Mth ho steam engines

First let me say, the MTH HO is amazing!

 

The DCS you have should be upgraded to the most current version.  It is free and you can do it yourself.  You will need to run your HO with an approved DC power source trough your TIU.  It works just like the O Scale stuff.  You can even use the same remote and TIU to run both HO and O.

 

I believe the Mikados are out of stock and the Big Boys are not in yet.

 

Dave

 

 

Do not know much about DC operation and the PS3 electronics used in the HO equipment but one of the things that seems to be certin is that you can not feed DC into the input of the TIU. If this is true then I do not see where a TIU would work for the HO equipment unless you ran it on AC. This is a little unconventional but possible.

 

Al

Al, 

one of the things that seems to be certin is that you can not feed DC into the input of the TIU

Actually, you can feed DC voltage ito the TIU's Fixed Input channels. You cannot feed DC voltage into the TIU's Variable Input channels.

 

Further, if you want to use the Variable channels with DC voltage, you can feed AC voltage in and then rectify the output to DC voltage.

Al,

 

That is totally not correct.

 

Dave

That's one of the beauties of DCS.  It's the first command control system ever developed that will work with either AC or DC track power.  However, the HO PS3 engines are a little different than O Scale PS3 because they can only operate in conventional mode or DCS command mode on DC current.  The HO PS3 interprets any form of AC current as a DCC signal.  The O Scale PS3 engines have a DCS/DCC switch.  That allows them to operate in conventional or DCS command with either AC or DC current.  They are the "Swiss army knife" of command control.

Thanks dave,ted and barry! Also this question directed at dave. Does mth always make all there models of HO engines or are they like o scale engines. Once the production run is done thats it. Then we have to wait for another possible run to get one if we missed out. I am late getting in the mth Ho game and have seen most all the steam produced, but I am wondering if have missed out on some models because of my late entry into this Ho thing. If not readily available I guess I could find them on the secondary market. Funny I knew they were making HO stuff for a long time. It was only a few days ago while browsing youtube I saw some videos of them and began to change my mind about never getting back into HO. I have had o scale mth stuff and have been a user ever since dcs came out. Got my tiu and remote when it first was released back in the day.I use both lionel legacy and dcs together on my layout. Got lionel legacy and just never updated the software in my dcs system. In O scale I prefer legacys 200 speed steps and operating system over dcs. Have been slowly selling of my mth engines. So after seeing the HO videos I got to thinking why not use my dcs system for an HO layout. Barry, if I read you correct only the fix in channels can have dc input.variable channels get only ac input correct.Does mth sell a brick with dc like they do in o scale? What is max or min dc voltage required for mth HO engines. And just too clarify what dave suggested can I run both ac engines and HO engines at the same time with the same tiu? Thanks!

Forgot to ask dave and barry does ps.3 have the quillable whistle like legacy?

if I read you correct only the fix in channels can have dc input.variable channels get only ac input correct.

Yes, that's correct.

And just too clarify what dave suggested can I run both ac engines and HO engines at the same time with the same tiu?

Yes, on different TIU channels.

does ps.3 have the quillable whistle like legacy?

Yes, on an engine-by-engine basis.

Hi zwl,

 

In HO the MTH steam engines have been run in batches just like in O scale.  However, because they have fewer tools many of the engines have already been cataloged a second time.  The only ones you might find hard to get are the Pennsey K4's and the USRA light mikados.  Both of those were run once and have not been re-cataloged.  The K4's were the first MTH HO engines to ship in 2006 and are pretty well gone from dealers.  Other steamers like the NYC Mohawks, NYC Empire State Express, UP 4-12-2's, and N&W J's have only been cataloged once, but are still easy to find.  The HO market expects things to stay in stock for a while, so the production runs are not only larger than in O, but the percentage of pre-orders is lower.  Some of the real winners, like the Erie Triplex, Challengers, and SP GS-4's are on their second or even third run.

 

The diesels are a different story.  MTH always seems to have multiple runs to satisfy demand for their diesels.  They managed to be the first to bring a plastic SD70ACe/SD70M-2 to the HO market and it has been a HUGE seller.  They're on the sixth or seventh run of CN SD70's.  The same has largely been true for the other diesels as well.  Just FYI, the PA-1's are a truly unique item in HO.  They are the only diesels ever produced with smoke units.  That hasn't really caught on with old timers in HO who have bad memories of slobbering seuth type smoke units, but it seems to be catching the eye of many newbies.  The diesels also have functional remote controlled couplers that work best with Kaddie #58 HO scale couplers.

Thanks dave and berry for All of your time and great info. Dave m. Do you carry the full HO line? Maybe I will check out mercer junctions web site. Live in missouri but would consider purchasing with you when I get ready. Thanks again to all you fine gentlemen for your knowledge and time.