read the manual.   I didn't want to keep going back and forth here as is the case in many forums where people have arguments.   

I did what I needed to do and researched it thoroughly then posted my findings since there was little info about this when I did my initial search.  

Let me just make it more clear as what is considered temporary and long term regarding the use of a common none recharging battery. 

Temporary would be as a testing operation only so see if the sounds are working.

Testing only. 

Anything other which would be operating it for any length of time is not recommended.

This is because the power unit itself has a charger and with that would be charging a battery that is not meant to. Which can and will cause it to overheat with every minute of use. At what point will that cause trouble is anyone's guess. 

Bottom line is, anyone that is involved with this hobby, having an extra rechargeable 9v and a charger is a must.