Railking DCS Train won't start-up

First,  MTH's diagnosis as to why it worked on the store layout but not with your DCS Remote Commander is completely correct. The engine needs to be Factory Reset, since it was added to a DCS Remote which changed its DCS ID#.

 

Rest assured that the store owner is the ***hole, not you

 

One thing that you can try is to do the Factory Reset from the DCS Remote Commander. This will only work with some of the newer PS3 engines. To do this, press the following buttons in rapid succession: SND, DIR, -

 

If that doesn't do it, you need to find someone with a DCS set (Remote and TIU or a DCS Commander) to do a Factory Reset for you.

 

If all else fails, you can ship it to me in Florida and I'll do it for you. You'd have to pay shipping both ways so I suggest first trying to find an MTH dealer, friend, model RR club. or forum member that's close to where you live.

 

Best of luck!

Wow!  Thank you for the fast response.  The good news is the SND, DIR, - worked!  I was able to get it to start up.

 

The problem is it is still pausing when it crosses the cross-track.  If it's going really fast it seems to go, but at slower speeds, it just stops when it gets to this spot (see attached).  

 

Any thoughts on that one?  I could perhaps try to upload a video as well if that would help.

Here's a video of what happens.  It seems like (besides one of the front LEDs now being out) that when it hits the crossover track, it somehow triggers the SD sequence.  You'll hear that.  I noticed that first, before the SD sequence starts, the headlights went out (about mid-way through the crossover) then, before it makes it all the way through, it goes through the SD sequence.  Continuity for the crossover track is good, so I'm not sure what's causing this.  Also, once it stops there, I can't start it back up until I move it forward a little bit.  Any ideas?

The problem is that the engine is losing a center rail connection. Check to ensure that there is continuity between the engines's two pickup roller assemblie.

As Barry says the engine is losing the center rail connection.  If you turn over the engine you can see the two spring-loaded rollers that contact the center rail.  These two rollers should be electrically connected inside the engine.  So as long as the center rail makes contact with one of the rollers, the electronics gets its power.

 

It appears that the roller on the front truck is not connected to the internal electronics.  So center-rail power is only coming from the roller on the rear truck.  And when the rear truck goes over the crossover, the engine loses power and goes into shutdown.  If going fast enough, there are flywheels on the motors that provide enough momentum to carry the rear truck roller thru the crossover until it makes solid contact with the center rail power again.

 

As a simple experiment you can do in a minute or so, put a 1" piece of masking tape on the center rail on a working section of the track.  I'll bet you'll get the same shutdown when the rear truck roller goes over the piece of tape as I think the front truck roller is not connected.

 

When you examine continuity as Barry suggests, turn the trucks to various positions in case there's some kind of orientation dependent intermittent connection. 

 

Skipping ahead a bit, look at the manual for instructions on removing the shell - that is, locating the screws under the chassis.  Unless you plan to send it out for repair, I'm pretty sure going under the hood will be the next step.

This engine has been excessively handled by a repair guy whose attitude is suspect. It's altogether too likely that during his "adventures", he disconnected the wire nut that connects the two truck's pickup rollers with the wire to the PS2 board and that only one wire from one pickup roller is actually connected.

 

If the above is the case, the solution is to reconnect all 3 wires together and screw on the plastic wire nut.

I'd also contact MTH and drop the dime on those idiots at that shop!  That kind of attitude is not doing them any favors.

As stan stated the front truck may not be connected to supply power.  The reason is there is a dead spot on a cross over that your rear truck is sitting on.

 

So that is why the front is suspect.  It can be a loose screw on the pickup roller (easy for you to get to, it can be a loose screw inside, or the wire nut as Barry stated.  Also, sometimes the wire breaks inside the heatshrink at the terminal. Especially if the truck has been twisted too hard to either side.

 

Lastly, it can be an outside ground issue.  MTH track only has one rail grounded.  On a simple layout if the front truck ground is not doing well (dirty wheels) or that screw from black wire inside, you might get the same results.

 

Stan's test with tape is a tried and true method to test this.   G

Definitely seems like only one roller pick up is working but just in case, could it also be an outside rail problem and traction tires.  Does the same thing happen with the engine turned around. only sooner?  try Stan's  suggestion with the electrical tape. I would also take a take a piece of wire and touch an outside rail where the lock on is and the other end to an outside rail where the engine stalls...

Wow!  Thank you for all the suggestions!  I'm out of town for the next two days, but will reply back with my findings when I get back.

I'm dumbfounded that I get better help from a community of strangers than from the shop that sold me the product (and insisted that the problem was me, and not the product).  I will be sure to follow-up with MTH to let them know how their reseller treated their customer.

Thanks!  I'll be in touch.

Others offer you very good advice here. Follow it, you are in good hands. There are some wonderfully helpful folks here and some of them are very good at solving train problems too. Some are also some good MTH factory authorized repair techs here, gunrunnerjohn and GGG that have posted to this thread are two of them. There are also MTH dealers that post here, support this forum and offer good prices and service if you can't find another local dealer. Their links are in ads at the top of each page and a list is available at the beginning of each forum.

 

Maybe some re-assurance here, I have this same set, and a very nice set it is. You will get much enjoyment from it once you get the bugs worked out. Fortunately mine didn't (and hasn't yet) had any problems. I have had it for about 3 years now. All these problems are not good for someone just starting out, but not everything happens this way with MTH trains. I have had very good luck with MTH trains. MTH makes a very good product as do the other current train manufacturers.

 

I would also do as gunrunnerjohn suggests and report your experiences with your dealer to MTH. Especially the name calling part, there is no excuse for that. I am sure MTH will want to hear about how you were treated and may even be giving him a call after your conversation. In addition to having a problem, sounds like unfortunately you also got a sub par dealer. I would imagine that dealer won't be around too long treating people like that. That is the reason he can't keep his business afloat.

 

Good luck with your train and I hope you are back up and running soon and trouble free too.

I will agree that the shop owner is suspect but he brought it in for the issue of stopping on the crossover before the shop owner got his hands into it.

I tested continuity between the pickup rollers and it was good.  I called MTH and they had me check continuity between the wheels on the trucks and I got nothing.  They suspect that a screw inside needs to have the protective coating filed off which should be an easy fix.

 

Additionally, after looking at it further, the problem with the front LED is that the wire seems to have gotten frayed.  This is likely the result of "excessive handling" by the local shop.  The LED is pulled down out of place and I can't tell if it has been damaged.

 

On top of all of this, while checking continuity between the pickup rollers, I noticed that one of them was not spinning freely, even after lubricating.  While this doesn't impact the ability for it to pick-up the current, over time, if not spinning, it will wear a groove down into the roller from being dragged along.

 

With all of these issues, as well as the "man" inside the train being loose, and considering that the engine is still under warranty, I am just going to send it back to MTH for them to service it before my warranty runs out next month.

Thanks for all of your help!