Flyer PRR 2-8-8-2

I have that engine as well. The S gauge 2-8-8-2 is a nice engine. A weak spot is the only power pickups for the engine are the pilot truck and the trailing truck. The tender has its own power pickups and functions without issue. The four pickup wheels need to be frequently cleaned for the engine to run well. The pilot and trailing trucks have little force holding them against the rails. If the engine still stops it might be a weak Legacy signal. Hold your hand just above the engine shell and see if it still stops at those locations. I also have the Santa Fe version of the 2013 Y3, it seems more tolerant of less than perfectly clean wheels.

If the Legacy signal is the cause try putting a .1 mfd, 50V ceramic capacitor across the two rails. This will put the Legacy signal on both rails improving reception.

I have two of the latest Y3 releases with whistle steam. These seem to never stop like the 374 does.

It is hard to believe that an engine made in the last decade or two would include 16 engine wheels that don't pick up any power, and a tender that does pick up power but isn't tied to the motor pick-ups. Wow.

IMPORTANT UPDATE! I decided to see if the problem was mechanical, as it seemed to come to a sudden stop, no coasting. I started by checking the forward/aft play in the wheels: the rear set had a bit, the front set had none! I had the same problem with my Big Boy a few years ago. Took the casing off the bottom of the drivers and it was the same as the BB, one wheel on the end of the gear driven axle was free spinning. The result is, it would run some, then the linkage would bind up as the wheel would no longer be quartered. Easy fix, but frustrating.

Thanks for the update. I have a Big Boy and four Y3's, fortunately never had that problem.

On the old OMNICON Pa DRIVE KIT, WHERE where there instructions included: especially so for the fill in pilot stamping..That item does not measure up for installing without modifications..

I do not understand the post above.

However, the new geared axle arrived, is installed and the engine runs like it should. Of the Big Boy, the Challenger, and the Y3, I think the Y3 is my favorite. I installed a grain of rice in the tender dog house, per an article in the S Guagian. It's a bit bright so will install with a smaller light that I found in my parts box. It may be possible to install a brakeman in there, but haven't pursued that yet.

Now my only complaint, which is admittedly minor, is that the light in the cab does not light up. I have done a factory reset, and the sequence of Aux 2, Brake, Aux 2, but that doesn't do it.

The light in the cab is only illuminated when the engine is stopped. As soon as the engine receives a command to start moving the light shuts off.

The Aux2 button turns all lights on and off, I think they all operate normally after powering down the engine and restarting. In the Mikado and Pacific TMCC engines the cab lights were always on.

I understand what you're saying, but the cab light never comes on, even after a system restore to factory settings.