MTH Railking Challenger HUGE PROBLEM

You may wish to put this in the MTH/DCS post section or change your title to ask G for help. He is good with these older boards.

https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/member/ggg

If you wiggle the tether and it runs, the socket pin(s) have come loose from the engine plug pad and needs to be re soldered. Or there is a wire broken in the tether and will have to be replaced. From the looks, it needs replacing anyway. Next but less likely is the speed sensor needs replacement. Next would be the old 5 volt board has gone bad, common for this era of boards.

I would highly suggest you contact GGG. 

Bill

Engineer-Joe posted:

You may wish to put this in the MTH/DCS post section or change your title to ask G for help. He is good with these older boards.

https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/member/ggg

 

Oh ok, will do.

Sounds like the digital signals are not  consistent between the engine and tender.

Start with the tether - jiggling it around can break the continuity in the wires from the board to the plug.

Replace it - I think GGG has tethers.

Next carefully resolder the wire/pin connections on the engine connector. 

Try and operate the locomotive. 

One thing - lights in the engine - on?  off?  you did not mention.  All it takes is one broken wire in the tether

to mess things up.

Keep us posted.

bruce

If you like to solder, just try re-heating all the solder joints on the tiny pads that go to the tether. Make sure you don't create a short. Some older engines get cold solder joints.

bruce benzie posted:

Sounds like the digital signals are not  consistent between the engine and tender.

Start with the tether - jiggling it around can break the continuity in the wires from the board to the plug.

Replace it - I think GGG has tethers.

Next carefully resolder the wire/pin connections on the engine connector. 

Try and operate the locomotive. 

One thing - lights in the engine - on?  off?  you did not mention.  All it takes is one broken wire in the tether

to mess things up.

Keep us posted.

bruce

Lights are on, but dim, almost like a short maybe 

Replace tether as a start.  G

hi let us know when you get it fixed!

Alan

Give it to an MTH tech.

I haven't done anything just yet due to not having any time on my hands, I will definitely update here when I decide to either try to repair it myself or bring it to an MTH tech. At this point I've accepted that it won't be running for christmas again, on the 23rd it will be officially a year since it started with this issue.