any help on proto 1.0 still?

whats the model number of the engine?

Are you sure battery is good?  Was it tested under load?  Maybe the battery terminal is corroded or the resistor opened in the circuit.   G

i would suggest a reset 18 and then try the engine again. i have 3 or 4 such engines and usually reset usually restores then to operation AS LONG AS THE 9. VOLT BATTERY IS NOT HOLDING A CHARGE!

When in any doubt, change the battery OTHERWISE you may BLOW THE BOARDS and a battery is much cheaper then buying the electronics.Also the boards are no longer made anymore so you may have trouble trying to find the boards

If i can help you let me know! Where do you live, I'm in NEW JERSEY

Alan

The boards do not blow because of a weak or dead battery.  The memory may get scrambled, but that is resettable.

 

His train is running, just not playing shutdown sounds.  So something in the battery path is not right.

 

Many times the battery harness can go bad.  G

thanks folks for this info.  I have 2 good 9v so I will try to check wiring but all terminals look brand new.  With your info I understand that shutdown sounds are not there because battery signal not being seen.  I was worried that something else was maybe wrong but you've set my mind at ease on that.  Will triple check wiring for an open

I would think you could measure the voltage right at the battery clip with battery removed. maybe 10 volts or so. Most of the early proto1s would run without a battery.

OK George i understand!

Alan

just trying to help a fellow member

 

ok fellows, I very carefully removed the complete plug in harness for the battery and tested the Blk/Red wires for continuity to the plug in connector to the board and they appear perfect, put it all back together very carefully but still no shutdown sounds, still seems the board cannot see the battery.  any thoughts?  Loco shows very little signs of use. This is a 20-3024-1 engine

George, I was trying to purchase a Diesel engine ABA B & O railroad and the person  selling it told me he smelled a burn smell and the engine would not run, also proto 1 and had a WHITE battery in the engine, he try to see if it ran and during the process something in the Diesel burn up he smelled it! I tried to purchase the engine because it was never used and only stored for many years,why do you think something burnt up? George!

 

Alan

 

 

I'm would like to know what type of battery you are using. Is it a regular 9 volt or recargable MTH 8.4 volt. If it is a MTH battery and is white, throw it away. I would try the reset 18 first. Anytime my Protos's did weird stuff, that always fixed it. For some reason you can reset something on proto engines and not know it.

I believe what George said earlier was correct! the sounds are not playing because  there must not be a battery voltage at the sound board. Makes perfect sense to me!

Alan

problem solved!!

White MTH 9v both bad but measured 9v. never had that problem before.  Have a temp

9v energizer in there and all is great.  thanks for this battery info.  I never would have figured this out

O gauger

If you EVER see an MTH white battery in a PS/1 or PS/2 engine, do not power it up, just take it out and throw it away!  Those are way past their useful life, they're at least 10 years old, they don't last that long!

 

Rechargeable batteries can show a voltage potential, but not have enough energy to drive a load.  The only proper way to test a battery is under load.  A light bulb works fine.  G

There are certainly things that can burn up.  IF overloaded the motor side diodes can go bad, if a wire is shorted, there are transistors and diodes that can go bad.  If it has smoke unit, that can smell like burned components.   Hard to say without inspecting the engine.  G

thanks for all the help again but I have one more technical question fellows.  I noticed when testing my battery circuit for continuity that there was a small piece of a very thin wafer-like material under a  small screw that holds the protosound board in place.

I am curious as to its purpose and if lost does it need to be replaced with the exact same material.

 O gauger

YES!  That material is a thermal insulator, you can't connect that regulator directly to the chassis.  You'll notice there's also a plastic shoulder washer through the mounting hole to keep the tab totally insulated.  Those clear ones are mica, but there are other materials that do the same job.

 

Always measure continuity on PS1 boards from the battery clip to the bottom of the board where the red and black battery wire attaches.  If your battery is white, throw it away. 

 

John, it still amazes me how many people will say the battery is good without proper testing.

I recommend a BCR (Battery Component Replacement) from J and W Electronics

 

A BCR is the same size as a 9-volt battery but it works much better. Apply 10 volts for 1 minute and a locomotive is ready to go.

 

I installed them in all my PS-1 systems and they have worked perfectly.

It doesn't work better it works differently:-)  G

I've almost stopped being amazed Marty.