New Kato Mikado 3rd run engine

[mmagliaro]

My new Mikado came today and I talked to Mike,I mailed the first one back the same day Mike sent the other out.We had to babysit our Grandchildren today so I did not have a chance to run the new one but will do that tomorrow.I too am waiting to hear what he finds.

SO are WE! 

[mike_lawyer]

Mystery solved!  I disassembled the locomotive, and there was a tiny decoder buried under the locomotive weight.  I had no idea it was there.  I am going to take out the decoder and convert it into a PRR GHQ L-1 Mikado.  I will upload pictures tonight.

[MK]

TRW  were right again! 

[cjp53]

Thanks everyone that's a huge relief for me.I know now it was not my power pack but I am adding a volt reducer,my friend made one up for me.

[u18b]

Mystery solved!  I disassembled the locomotive, and there was a tiny decoder buried under the locomotive weight.  I had no idea it was there.  I am going to take out the decoder and convert it into a PRR GHQ L-1 Mikado.  I will upload pictures tonight.

I'm predicting it's a TSC Z2 (clear wrapper) or it's a digitrax DZ126T (white).

I'm also curious to the nature of this install.  Because when the decoder is up top, most people trim the weight (and thus loose a bit of weight over the drivers.

For that reason, I mounted a Z2 once UNDER the boiler- and was able to keep the entire stock weight.
So from a DCC install perspective, I'm curious to see how this was put in- and whether the weight was trimmed.

[u18b]

Thanks everyone that's a huge relief for me.I know now it was not my power pack but I am adding a volt reducer,my friend made one up for me.

You have... and are .... doing everything correct.

Noticed something was screwy.  check.
Didn't know what the problem was... so asked.   check.
And through it all discovered a lurking potential problem with your throttle.   check
And now taking steps to correct a problem you didn't know you had.   check.

Railwire is a great place.
Glad you are here.

[cjp53]

Thanks u18b I'm looking into a used Tech4 2800 to run both tracks which are separate.My friend will modify the reducer he built yesterday for the 1300 and build me another reducer(I'll need two for the Tech 4) so each one is only knocking the voltage down a little.This is right up his alley.His job is working on TV and Radio equipment for area stations around Cleveland.Plus he has a passion for Model Railroading. Again thanks to everyone,I'm a little wiser now.I have a 67th birthday coming soon so memory retention is short or so my wife tells me.I think it depends on what she says at times......Thanks again everyone,

[mmagliaro]

If it helps.... I just got a reminder email from MRC saying that until May 3, they have a sale giving you 40% off any one item on their website.   Of course, it will be 40% off their full retail price.  I just thought you might want to look.  I'm sure it's still going to be more expensive than finding a good used pack.

[peteski]

Thanks for the update!  It was pretty much what we expected.

This is an excellent example why it is not optimal to run DC-decoder-equipped models using DC power packs.  Great majority of those packs output unfiltered DC voltage which can often "confuse" decoders.  If a certain model only comes in a DCC version, it make sense to remove (bypass) the decoder if the model will only ever be operated under DC power.

[cjp53]

If it helps.... I just got a reminder email from MRC saying that until May 3, they have a sale giving you 40% off any one item on their website.   Of course, it will be 40% off their full retail price.  I just thought you might want to look.  I'm sure it's still going to be more expensive than finding a good used pack.

I saw that but it's still around $80 plus shipping for the Tech7.With the purchase of my Mikado as my birthday gift the wife won't be happy.I have her feeling better with a used Tech 4 if I can find one.I retired 2 years ago and she's still not use to having me around the house all day.

[peteski]

.I retired 2 years ago and she's still not use to having me around the house all day.

You have to get creative!
Hiding in the train room/workshop for most of the day (close and lock the door behind you), will be just as if you weren't home. That should bring harmony back into the marriage. 

[dem34]

I saw that but it's still around $80 plus shipping for the Tech7.With the purchase of my Mikado as my birthday gift the wife won't be happy.I have her feeling better with a used Tech 4 if I can find one.I retired 2 years ago and she's still not use to having me around the house all day.

If you search around for the diagram, making you're own PWM throttle with off the shelf parts is pretty cheap and not particularly challenging. Think about $15 in ebay parts and an hour or two depending on what you want the finished product to look like.

*edit* http://davidksmith.com/modeling/projects/throttle.htm

[cjp53]

You have to get creative!
Hiding in the train room/workshop for most of the day (close and lock the door behind you), will be just as if you weren't home. That should bring harmony back into the marriage. 

As a long time cyclist since 1980 I would normally be riding my road or mountain bike but I have had a hip(2012) and both knees(2017)replaced.My wife has a bad back so we babysit our 1 year old and 2 and 1/2 granddaughter and grandson so I help out.But now that my layout upstairs is operational I can hide up there with my grandson.I like how you think!!!Thanks

[cjp53]

If you search around for the diagram, making you're own PWM throttle with off the shelf parts is pretty cheap and not particularly challenging. Think about $15 in ebay parts and an hour or two depending on what you want the finished product to look like.

I thought about that with my friend who just made my reducer as he's only doing side jobs and will bring that up to him.Thanks

[peteski]

I thought about that with my friend who just made my reducer as he's only doing side jobs and will bring that up to him.Thanks

Just to present another warning: a PWM DC throttle will likely confuse a DCC decoder even more than a pulsing DC throttle (since PWM signal is even closer to what DCC track signal looks like), if a decoder-equipped loco ended up on that layout.

A PWM throttle might also have negative effect on coreless motors. Of course the old-fashion DC locos equipped with standard permenent-magnet/conventional iron core armature (which is what majority of locos still use) will be fine with any DC throttle (conventional or PWM).