# "Fixing" the MTH UP Dash 9 flashing ditch lights.



## Rusty Railer (Dec 16, 2016)

Hello, new to the forum and the hobby after a 35yr break and a move across the Atlantic... This might have been covered before... but having bought an MTH HO UP C44-9W I discover it has alternating or flashing ditch lights when the horn is sounded. This it turns out is not accurate. The road number 9807 I hoped was ex-SP to explain the ditch lights but no its ex-C&NW railroad which would have steady ditch lights... so renumbering is out cos the ditch lights are in the low position for UP and not high for SP.

Options, put up with the flashing ditch lights or find a suitable rewiring write up or video to fix this inaccuracy...

Any help or direction toward the rewiring option would be greatly appreciated. Not going to rewire my expensive loco without a bulletproof fix.

Cheers, Russ


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

I can't help with your question, but it's curious that the Athearn Genesis Southern Pacific SD70M is numbered 9807.


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## wvgca (Jan 21, 2013)

As far as I know, MTH does things a little differently . to get the ditch lights not to flash, and stay on steady when the horn is blown, requires loading a different sound file .. it's not a wiring change as such ..
To do this it needs to go back to MTH, unless you know someone with a TIU and a DCS handheld ...
I do not have any direct experience with this, but a while ago some people were talking about this, and apparantly that's what is involved..
I may be wrong,, just going by second hand conversation


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## Rusty Railer (Dec 16, 2016)

Wvgca thanks it's a place to start.... Latestarter, yeah once you start researching road numbers and where they came from you start to find all kinds of "artistic licience" when it comes to slight differences on the models. Just have accept that until I am knowledgeable enough to fix it.... in the early going the planet under my welcome back layout will be extruded pink... so flashing ditch lights are a small nitpick.. Cheers


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## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

A few years ago I bought a tsunami decoder for one of my UP locos. I bought the decoder because it had flashing ditch lights with the horn. I too found out UP does not use flashing
ditch lights. Bummer. I can stop the flashing with just a CV change. I don't know about MTH, but it might just be a CV change for them also. Check your CV chart that came with the engine.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

The ditch lights are programmable as to operation on anything with PS/3 & DCC.


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

The Athearn Genesis Southern Pacific SD70M is numbered correctly -- 9807.
They were numbered 9800 to 9824.


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