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Dead locomotive

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  • Member since
    December 2006
  • From: North Carolina
  • 758 posts
Dead locomotive
Posted by Aikidomaster on Saturday, March 5, 2011 2:53 PM

I have a Broadway Limited N&W class A. I have had it for several years. A friend programmed it for me but he has moved away. I had a short circuit a few months ago and the locomotive (DCC) defaulted to its baseline settings including address of 03. I use the Digitrax system. I had tried reprogramming the locomotive on the layout without any other locomotives on the layout. I could not get it to accept any changes including address. The read out would say that the locomotive had accepted the changes when in reality it had not. Then, one day, while trying to program it again, the locomotive "died". It will not do ANYTHING!!Crying

I am electronically challenged, especially when it comes to DCC programming of locomotives. What can I do to try and get the locomotive back at least to its default programs?? HELP!!Embarrassed

Craig North Carolina

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Saturday, March 5, 2011 3:00 PM

 THis is probably one with a QSI decoder. It will either have a jumper under the tender hatch or else it has the magnetic reed switch to do an absolutely total reset on it. The jumper is the easier one, you move the jumper to the reset position, apply power, then remove power and put the jumper back. You can find the instructions for the various locos on the BLI web site.

 If a full reset doesn;t fix it, someone else here had an similar issue where they ended up having to send it back because even the reset wouldn't work. Hopefully the reset will clear it up for you.

                                 --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

  • Member since
    December 2006
  • From: North Carolina
  • 758 posts
Posted by Aikidomaster on Friday, March 11, 2011 8:57 AM

Thanks Randy, I am going to give it a try this weekend.

Craig North Carolina

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Westchester NY
  • 1,747 posts
Posted by retsignalmtr on Friday, March 11, 2011 9:19 AM

Digitrax has four modes used for programing, ph, po (ops mode), pd and the prefered pg mode. You should try all of them if one does not work. Last week a short circuit on my clubs layout knockes a QSI equiped loco of mine back to the default address of 03. I tried pg, no good. Then po, no change. When I got to pd the loco took the programing back to the cab number. No other CV's were effected.

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,281 posts
Posted by richhotrain on Friday, March 11, 2011 11:55 AM

rrinker

 THis is probably one with a QSI decoder. It will either have a jumper under the tender hatch or else it has the magnetic reed switch to do an absolutely total reset on it. The jumper is the easier one, you move the jumper to the reset position, apply power, then remove power and put the jumper back. You can find the instructions for the various locos on the BLI web site.

 If a full reset doesn;t fix it, someone else here had an similar issue where they ended up having to send it back because even the reset wouldn't work. Hopefully the reset will clear it up for you.

                                 --Randy

 

I am going to add my voice to Randy's on this one.

The BLI engines with the QSI decoders have a mind of their own.  I know.  I own seven of them.

Sometimes, after a short or derailment, nothing short of a hard reset will bring the loco alive once again.  Read your owner's manual to determine whether the engine has a jumper or a magnetic reed switch, then follow the instructions to reset it.  Don't waste your time trying to reset the decoder to factory defaults by programming on the main.  You need to do a hard reset.

Rich

Alton Junction

  • Member since
    May 2008
  • 4,612 posts
Posted by Hamltnblue on Friday, March 11, 2011 2:50 PM

If you do the hard reset, remember it's supposed to be on a DC source.

Springfield PA

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