Bachmann E Z Command DCC unit

[P&G Northern - Calgary]

I have a Bachmann EZ Command DCC unit. I have several engines that have decoders in them. Originally I programmed about five or six of these engine unit into the unit but I forgot to mark which address I gave each. Recently John ( a friend of mine & fellow modeller) rewired my layout. Then we tried to run trains with my DCC units. Only one out of five units ran. Can not figure out who the others don't run.

Checked the layout wiring & found we have power to all areas of the layout. The one engine works great but the others still don't run. We did take my Athearn 4400 unit apart & tested it.

There was smoke coming from the decoder - think it is fried. Has anyone that has one of these DCC units had any similar problems & ideas how to get these units running again? I NEED HELP PLEASE? I am getting very frustrated trying to figure this matter out.

[tstage]

P&G

I had a E-Z Command for a year and never had any problems with either the unit or my locomotives.  Have you tried connecting the E-Z Command up to a single piece of flex track and operating your locomotives that way?  This might help to determine if the problems you're having lies with the new wiring or not.

Tom

[jeffrey-wimberly]

The decoder smoked when you tested the loco? Did you connect DC power directly to the motor with the decoder still connected? That'll smoke it for sure. If that's not the case then you may have had a bad decoder or there may have been a short. On the other non-working units try the programming step that's listed for decoders with unknown addresses. Use the step as it's described on the DVD. The description in the manual is incorrect (unless it's been corrected in the last two years) and will fail every time.

[cudaken]

 I can say it not the E-Z Command fault, while Tom only ran his E-Z for a year, I bought it off Tom 2 years ago and still going fine.

 "There was smoke coming from the decoder" Was that from the running one? I had that happen with a Athearn Dash 9 with a Digitrax decoder! It melted the wires from the truck to the PC board. Rewired the truck and decoder and board lived.

 I as well would wire a separate test section of track. I would start with cab number 3, that as you know is the default address. Try each address till or if you get it to move. If not install a new decoder and see if you can change it address from cab 3. If not you may have cooked the E-Z.

 Can you change the address of the running engine?

         Good Luck and let us know.

             EZ Ken

[P&G Northern - Calgary]

Got my problem solved today. Took the engines over to a Lion friend of mind who has a Digitrax system & also sells Digitrax systems. He tested them & then re-programmed them to address' that would work on my system. Took them home; tried them on the layout - guess what they worked. Great eh!

Didn't have to blow my RR Budget & buy a new throttle unit i.e Digitrax Zephyr unit - $200. Can now do some other RR projects plus maintenance on the units i.e. clean the dirty wheels etc.

Thanks for your help.