Hi all!!

I received a phone call from a MRR dealer in Miami this morning that my MTH UP GP35 3 Rail was in!! A few moments later a friend who also ordered one called me and said "let's go get them"!!!

I will probably have more to say after playing around for a while but here are my initial impression:

The enclosed manual sucks!! Tells you basically nothing …

They direct you to go to the MTH website, do a product search to find your product, go to the product page and download the specific manual. THERE ARE NO MANUALS FOR PROTSOUND 3E+ LOCOS!!!! I eventually downloaded a manual for the 2 rail version. Of course, this manual says nothing about the 3 rail version.

The first thing I checked was to see if there was continuity between the wheels on opposite sides of the loco. There is … good …

They say there is a switch to choose between the DCS (MTH protocol) and DCC protocols. They say it won’t harm anything if the switch is in the wrong position, it just won’t run. And it is not clear which way the switch needs to be for DCS or DCC. So I put it on the track and turn on my CS2. I get a low “buzzing” sound from the loco and then my CS2 detects a short … not good … so I move the switch to the other position and turn the CS 2 on again … no “buzzing” from the loco … so far so good …

I then defined the loco manually as a Marklin Motorola loco in the CS2. Factory default is address 3. Lo and behold, the loco runs … but only four functions are listed … F3 appears to turn sound on …

The loco takes R1 curves well … quiet running … nice running sounds ...

So I then decided to run the loco as a DCC loco … the CS2 wouldn’t let me change the protocol, so I had to delete the loco and start over again. After re-entering the loco I then tried to run it … nothing … fortunately I remembered I may have turned off DCC on the CS2 in the past, so I found the screen that does that and put the CS2 in “Auto”. I turned the speed control and it took off … I think that 12 functions showed up. F3 turned the sound on … it runs well even at slow speeds. I believe there are 28 functions available.

Here are some photos:











I forgot to take a photo from the bottom showing the sliders. I will post one later in an update.

This loco lists for US$300 and I bought it for US$240, so far, I believe it is a very good deal.

I did not try to run the loco as a mfx loco. I had it connected for a few moments and the mfx logo never showed up. Nowhere in MTH literature did they use the mfx trademark, so I assume mfx won’t function, but I will try it later and see. I really don't believe it is mfx compatible.

I will have to read through the manual a bit more. I believe that through the CVs for the loco I can change what the function buttons do. I’ll have a video on YouTube in the next day or two. I will also add any more impressions.

That’s it for now … it is getting late and I need to get something for dinner ...

Robert

Nev,

From everything I read from MTH, I did not expect the locos to be mfx compatible. I am surprised it has something fx compatible. The decoders appear to be MTH's own boards, since the still do MTH's DCS protocol.

The other functions appear to be available in DCC mode. Since you are waiting for yours to arrive, you might want to check out the manual for the 2 rail versions:

http://www.mthtrains.com/sites/...struction/80dl14675i.pdf

I have some more testing to do and want to do a video. My floor module layout has been partially disconnected (I had to pick some of it up for the holidays so my Dad wouldn't trip on it) and it won't go back together until I do some modifications. So I have just set up a small oval on my dining room table. I want to try and add some turnouts so I can test how the loco handles them.

More info to come ...

Robert

Robert,
this will be of Interest. AC Manual

http://www.mthtrains.com.../exploded/80dl12738e.pdf

@Nev.

I saw both of those items from your links when I was trying to find an operating manual for 3 rail.

@Tom,

Yes, I am aware that the CS2 only supports 16 functions. I will try and play around some more tomorrow and see if I can reassign some of the functions and get 16 of them to work. Wait a minute, it is close to 3am ... it is tomorrow ... guess I better go get some sleep!! LOL!!

As another point of interest, most of the functions require a double hit to work. I saw a note in the 2 rail operating manual that said since some central stations allow you to set a function as momentary contact or an on/off, they may be adjusted. I know the CS2 allows that, so I will try that too.

Robert

Great Robert

Robert,

Thanks for taking the time to do the review. The MTH UP Challenger is on the wish list.


4-6-6-4 Challenger (Oil Burner) Steam Engine w/Proto-Sound 3E+

Union Pacific (Two-Tone Gray w/Yellow Stripes)


http://www.mthtrains.com/content/80-3201-5


along with the Erie Lackawanna GP-35 Diesel with Proto-Sound 3E+

Product Number: 80-2169-5





r/Thomas

Thanks Thomas!!

That Challenger is on my wish list too. Along with one of their Big Boys, a couple of their Alco PAs, the UP EMD F7 Yellow Warbonnet A/B set, the Santa Fe and Southern Pacific GP35s, and a couple of the SD70ACe locos. But for the moment, they will have to stay on the wish list.

Robert

In other posts it arrived today.
N

Love the horns and bell sounds, Robert!

In the video with the sound off, is that the motor sound we hear, or the slider, or both?
- Mark

Hi guys

My order arrived today with a UP & New York Central version.

Tried them both with the ECoS2 with zero success. After manual programming no motion or sound from either units. Tried the onboard DCC /DCS selector "switch" in both positions. All that i am getting is a faint low buzzing sound for about a second and then the ECoS go into trip mode. The ECoS does start with the auto DCC detect process and then freeze the progress of the process with the green indicator bar at about 25%.

Any suggestions?

Thanks
Marius

YES there is.
All I did was move the switch to DCC, Put the loco on the programming track and entered the Loco manually. Used the default address of 3 Put it on the main track and up up and away
Turned the throttle and away it went.
Now to get noise and Lights you must press F3.
and allocate functions manually.
Download the 2 rail Manual. the Marklin type manual is not yet available but will be soon
It may be stupid but have you got the switch fully into the DCC position??

N

PS: I had no problem reading in the decoder but did not like some things (Wrong again as it was Ok). reset to Factory Default and started again.

Hi all,
I found this tread yesterday when I was searching for something else. I was expecting some more response to my “Digital/ProtoSound” but this a better place I think. Haven’t checked “Reviews/Loco Reviews” before and can’t get there with the menu right now. Anyway, I have an 80-2172-5 Union Pacific GP-35 and an 80-2178-5 Santa Fe GP-35.
They both have trouble passing any left curved C-track turnout, 24671, when entering from the second leg (“straight”). The Santa Fe just loses power for a while but moves along without the lights and sound. The UP hits something and stops with a dead short. I have also noticed that their fuel tanks (?) are very close to the turnout lanterns. Problems if the lanterns are not properly fitted.
Another difference is that the UP doesn’t remember the master volume setting. It is reset to max when a session starts. This is probably caused by a super cap that is installed wrong at the factory according to MTH. They have found this on some UP engines. If the super cap is wrong, new CVS might not get stored! My change of the address (from 3 to 4) was stored .

Marius: check if the addresses are still 3.

Addictive? Yes! I have ordered a S 3/6, K4s and another Big Boy. I have Marklins H0 and MTH OneGauge. I hope the MTH H0 will have the sounds of the two engines going in and out of sync – just like the OneGauge. It will be interesting to compare the true scale MTH and the Marklin operating on R1.

Bjorn

If you stop the MTH engine and turn the power off in that block, you have to run "startup" by pressing F3 to get the sound and lights back on. Not so nice if you have signals that turn the Power off when red.

About the super cap problem, this is the answer from MTH:
“The best method to check the super caps is exactly as you found it. Start up the model, turn the volume down low, wait 10-15 seconds and power it off. If the next time it is powered up the volume is back to the default level (100%).”

I know the MTH Big Boy requires minimum R2 radius, but Marklin operates on R1. MTH explanation is that theirs is true to scale and thus can’t operate on R1.

Bjorn

First, I would like to say that the MTH GP35 3 Rail manual is now on-line at the MTH website:

http://www.mthtrains.com/sites/...struction/80dl12738i.pdf

Unfortunately, I think that it could have been better and in some areas, I think it is completely wrong. But at least it is something.

Secondly, to Marius,

Since the MTH GP35 is suppose to run on DCS, DCC, DC, and AC, do you have a DC or AC power pack that you could try and see if the motor runs outside of the DCS/DCC world?

And another thought is to try and give the decoder a reset according to the manual to bring it back to a factory delivered condition and try to start over again. Maybe something got "messed up" in the decoder.

Robert

Hi Bjorn

You are correct, the Brawa loco uses DCC, that is why i did the test with it.

In pure desperation i stripped the NYC (MTH p/n 80-2163-5) loco today. First thing i learnt is that these locos are not held together by screws, but by plastic "clips", cast as part of the body. These locos were not designed for loco maintenance. Second thing i learnt is that the decoder is "burned". I cannot believe by just putting a loco on the track and applying power the track that a decoder can "burn", these items is suppose to handle 24V AND both DCS & DCC!

Nor was i able to tell or check where the "DCC" switch posistion was, as no manual was supplied in the packaging of these locos. But it did come supplied with a large fold out promotional brochure of MTH, this was a great help in knowing how to set up the locos, thank you so much MTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Needless to say i am fininshed with all MTH products, i will never waste money on this brand again.

Thank you Bjorn, for trying to assist and the advise.

Ragards
Marius

I thought I'd ask this question here also.

Has anyone tried to run a MTH 3e+ loco with a MS1?

I'm guessing it will work. But before I spend the $ I'd like to know for certain.

Bill

Yes, I have changed the address to a DCC long address ... it wasn't easy. I don't know if it is the way that the CS2 deals with DCC or if it is the decoder. I had to try and keep sending the change of CVs to the decoder ... Some times I would even have to start over and try to read the decoder to see what it's address was or if the long address bit was set ... in the end, it finally programmed ...

Robert

I believe there are 16 functions available to use with the CS2, but there are many more available. I have not had the opportunity to try it, but there is a way using CVs to reassign all of the functions to different function numbers. I think there was a link to the online manual listed in the posts before. Check it out ...