I have 5 PS2 5 volt and when I replaced the first batttery after unpacking from the move to the new house it passed with flying colors the smoke check when I put it on the track and applied power. After that I ordered PS3 upgrade kits for each one and they are sitting on the main thence shelf awaiting installation of the new boards. I have the Steam Boards just waiting on the Diesels boards to arrive.
my 5-volt mth engines that boards that failed I replaced I installed ps 2 3volt boards and changed speaker to 4 ohms all engines still run great today !
Alan
Personally, I run the 5V boards until they croak, then replace the board.
@gunrunnerjohn posted:If it has a 2-prong rectangular charging port, it's a 3V board. Many times during the transition, the manuals didn't catch up with the production. Yes, all of the 3V locomotives have some sort of two cell NiCad (blue) or NiMh (green) battery pack. There are at least three sizes of the NiMh packs, AA, AAA, and an even smaller 2/3 AA pack.
If it's the blue battery, I'd probably replace it, if it's not bad now, it will be sometime in the next couple of years.
Holy cow. Just trying to be safe and replace an old battery. I pulled the shell off and found this horrible stack of components - with the battery Buried under it all !!!!!! How idiotic !!! I haven’t found any guide yet. MTH Instructions - remove the battery. 😮😵💫🤪🤯😤Haven’t found a guide on line either. This is GP proto 2 2004 or so.
Help !!! 🤪. Has anyone navigated this ??? Link to a tutorial ??? I’ll end up destroying this model to replace a simple battery if I can’t get some guidance. It may just end up being gutted into a dummy.
😳😵💫😤😣🫢😮😑☹️🤔🤬🤬🤬
Attachments
Images (1)
Ugly, you will have to remove stuff to get to that battery. If that's a daunting task, I have an alternative. Use a 1.5F 5V supercap, trim the leads off the battery and solder them to the cap like this, red to the positive cap terminal. Just tuck that in somewhere and leave the battery where it is, they don't typically leak, and you won't be using it anymore.
Attachments
Doesn't that change out by removing the fuel tank from underneath ?
@TrainBub posted:Holy cow. Just trying to be safe and replace an old battery. I pulled the shell off and found this horrible stack of components - with the battery Buried under it all !!!!!! How idiotic !!! I haven’t found any guide yet. MTH Instructions - remove the battery. 😮😵💫🤪🤯😤Haven’t found a guide on line either. This is GP proto 2 2004 or so.
Help !!! 🤪. Has anyone navigated this ??? Link to a tutorial ??? I’ll end up destroying this model to replace a simple battery if I can’t get some guidance. It may just end up being gutted into a dummy.
😳😵💫😤😣🫢😮😑☹️🤔🤬🤬🤬
I had one like this. The battery holder at least let me slide the battery out enough to cut the leads and dissect/destroy the battery and remove it one cell at a time. Beings that the BCR was much smaller, I just slide it in the same spot and put it all back together.
Or just leave the battery disconnected inside and relocate the BCR somewhere else?
The other plan is to hack the side off the old battery holder and then slide the battery out. Truthfully, since I know my way around these things, I just lift the board assembly and remove the battery. I understand why not everyone would be comfortable taking that much apart, hence my other suggestions. 
@gunrunnerjohn posted:The other plan is to hack the side off the old battery holder and then slide the battery out. Truthfully, since I know my way around these things, I just lift the board assembly and remove the battery. I understand why not everyone would be comfortable taking that much apart, hence my other suggestions.
Well I put it aside for now and tackled another “oldie” that in the manual didn’t look as daunting. I decided to do an IC E6 City of Miami from 2007. Never run before.
Of Course the manual Woefully Understated the task !!!!! Basically it said “remove the battery”.
A friend told me a BCR2 was proper. So winging it, I clipped the wiring at the batteries and removed the battery package (after unscrewing the battery holder). Then I Found the plug to the remaining wiring hiding not to far (but not obvious at first) away. I then could pull old wiring thru a bundling tether. Done cleaning out the old. Not as simple as just unclipping a 9 volt battery and popping in a new one !!!! Then Plugged in the new BCR2 and placed it in the old battery holder (BCR2 Much smaller). Then I put a small strip of electrical tape across the holder opening to make sure the new battery doesn’t slip out and get tangled in the pilot.
What a trip !!!
Gosh those manuals are SO Pitiful !!!!! I’m building some knowledge along the way though. 👍👍👍😜
Experience is frequently the best teacher. 
just an FYI for those looking for some one to repair mth stuff. one poster here asked about rays electric train works.
the owner is raymond Manley he is a one man shop. I use him for exclusive for all my mth repairs. he is 2 hours away from me so if I mail something it get there and back fast.
he does excellent work and he thoroughly details what was done. this way you know what work was performed and the cost for each part replaced.
I recently sent two mth engines to him to repair. one was a santa fe hudson with a 3v board. the engine had a strange issue,but he got it fixed and now it runs flawless.
now I alwasy replace my own smoke unit wicks when the need it. ray checked and replaced the smoke unit wicks with mth wicks. I use tiki torch rope wick I get in a big roll it works just as good IMO.
Now I am not sure how or what he did it but when he repalced the smoke wicks in the smoke units. they both smoked like crazy and still do after a month of using them. maybe there is a slight different in the mth factory wicks vrs. the tiki torch rope not sure,but the difference is WHOLLY WOW. they smoke so good within minutes the train room is foggy.
long story short I highly recommend ray if you need a repair guy.
