@Craftech posted:
...EDIT: PROBLEM PARTIALLY SOLVED. Engine had "Speed Control" enabled. One quick horn + two quick bell presses followed by a two horn blast confirmation and speed control was disabled. It takes off like a bat out of heck now.
BUT, it resets itself to Speed Control ON every time you turn off the power and start it up again. Directions say that is normal.
Since it is "normal" for Speed Control to turn back ON between operating sessions, what is/are the remaining issues?
In round numbers, in conventional with Speed Control, PS2/PS3 engines follow a speed vs. track-voltage curve. I don't have an MTH subway, but all engines I've seen run about 20 sMPH at 12V AC...and then about 20sMPH/Volt above that...so 40 sMPH at 13V, 60sMPH at 14V, etc. I realize you aren't using command-control so scale speed may not be relevant or of any interest...but having actual numbers can be useful for troubleshooting/discussion purposes. That is, one person's "bat out of heck" may be another person's "stroll in the park".
If you're so inclined, run a few experiments measuring how long it takes the engine (with and without cars) to run a loop at different voltage settings. 1 sMPH = 0.37 inches/sec. Let's say your 4x8 is a 20 foot long loop (240 inches of track). And at some voltage it takes 30 seconds to run the loop. That's 240 inches in 30 sec = 8 inches/sec or about 22 sMPH. A typical PS2/PS3 engine in conventional with Speed Control ON should run that fast with12V AC on the track.
As for troubleshooting, with Speed Control ON, does the speed significantly slow down when you pull 3 cars vs. running by itself? This could point to a wiring issue with too much voltage drop from the transformer to the engine. One supposed advantage of Speed Control (in conventional) is you shouldn't have to constantly "fuss" with the throttle when going around curves particularly at slower speeds. That is, without Speed Control an engine might slow to a stop when going around a curve requiring constant adjustment of the throttle...which of course may be part of the fun (or not).
