John Carmichael

That's a relief to know that smoke fluid overflow does not cause any serious problems other than internal cosmetic ones. But I was surprised to hear that so many MTH owners don't use their protosmoke units since their engines have just about the best smoke units in the industry. Almost nobody but me in our local club uses smoke either, which is understandable since none of them own MTH engines. Thanks guys for your comments. John C.

Thanks Joe, Ray, & Jerry for your comments This is for Ray... With all the repair work you have done Ray, which do you see more of- burnt out smoke generators from lack of fluid, or oily messes inside the engines from smoke oil overflows? As for smoke oil overflows, what sort of engine damage can an oil overflow cause? I ask this because I remember in one of your postings that you said a dirty optical speed sensor on the flywheel can cause problems. So I wonder if oil overflows can mess up the flywheel or maybe even damage the Protosound board? thanks!

Hello All: I am always worried about running out of smoke fluid and burning up the Protosmoke unit, but I'm also worried about filling it too much and having a messy fluid overflow inside the engine. So I have couple of questions... 1. Is there any way to measure how much fluid is in the Protosmoke unit? I was thinking that we might use some sort of "dip stick" to measure the fluid level (a toothpick maybe?). I have not tried this because I fear inserting a toothpick into the smoke stack might damage the heating coil or wick). Is this safe? 2. What is the fluid volume capacity of the Protosmoke unit in number of drops, milliliters (ml)? 3. Do you prefer using the MTH Protosmoke fluid container or some other type of bottle or syringe? I've noticed that it is hard to get just drops to come out. If the bottle is full or if I squeeze it too hard, a stream come out and I loose count of the drops. Thanks!

I updated the firmware for the WIU device to v1.1 using the instructions in the WIU Users Guide. By following the well written instructions exactly, I had no problems doing the update on my wireless PC laptop with the WIU plugged into it.

Hello all: I have some useful information that should be helpful to those of you who are using the old Crest Train Engineer Trackside R/C. Like many of you, I’ve been worrying how we would replace it if it breaks because it was discontinued by the manufacturer (Aristocraft) years ago. Last April I read a very favorable review in Garden Railways magazine about the new Railboss 4 Trackside R/C. Since there are not many reviews out there yet, the best source of information on it is at their website https://www.gscalegraphics.net/store/c1/Featured_Products.html I loved the idea of replacing Train Engineer with an inexpensive controller that has a smaller remote without a long antenna. Be sure to read the excellent manual on the website! I installed and tested the new Railboss 4 Trackside R/C yesterday and am happy to report that it worked flawlessly as advertised. I absolutely love the little six button remote! It fits so nicely in my hand and in my pocket. I can operate it by feel with my thumb. I was so happy to get rid of that old outdated clunky brick-like heavy Train Engineer remote with that obnoxious antenna! The Railboss Trackside base station receiver is slightly smaller than the Train Engineer receiver so it fit very nicely in the place in my electrical cabinet where the other one was. The range of the Railboss 4 was great and reached to the farthest point of my layout. One last thing, The momentum feature is definitely better with Railboss than with Train Engineer. The engines I tested all started very smoothly at very slow speeds. With Train Engineer, my engines would move in a jerky fashion at very low speeds, but with Railboss, they crawl along smoothly. This is because Railboss has built-in high frequency PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) which makes the motors run smoother at low voltage without overheating. Marvelous!!! This really is the perfect replacement for the old Train Engineer.

Hello all (especially Ray Manley) I've read several letters saying that track power supplies and/or controllers with PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) can sometimes be problematic with some older engines, some sound cards, and with DCC. Reports say that this is especially true with low frequency PWS. Since the MTH DCS system is similar to DCC, I wonder if it could also be affected negatively by PWM input power on the TIU? I currently have an old Crest Train Engineer connected between my regulated linear power supply and the TIU, but I always have the Train Engineer receiver set to linear mode, and the TIU works just great. But I will be replacing Train Engineer with the new Railboss 4 Trackside R/C which has built-in PWM (20 KHZ). According to Del Taparro, the owner of G Scale Graphics and inventor of the Railboss, his Railboss 4 PWM is different from other PWM power controllers in that it has a much higher frequency which prevents the problems that other PWM power sources have (overheating, improper sounds, and light flickering). So here's my question: Have any of you had problems with your TIU when it is supplied with PWM? If so, do you think the TIU will be immune from the Railboss (20 KHZ) PWM since its frequency is much higher? thanks!

That was fast Ray! The RC-100 seems pretty useless without a reverse. Thanks for that Info. Will investigate it further...

Hello Bridgewerks Magnum owners: I'm looking to replace my old Crest trackside Train Engineer and remote with a similar remote (with basic forward, reverse, stop and momentum control) for traditional track powered trains using a Bridgewerks Magnum 10-SR controller. I'm wondering is any of you have tried using Bridgewerk's plug-in remote RC-100 If so, how is its range? Does it have a reverse function and momentum control or is it just a throttle that works in forward only? I'm also looking at the Railboss 4 Trackside R/C. https://www.gscalegraphics.net/store/c12/TrackSide_R%2FC.html I hate the ergonomics of the old Crest Train engineer with its brick-like shape and the long antenna. I love the small pocket size form of both the Railboss and Bridgewerk remotes. Thanks for any help with this decision. John

Helllo All: I came across an O gauge forum which is also testing the MTH WIU for bugs and issues. Even though their gauge is different, the issues they found should be about the same. I found their discussions fascinating. Seems that most of the issues they are seeing involve issues with the software updates, and with engine recognition, especially when trying to connect to multiple engines at the same time. I have not experienced any of the things they describe, but I haven't tried linking to multiple engines yet. I have a feeling that some of the issues they are seeing are due to not updating correctly or linking with the wifi or not understanding the User guide instructions. Others might be legitimate issues. Hard to tell. What they really need is an MTH expert like Ray to help them with their issues! Here is the link to them: MTH WI-FI Module issues | O Gauge Railroading On Line Forum ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/topic/mth-wi-fi-module-issues Reading their O gauge forum might help people in our forum with similar problems. John Carmichael

Hello All: Yesterday I thoroughly used the MTH WIU Wifi unit for the first time. It FAR exceeded my expectations. What a pleasure and how fun and easy it was to use! I'll make a prediction- This will change the model railroading experience forever as other companies try to imitate the MTH control system. It makes all other remotes look and act like antiques- even the MTH handheld remote. Here is a brief summary of the test results... Setup: I tested it using both a Samsung Galaxy smartphone and a Samsung Galaxy tablet with the Standard version WIU and a Rev L TIU placed 4 feet above ground next to my layout Ergonomic Impressions: I thought I would like using the app on a 4 x 7.5" tablet more than the smart phone because it has a bigger screen and would be easier to see the app with my bad eyes, but I was wrong. the smaller smart phone was far better. The phone felt much better in my hand and I could read everything without my glasses. Also, the phone was easier to carry around the layout and I could operate most of the functions with just one hand. (You need two hands to use the tablet unless you lay it down on something.) Also, the bright screen of both the tablet and phone makes running your trains at night much easier than using the MTH handheld remote and having to keep the light on. Range: No problem here! I controlled the train from everywhere in the large yard, even around the corner of my brick house, and from inside the house. I couldn't test it farther than about 150 ft or I'd be out in the street. Learning Curve: Honestly, the WiFi app is so well designed that almost anyone could use it without any instructions. I love it that all the app functions are written in plain English without the abbreviated words that the handheld remote has. Finding the features you want to activate is much faster and simpler than the old remote that required all that button pushing back and forth from the menu. It is incredibly user friendly- much better than the remote. Favorite Features: When you activate a feature (lights, smoke, etc) the app icon changes color so you know if its on or not. For example, with the old remote I never knew if the engine smoker was out of oil or if it was turned off. The "speedometer" indicates if you're in forward or reverse. All the function icons do this. Very Helpful! Another GREAT feature is the "cruse control." I love being able to set the speed I want and the engine goes to that all by itself. - no scroll wheel with lots of turning. You know all those sounds options that MTH has (idle sounds, engine sounds,etc)? On the old handheld remote it was a cumbersome procedure to change the sounds, especially if you couldn't remember the three letter code for each sound. Now they are all easy to find and written in English. I heard new great sounds coming from my Triplex that I'd never heard before! One last thing- Since the WIU works using either the old remote, a phone, or a tablet, I'll never need to buy another MTH remote if I want to run multiple trains with friends. Glitches & Bugs: NONE FOUND!!! One last thing. I had a friend over who is not really a big train enthusiast and I gave him the phone to run the train. He got hooked on it and was like a little kid. He said never had so much fun. I really think this app will draw kids and newcomers into the hobby. LOVE IT!

Hello DCS fans: I got the WIU today! It is scheduled to rain here all week long, so I’ll need to wait until things dry up before I can test it with my Triplex on the track. Meanwhile I’m studying the WiFi DCS User’s Guide to prepare myself for the testing.- available at http://mthtrains.com/sites/default/files/download/instruction/50as13515i.pdf A printed copy doesn't come in the WiFi box which only has the little Quick Start Guide. I think it will be most helpful to save a pdf copy of it on your tablet and/or smart phone for quick and easy reference while you are running the trains, especially if you don't have an internet connection. Note: There was one section of the WiFi User Guide that seems a bit problematic and not at all user-friendly. It's called LuCI (Web Interface) pages 9-14. It's mostly about how to update the WIU software. I assume that we can disregard this for now since the WIU units are brand new and probably don't need updating. I wonder why MTH didn't include WIU updating in the new Consumer Loader 5.0 so that it can be updated just like the TIU and the remote with a USB cable? Maybe they will do this in the future... Ray- Have you tried to follow the complicated LuCI (Web Interface) instructions yet? Were you successful? Are we missing anything useful there? I haven't tried it yet. thx John Carmichael

Hello all, My name is John Carmichael. I live in Tucson Arizona and am a new member to the G Scale Train Forum, although I've been a huge fan of Ray Manley and his superb website for a while. His tips and repair work have saved me hundreds of dollars and much frustration over time. The Forum members' postings are proving to be quite helpful too, and I thank you all! I hope I will be able to return the favor with a few useful postings of my own. Here is my first post: Solving a TIU update problem so I can use the new WIU) Using Ray's DCS Consumer loader instructions, I easily and successfully installed the new loader onto my Windows 8 pc. But when I tried to update the Rev L TIU using a USB cable, a message popped up that said it was looking for the TIU on the COM 3 port. After several minutes of waiting and retrying it was obvious that it wasn't going to find it. Then I remembered a similar problem I had years ago with the Phoenix Sound program. It turned out that my pc's default bit rate for the COM 3 port was set too high at 9600. On the pc's device manager under the COM 3 properties, I lowered the COM 3 bit rate to 4800. That fixed the problem and let me update the TIU software! (Ray, you might want to add this solution to a troubleshooting section on your website's TIU update section if others have this problem) Ray sent me a a new WIU unit yesterday so I hope to thoroughly test it and report back to you all soon with the results. thanks for everything, John p.s. You can see some photos and videos of my layout (The Cholla Patch Railroad) at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jlcarmichael/ John Carmichael 925 E. Foothills Dr. Tucson AZ 85718 USA email: jlcarmichael@comcast.net