triplex

[Atlantic Central]

Rich,

DCS is a different system and is not fully DCC compatible, nor is it DC friendly. As I said in my first post, MTH does not want my business since their locos only run at half speed on 12 volts.

You should lookup the Model Railroader review of the MTH K4 and read the DCC compatiblity comments. It is more compatible than Tony's is saying, but from what I remember the function numbers do not match NMRA DCC standards.

I don't care how detailed it is , Mike Wolf is arogant in thinking we are all going to buy his control system to run his locos, this is not three rail toy trains - this is HO scale model trains with a long history of compatiblity - he is clueless.

Sheldon

[Mark Damien]

Rich,
I'm prayin' all's well with the front engine. I'm always worried about sending things back to the US as all the Yo-Yo mailing costs build up.

That's the spirit, you whoop some sense into that RCS baggage car, ya-hear.



Sheldon hit the nail on the head, & I don't see Mike doing one, DCC Ready.


Hav'in a great day Down Under,
though, my toes are gettin' tired hanging on to the ground

Have a Great,
Two Thousand & Eight

[Conrail Quality]

Is the Triplex considered a Tank Engine like the Beyer Garratt?

Conrail;
All-electric?  With catenery system too?  That is one heck of a job!  My hat is off to you; I couldn't do it-they would be escorting  me to the laughing academy after about one evening.
You know what is interesting?  The New Haven EF-3 "Yellowjacket" had an average capacity of 4860HP.  The wheel base was a 4-C-C-4; exactly as a challenger; same horsepower, too!  I guess if one wanted to stretch a point, one caould say that the New Haven had an articulated locomotive class that would equal a Challenger!

Rich

Rich,

Not quite that impressive, I'm afraid. I'm currently relegated to running my trains around the Christmas tree at the moment, so certainly no wires there! Once I get a place for a permanent layout (hopefully within a few weeks), I'll start planning the catenary. Model Memories makes kits that will hopefully make the job a bit easier (although turnouts will still be a pain). I never thought about the EF-3's that way, but you're right: New Haven Challengers it is! If only McGinnis had saved just one...

[r.cprmier]

Conrail;
About three years ago, MR did a feature article on Rick Abramson's layout, which is a New Haven prototype of the west end, starting from Devon.  He did a great job, but I swear on the grave of my sainted mother, that I will never do live catenary.  Berkshire Junction makes this lovely lycra stuff, y'see; and it is stretchy, as in Bill Aldrich's layout.  I think Rick said something once to me about he did all that work on the catenary and couldn't use it, because of the shorting problems it would incur with his brass engines (all of them, I think).  Rick worked for the New Haven and the PC after the change.  I have a great deal of respect for him, both as an electrician, and as a New Haven nut, for his experience and knowledge of the overhead system of the west end.  The guy really has it all together!

Yeah, on the EF-3:  I believe it is in the book "New Haven-The West End" , that mentioned that fact about the 4860HP.  I was really amazed when I thought about it.  Hey, this engine could also crank out 9,000HP for a short time!  They were immense pieces of machinery!  Now, that is something to be said for 1937 technology as applied to the New Haven Engineering Dept...
RIch 

[r.cprmier]

though, my toes are gettin' tired hanging on to the ground

Good God, mate; what is going on down there?

RIch

[chuff_n_puff]

I hate to hear the derailing problem with MTH's HO Triplex. I was going to get one, but I guess I will hold off a while. I have one of the HO K-4 and only had one problem with it. It had low volume and was going brain dead with me. I figured it out by raising the track voltage to 16v and it cured the problem. It then would respond to all 28 functions and the volume was significantly higher. Mike came out with a article later on stating the cure for that problem and it was exactly what I done. The extra voltage is not too much on my other 18 trains, but I still keep my booster cut back to 14v unless I am running the MTH. If anyone hears anything else on the Triplex problem and cure, let me know.

[chuff_n_puff]

I just received following reply from Kirstin Martinez at MTH Electric Trains:

Hello.  Thank you for contacting MTH Electric Trains.  We appreciate
your interest in the new MTH HO Triplex, and can certainly understand
your concerns regarding the issue brought about in the review.  Our
production and service departments has looked into the problem that
Tony's Trains encountered with the Triplex and spoken to them about
the situation. We have found that the cause of this issue was that the a pipe in the front of the engine that was out of position lifting the rear portion of the front drive block off the track in certain situations.
Repositioning the pipe corrects the problem. The pipe is designed to
provide movement so the Triplex can go up or down grades. When the
center pipe is out of place the vertical travel of the front engine
is virtually non-existent. When the center steam pipe is properly
located in the slot the front engine has plenty of vertical travel.
The attached photos show the pipe out of place as well as in the
proper location.  The photos show the Triplex with the boiler
removed; this is only to better show the situation.  Should one
encounter this problem it is not necessary to remove the boiler; all
that need be done is to gently hold the boiler so that the front
engine is inline with the boiler and hanging down slightly. Then
using a small screwdriver, such as a jeweler's screwdriver, move the
vertical section of the center pipe forward until it slides into the
slot. MTH is creating an addendum to the Triplex manual to cover this issue
and the correction.  Please let me know if you have any question.
Thank you,
Kirstin Martinez
MTH Electric Trains

I don't know how to upload the pictures he mentioned. I never have been able to upload pictures in this forum and wish someone would tell me how. Everytime I try to figure it out, I hit a dead end street!

[Mark Damien]

I had really run out of Puff with the bad news on the Triplex.
But on hearing the good news, am quite Chuff'd.

Thanks to Chuff n Puff, I'm not Puff'd 'n all Chuff'd.

[Anthony08]

That makes a lot of sense! I have the same problem with my Broadway Limited "Cab forward." if that front pipe that goes into the firebox is out, the wheels don't quite touch the ground, which leads to greater derailment problems.  I had a feeling that might be the case when reading the review, but wasn't sure if that pipe was permanently connected or loose, like my cab forward.

[Beatle (TrainBrain)]

I'm not sure what everyone's talking about between DCC and DCS. The new Triplex will work perfectlly fine with DCC. I've got M.T.H.'s K4 and it works perfectlly. One of the most impressive models I've ever seen. The only thing about the DCC functions is that DCS has 24 features, DCC only has access to 12...the 12 DCC doesn't have, you really shouldn't worry about, cause they're not on any other DCC loco.

The only problem I have EVER had with M.T.H.'s K4 is that it takes a bunch of power to program the decoder from 3 to the cab #...that's it. There's a knob in the tender for sound, there's also a button on your DCC controller to toggle the sound. The controlls that are different are 6 is mute and 8 is smoke.

So, yeah. M.T.H.'s locos work perfectlly and I fully intend to get some of those Triplexes!

[Mark Damien]

Oh NO!

NO!...NO!...NO!

The Triplex may have another problem.


"the gears stripped out on the rear driver set. All of this happened before we even hooked it up to a train".  Tony's Forum.

I really hope Tony's just got the one build on friday & I hope mine's a Tuesday train.

[SteamGene]

locomotive.
Gene

[Atlantic Central]

Sounds like the MTH triplex is going to be about as successfull as the real thing!

Sheldon