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Post by amich35 on Dec 9, 2023 22:25:01 GMT
Hi all,
I have two MTH articulated streamliners (Burlington Zephyr and the UP M1000) that I bought last year used on ebay that ran fine a year ago but after being in storage for about 10 months, both are not quite running. They both come on fine with sounds and lights but then when they should be taking off, I can hear the loco's wheels spinning but the trucks on the back car seem to be locked up so no go. I can run the loco just fine by itself.
What's going on? Is this a battery issue?
thanks in advance
Mike
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Post by thebigcrabcake on Dec 9, 2023 22:46:51 GMT
Do the wheels on the observation cars roll freely if it's on the track alone and you support the front by hand?
Is the rear motor spinning in the opposite direction as the front and therefore "fighting" the front?
Try connecting the loco directly to the observations car. If it works without the middle car attached then the wiring harness in the middle car may be twisted on one end.
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Post by amich35 on Dec 9, 2023 23:19:56 GMT
OK, on the Zephyr when I connected the observation car directly to the loco it ran fine. I guess I need to look at the middle cars?
On the UP, when I did the same thing, it worked for about 3 inches then started spinning again.
I need to go take the dog out so will check back later...thanks!
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Post by thebigcrabcake on Dec 9, 2023 23:40:25 GMT
Sounds like one or more of the connection pins is misaligned. Check for loose wire at the connectors or pins not making contact.
Replacing the battery is a good idea in any case. Especially if you add a BCR type. Keep the voltage low at first after you change the battery so the train can "Reset" properly with both motors "unlocked" and going in the same direction.
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Post by amich35 on Dec 10, 2023 0:43:42 GMT
Is the battery in the loco on each of these or the observation car?
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Post by Adam on Dec 10, 2023 0:48:27 GMT
Emile's recommendation was more general, not related to the problem you are having.
MTH Prosound 1 and 2 engines have been known to have problems if the battery dies. There is a replacement called a BCR (https://www.jandwelectronics.com/bcr). They are not actually batteries but rather a capacitor that can hold a charge for a period of time. It is highly recommended that you replace the 9-volt with a BCR. if your engine is a PS3, then there is no battery.
The cars don't have batteries.
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Post by thebigcrabcake on Dec 10, 2023 1:24:42 GMT
Is the battery in the loco on each of these or the observation car? In the locomotive next to the smoke unit. I believe there is a can motor then a smoke unit then the battery. (In that order)
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Post by 4dogsinjersey on Dec 10, 2023 2:14:30 GMT
It helps if you can provide the model number. There is a lot of info on line that might help troubleshooting. Sounds like Emile is on the right path. If the sets are PS1, definitely install a BCR. Here is a sample of what available on the MTH website, for the Railking Zephyr… mthtrains.com/sites/default/files/download/exploded/30rtr11207e.pdfThere is only one battery on the train, in the lead unit… Tom |
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Post by amich35 on Dec 10, 2023 2:31:14 GMT
Thanks. The M10000 has proto sound 2.0 and is item 30-2197-1. The zephyr say it has proto sound and is 30-2186-1
Mike
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Post by 4dogsinjersey on Dec 10, 2023 2:45:20 GMT
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Post by amich35 on Dec 10, 2023 4:37:43 GMT
ok so i opened the zephyr and there's a bcr in place. Should I leave it, replace it, or replace it with a new afully charged mth ni-mh battery that i have on hand?
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Post by thebigcrabcake on Dec 10, 2023 4:43:20 GMT
As long as the BCR is working, it's your best bet. I'd leave it. Make sure you give a few seconds to charge up when you turn on the power for the first time.
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Post by amich35 on Dec 10, 2023 5:11:24 GMT
Ok, well I put the new battery in and same thing. But then I took out one of the coaches and voila, it ran fine. So I guess I need to take a look at that other coach and the connections. That was the first time I've ever opened one of these so that was a lot. I guess if the UP has an old battery I could put the BCR into it?
thanks much for walking me through this.
Mike
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Post by harborbelt70 on Dec 10, 2023 9:06:14 GMT
Ok, well I put the new battery in and same thing. But then I took out one of the coaches and voila, it ran fine. So I guess I need to take a look at that other coach and the connections. That was the first time I've ever opened one of these so that was a lot. I guess if the UP has an old battery I could put the BCR into it? thanks much for walking me through this. Mike
If however there’s a battery issue, the only extra thing I can tell you is with the UP 5 volt version you may need to leave it sitting on a powered track for a while before attempting to run it so as to let the existing battery charge up. It's true that the 5 volt PS boards often fail for no obvious reasons. I only have one of these that I bought used and I thought it had died until I let it charge for a while. I'd try that first before putting in a battery replacement because you can't know if the battery or the replacement is just a little too low to get the board to function.
MTH used to make a wall wart battery charger you could use with either their 5 volt or 3 volt PS2 models through a charging point on the underside of the chassis if the engine came fitted with one but the same result comes from letting the model stand on a powered track for a good while. Check the manuals posted above for reference to this and in particular for the time they recommend you should let the engine stand. (In the UP manual the relevant text seems to be at page 14.) I'd try that before replacing it with a BCR. Also you have to be careful that the BCR is actually made for MTH's odd battery specs - not any old BCR will work for this purpose. You can find correctly spec'd BCRs online.
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Post by amich35 on Dec 10, 2023 19:36:59 GMT
On close inspection, I realized that the cable in the Zephyr's third car had become unseated where it connected into the truck from front to back. Once I reconnected that, all was good. Now on to the UP today.
I really appreciate the help here!
Mike
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