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I've been having problems adding several PS2 engines to my DCS. These engines operated quite well for years, as do numerous others still. 

When I couldn't start my NYC Niagara and N&W J on the layout, I decided to move each engine to my test track, one at a time. Neither would start, so I deleted each engine and tried to re-add them. The message I get back, however, is that there is no engine to add. I've tethered the remote to the TIU, but get the same results. When I try the "Read"command, it finds TIU 1 but says that there are no engines on the test track. (I have version 6.10) I also tried to recover each of these engines but with no success. 

Any suggestions or tips would be most welcome.

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you might try making sure the battery's are good and hold a charge take battery out and put a light bulb or load and see how long the charge holds especially if you let your engine sit for long periods of time! I item number would help with your engines! try good batteries and try a conventional reset if that don't work and there 5 volt boards probably bad boards!

It would help if you include the item # in your post.  Try the following:      

1.  Apply 18VAC to your test track thru your TIU.  check voltage with a DVM.

2.  Place a known good running engine on the track, reapply the 18 VAC.

3.  On your DCS remote hit the green Engine button.  Click S/U  (set up)

4.  Follow instructions that come up on the screen to add the engine.

5.  What do you get?

Bruce

Many thanks for your suggestions. The engines in question are 20-3024-1 that has been upgraded to PS2 (with a BCR2) and 20-3047-1(with a BCR). I ran the Niagara as recently as 10 days ago; the N&W about a month ago before it developed the current problem.

I tried Bruce's suggestion. Track power is nearly identical to the transformer power. When I put a good engine on the test track and hit S/U, the response was "Engine in remote." 

Does a conventional reset mean pressing the horn button and then the bell button five times? I tried this numerous times but didn't get the two whistle blasts in response.

I turned off power to the TIU overnight but when I powered up today this didn't solve the problem. The remote still won't recognize the two engines. 

I did discover one other problem engine today: a C&O Allegheny (20-3115-1). This engine ran as recently as last weekend, but today when I tried to start the engine on the track I got the message "Engine not on track." I tried it on the test track with the same result. But when I accidentally attached the power cord from the tender to the engine with power on the track, the engine started. The lights came on, sounds came on, steam, etc. But I couldn't turn off the engine except by turning off track power. When I tried to start the engine by conventional means, the "Engine not on track" message appeared. My suspicion is that these engines are OK but that something is wrong with the TIU or remote, but I don't know where to go from here.

Did you try tethering your remote to the TIU with a curly telephone cord? Your transceiver board in one or the other may have come loose. If that test works, you'll have to open them up and push down on them to reseat them. Then add a piece of foam to both their cover's to keep pressure on the boards so it don't happen again.

I'm starting to think your TIU may have experienced some signal loss for the DCS signal, did you try a different TIU channel?  If this is a Rev. L TIU, there is a recurring issue with the 74ACT244 chip losing gates and causing low DCS signal output.  What happens is marginal locomotives start failing to add first, as more gates in the chip fail, more locomotives fail to be recognized.  This has been discussed at some length here.

Some of the testing they can do, the signal strength is a little tricky, which is why we came up with the TIU signal tester.

However, many hobby shops don't have things like oscilloscopes and the like, so they might think testing the TIU with a locomotive on a test track is good enough, and it's really not.

Here's the whole thread on the TIU Tester project starting with Adrian's original idea for it.

Design of a $10-20 DCS-TIU Port Tester Tool?

Here's a quick demo I did with the TIU signal tester.

A shot of the actual PCB.

Dave, thanks for your suggestion about tethering the remote. Tried this but no results.

I did try using Fixed channel 2 on the test track and could then add the two engines. (I have the Rev L TIU.) So apparently Channel 1 is the culprit.  After I added the two engines, I could then run them via Channel 1. Many thanks for the suggestion to try a different channel. I haven't had time to look at the thread but will do so later tonight. Meanwhile it's a relief to have two engines back on track!

Guys like product numbers but when you say all of my trains no longer work on my layout, it really does point to the layout.  Make sure you have clean track, tight wire connections and did you do anything new?  Now that you have isolated a weak Fixed 1 but do have it working when engine loaded on Fix2, do a Track signal strength test with a single loco.  Use the same loop, once powered by F2 and the next time by F1.  If F1 is less chances are it is degraded and needs repair.  But worth making sure ALL DCS channels on.  And you can reset the TIU, followed by re adding engines one at a time.  G

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