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MTH Dash-8 40CW diesel
I purchased this item (cold) in 2004 after I saw MTH products being advertised in GR. This was my second MTH item - to date I have now over 30 pieces with more on order. I purchase direct from one retailer in Holley NY and have not been disappointed with the product or the retailer. I concur with Gary Raymonds comments regarding the wheels. I have fitted NWSL wheels to this loco and other pieces of rollingstock - all run well through LLagas Creek code 215 hand made no.6 switches. As parts become available they will be fitted with Ozark (JME) body mounted operating couplers. If I were to make a suggestion to improve the product, then I would have liked to seen a polarity switch to enable the loco to be operated “back to back” with others. I have submitted a build “wish list” to MTH and look forward to a wider range of locos and rollingstock - specifically SD45’s and intermodal container cars (single & articulated) - to be produced in the future. My disappointment in this product is that I will not be around to see all of its future productions.
I bought a Dash 8 in CSX. When I put it on a test track on my workbench, it programmed very easily. I then took the TIU and the engine out onto my outdoor layout. When I hooked everything up, the same as on my workbench, the engine started to crawl a few inches, stop, start up again and keep doing this. I e-mailed MTH and they gave me several suggestions on how I might get it to work. To date, none of their suggestions have worked. I am very disgusted with this product. MTh has been very helpful in suggestions, but none of them work. I have approx. 275 ft. of track with three points that are connected to the transformer for redundancy. Still I cannot get it to work. I’ve tried moving the switch on the bottom of the loco for polarity, reversed the wires going to the track from the transformer, still I cannot get it to work. I am using a Bridgewerks 15 amp. transformer. I also have a dimmer switch hooked up to the incoming AC because it would blow the fuse in the TIU if the direct AC voltage was put into the TIU. Can anyone out there give me any suggestions?
I have run several of my MTH engines on my clubs’ (ABTO) portable module with no problem, well mostly. It’s a 60’ long oval. Brass track and powered by a Bridgeworks 15 amp power pack through a TIU. Two things are a must for smooth running; an 18 volt bulb bridging the output terminal on the TIU and very clean track with good connections.
At home I run on 350’ of stainless track and use the MTH Z4000 Transformer. I have a 10 signal all around the layout.
Good luck!
I have run several of my MTH engines on my clubs’ (ABTO) portable module with no problem, well mostly. It’s a 60’ long oval. Brass track and powered by a Bridgeworks 15 amp power pack through a TIU. Two things are a must for smooth running; an 18 volt bulb bridging the output terminal on the TIU and very clean track with good connections.
At home I run on 350’ of stainless track and use the MTH Z4000 Transformer. I have a 10 signal all around the layout.
Good luck!
I still am having trouble getting my MTH CSX engine to work on my layout. I put it on my workbench prgram it and it functions beautifully. When I take it outside and hook it up exactly as it was on my workbench, the engine immediately starts to move with no control over it from the transmitter. The only way to stop it is to remove the power.
I removed all of the ArtistoCraft joiners and replaced each track connection with a split-jaw connector directly to the rail. I have multiple power coonections going to the 275 ft. of the loop. I have traied using one connector and have voltage over the entire loop. The engine still reacts the same way. I have tried adding one connection at a time, but I still cannot get it to respond to the tarnsmitter/controller.
Please, if anyone has any idea on how to correct whatever I am doing wrong or on how to get it to run the way MTH says it it suppose to run, please let me know, either on the comment board or directly by e-mail at: mvrr@mvdsl.com.
I would greatly appreciate it. Getting very frustrated with this equipment and I am ready to junk it, all $600.00 of my investment.
I still am having trouble getting my MTH CSX engine to work on my layout. I put it on my workbench prgram it and it functions beautifully. When I take it outside and hook it up exactly as it was on my workbench, the engine immediately starts to move with no control over it from the transmitter. The only way to stop it is to remove the power.
I removed all of the ArtistoCraft joiners and replaced each track connection with a split-jaw connector directly to the rail. I have multiple power coonections going to the 275 ft. of the loop. I have traied using one connector and have voltage over the entire loop. The engine still reacts the same way. I have tried adding one connection at a time, but I still cannot get it to respond to the tarnsmitter/controller.
Please, if anyone has any idea on how to correct whatever I am doing wrong or on how to get it to run the way MTH says it it suppose to run, please let me know, either on the comment board or directly by e-mail at: mvrr@mvdsl.com.
I would greatly appreciate it. Getting very frustrated with this equipment and I am ready to junk it, all $600.00 of my investment.