I have a MTH FM Trainmaster Diesel w/protosounds. The cab number is 4660. the engine is probably 6 years old. I haven’t used it in probably a year.The other day I went to try it out, I can’t get it to go forward or backwards. It seems to be stuck in neutral. I’ve tried everything. Do you think the battery would keep it stuck in neutral? I thought the battery was just for the proto sounds. Any info would be helpful.
Sorry it took so long to reply. Got this info off the MTH website:
Troubleshooting Early Proto-Sound Software Battery Related Errors
Owners of some M.T.H. Electric Trains’ Proto-Sound 1 equipped engines built prior to mid-2000 may experience one of two software related errors that are initiated from low or discharged batteries. Some confusion in the marketplace regarding these errors has led to the replacement of the Proto-Sound board when correction could have been resolved through a software upgrade. In each case, the software error can be avoided entirely if the owner replaces the battery prior to use. Battery replacement should only be necessary if the locomotive has not been run within a year and the battery is no older than a year.
What follows is a description of each error and the necessary steps that must be taken to correct the problem. In case #2, the problem only occurs in engines produced in 1995 and 1996 as illustrated in the attached list. QSI, the developer of M.T.H.'s original Proto-Sound system corrected that problem in a later software version. In both cases, none of the errors will occur in engines equipped with Proto-Sound 2.0, M.T.H.'s proprietary system developed by M.T.H.'s own research and development team. Proto-Sound 2.0 features a far more advanced design that manages the battery usage much more efficiently than its Proto-Sound 1 predecessor and suffers from no ill effects from a low or discharged battery.
Case #1: Proto-Sound 1 locomotive starts up and reports three clank sounds
This scenario is always precipitated by a low or discharged battery and can usually be avoided by charging or replacing the battery prior to powering up and operating the locomotive. The problem doesn’t occur as soon as the engine is powered up, but rather when the operator tries to get the engine to move by using the direction button or turning the throttle off and then on again to enter the forward or reverse direction. If the battery is too low or dischar
[#wstupid] exactly, follow the recharge procedure or change the battery before further damage is done. Problems with changing direction or short sound duration after track power is switched off do in 99% indicate a weak battery. (had that too, changed the battery with a fresh charged one and problems where over.)