# MTH J Class #612. Manufacturing Date??



## NW6111218 (Dec 27, 2010)

I just bought a used MTH J Class #612. I can't get it to operate correctly and I am trying to figure out what year it was manufactured so I can get a manual for it.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Good luck getting a manual out of MTH! I have tried for several products, and maintenance information from them is as scarce as hen's teeth!


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## NW6111218 (Dec 27, 2010)

Thank you for the reponse. That is bad news. I can't figure out how to operate this thing. Maybe I have been had again and this locomotive is damaged. Maybe it is my controller.? 
When I start to run the loco it takes off and I can not control the speed. It is just wide open. I can not get the bell or whistle to activate. 
Could the problem be in my controller? Anyone have any ideas?


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

First off, try it in conventional transformer mode and see how that works. There is a switch to lock out the command control, you sure that's not set? If you use transformer control, the whistle, and bell if available, controls should work. Make sure you turn off your base unit for the digital control.


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## NW6111218 (Dec 27, 2010)

I'm not sure what you mean about the transformer controls. I have a Z750 controller. 
I just tryed it again and the thing will start whistleing when I did not even press the button and when I press the button it will not whistle.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

Not much of a manual for the transformer.

Is the red wire connected to the center rail??
Are the buttons stuck?
The two leads with the knobs go to the track.

I found the parts diagram for the engine.It came in a set in 2001/

Speed is dependant on lines found on the flywheel. If they are dirty or missing you have a speed problem. Found at the end of troubleshooting tips in FAQ for protosound Two


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## NW6111218 (Dec 27, 2010)

Thank you for all your help. The red wire is connected to the center rail. The buttons do not appear to be stuck on the transformer.
I will check into the other suggestions this afternoon when I get home from work.


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## NW6111218 (Dec 27, 2010)

Checked the flywheel and all black lines are there and clean. I wonder if the tach board is bad?
Is it possible that the speed control is turned off? I can not get my contoller to activate anything so I can not check this. Do controllers go bad?


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Well, speed control by itself shouldn't kill the train, that's normally an option.


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## NW6111218 (Dec 27, 2010)

Thank you for all your help. I guess I'll have to take it in to a service center and see what they can figure out.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I asked before, but I'll ask again. Did you stop trying to use the remote control and try it connected directly to a transformer? The train should run with transformer controlled direction and throttle, I'd get that working first.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

His transformer is a RailKing 75 watt.

Maybe you need to get it in neutral , that way the battery will recharge, the electronics will work and control the speed.

So read and check everything you have on that engine.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

OK, I thought he was talking about DCC.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

You might need to buy it a new rechargeable battery if it's ProtoSound. MTH recommends Radio Shack 3633296, it's an 8.4V NiMh battery that's an approved replacement for their battery.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

There still may be hope.


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## NW6111218 (Dec 27, 2010)

I can get the locomotive to go into neutral, forward and reverse. When it goes into forward or reverse it just takes off full speed. I can not contol it. 
I have tried pushing the buttons on my transformer but they will not activate anything.
I will try leaving the loco turned on in the neutral position and see if the battery needs a charge.
Thank you all for all your help so far. I'm not very happy with the store I bought this thing from. They represented it as working good. Maybe there is still hope.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

If it's only running at full speed, it's not the locomotive I would guess. Since you have a plain transformer, I'd say you have it wired to the accessory outputs and not the variable voltage outputs. There's no way the engine runs at full speed when you're at the lower settings on the variable voltage.


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## NW6111218 (Dec 27, 2010)

I'll check on that when I get home this afternoon.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

From reading the manual. A plug from the power pack goes to the controller. The controller has your throttle and buttons. So the wires must go from the controller to the track with the red to the center rail. That is it. 

It would make no sense to plug the controller in and not have wires coming out of it. The power pack has acessory terminals I think but am unable to find a good picture that shows the connections.


WIthout seeing how this is hooked up I suggest you disconnect any accessories from the track


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I think you'll find that the engine is fine. You have pretty much proven that it'll run in forward/reverse and stop in neutral.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Well, either the power pack is broken, or it's connected wrong. The description of operation tells me the engine is fine, it's worked in all modes. The fact that the controls do nothing tells me it's the transformer wiring or operation.


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## NW6111218 (Dec 27, 2010)

My power pack controller only has connections for the track. 
I left the locomotive in neutral for a few hours to see if the battery needed recharging. I messed around with it afterwards and I got the bell to activate once. Then the whistle started on its own and would'nt stop. Afterwards the buttons would not do anything. 
I bet you are right about the power pack. I probably need to look into buying a new one.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I'm 99% sure it's not the engine, this sounds like the transformer all the way.

You can pick up a pretty cheap transformer on eBay that will do the job, sounds like you need a spare.


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## NW6111218 (Dec 27, 2010)

That is good news. I really appreciate all of your help.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

For a good basic transformer, I've picked up a few 1033's, old but bulletproof.  If you want something more modern with a bell and whistle capability, probably the cheapest I see is the Lionel CW-80 that appears in quantity.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

Is the battery holding a charge???


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

If the battery is bad, I posted the recommended replacement in the thread.


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