I have this Shay and I added a TCS DP2X decoder to it. Taking the Shay apart was not too complicated. But without instructions, it was fun. Took it all apart too lube. It runs great, slow and silent till you open up the throttle passed 50%. But I love watching it roll down the track slowly so that is not an issue.
The problem I do have is one of shorting out. At slow speed, between speed step 1 and 5 the engine will occationaly short out. I can hear the relay pick and power cut on my PM42. The lights goes out momentarily and come back on on the Shay. I read about the capacitor issue mentionned on the TCS web site but I wonder if that causes this issue. They say the capacitor resolved high speed issue. wish they were a little more precise.
Apart this fact, the engine works perfectly.
Anyone encounter this shorting issue ?.
Unless the decoder is at fault through manufacturing error, and providing there is nothing wrong with the installation, I would guess that the shorting out may be more an issue of track power on your layout. Does the cutting out always happen at one spot, over switches, or in one section which may be low on power? Does the shay always cut out just mometarily, or does it cut out and stay dead at any spots?
Are all the pickups on the shay working?...both tender and loco? (I think there is both, but I don't have mind in my hand at the moment)
If you can be certain it is the decoder, perhaps try replacing it with another brand, since it is not too expensive, and try testing the questionable decoder elsewhere.
For what it is worth, I put a tsunami (before they made the smaller sizes) into a dedicated ore car behind the tender of my Bachmann Shay (in which I could also fit two speakers) and have never had a problem with the loco.
Otis wrote: Unless the decoder is at fault through manufacturing error, and providing there is nothing wrong with the installation, I would guess that the shorting out may be more an issue of track power on your layout. Does the cutting out always happen at one spot, over switches, or in one section which may be low on power? Does the shay always cut out just mometarily, or does it cut out and stay dead at any spots?....Nope. It shorts out. I can hear my PM42 tripping. Sub-district is setup for 4.5A trip..... Are all the pickups on the shay working?...both tender and loco? (I think there is both, but I don't have mind in my hand at the moment)....All three pickups are functionning. Once i'm over speed step 15 (DT400) it does not encounter the problem...... If you can be certain it is the decoder, perhaps try replacing it with another brand, since it is not too expensive, and try testing the questionable decoder elsewhere.....This is a replacement from TCS. The original was flattened in shipping. No other loco that accepts this NMRA 8 pin PNP decoder.....For what it is worth, I put a tsunami (before they made the smaller sizes) into a dedicated ore car behind the tender of my Bachmann Shay (in which I could also fit two speakers) and have never had a problem with the loco.....That is what I wanted to do, but train funds are are on hold. I'm going to try cutting the capacitor TCS mentions.
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Nope. It shorts out. I can hear my PM42 tripping. Sub-district is setup for 4.5A trip.
All three pickups are functionning. Once i'm over speed step 15 (DT400) it does not encounter the problem
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This is a replacement from TCS. The original was flattened in shipping. No other loco that accepts this NMRA 8 pin PNP decoder.
That is what I wanted to do, but train funds are are on hold. I'm going to try cutting the capacitor TCS mentions.
Well it looks like the decoder went belly up on me tonight. I get lights and they flip on direction changes and dim but the engine don't move no more. I restored factory defaults and it does not budge. Lights come on and off via F0 but no rolling down the track no more.
So from a random shorting I've gone to a solid, no motor activity, dud decoder.
Possible. I'll look into it.
I ran this engine back and forth watching it crawl around on DC/DCC test track for quite sometime before I got the decoder, never had problems. This is one of the NMRA 8 pin PNP sockets. I'll put the jumper back in and see if something has changed since the tear down.