Old problem, new question. I have over 200 diesels, about 5 are P2K, 3 are GP38-2's. I use NCE, four power districts, each with own booster. Now, one GP38-2 has developed the infamous "whirr". Wait, there is more. It only "whirrs" in reverse. So I take it to the workbench for repair. At the workbench I have an older NCE system, command station and one booster, and a series of tracks/switches that I use to test and install decoders and repairs. this is NOT CONNECTED to the layout.
When I put this infamous GP38-2 on the test NCE, it does not whirr. Put it back on the layout, it whirrs. First impression, something to do with the difference in systems, logic says NCE DCC is NCE DCC. any thoughts before I tear into it?
Bob
New one on me.
Check / compare the track voltage between the two locations? (For comparitave purposes you can just use a regular AC meter.)
If the layout voltage is different than the test track voltage, try adjusting the layout voltage to bring it to what the test track voltage is. If the adjustment steps are not in the manual, you may have to call NCE.
Be aware that I am not saying that this will fix the problem, but it may.
Elmer.
The above is my opinion, from an active and experienced Model Railroader in N scale and HO since 1961.
(Modeling Freelance, Eastern US, HO scale, in 1962, with NCE DCC for locomotive control and a stand alone LocoNet for block detection and signals.) http://waynes-trains.com/ at home, and N scale at the Club.
Thats a new one here. Never heard of a Wirrr problem. Could it be the loco itself? Maybe going around a curve the driveline is rubbing on something or a motor brush is causing it to whine or buzz. I had a loco with sound give me fits. It had a buzzing noise it turned out to be the cab glass assembly vibrating.
Pete
I pray every day I break even, Cause I can really use the money!
I started with nothing and still have most of it left!
engine has been in service for two years. Whirrrr is my description, which may be a bad one. It just started about a week ago during an op session, the diesel was happily switching in Flynn yard when the guy running it yelled at me that the engine was getting very noisy in reverse.
Tried it again after the session, same results. That is when I took it to the work bench and the other NCE system, ran it back and forth on the test line, no whirr or any other sound. Back to the layout, whiir. Back to test system, okay. I have tried it every day since, same results.
The voltage read out on both systems are the same, there are no unusual readings that would indicate one NCE system is different in some way from the other.
Thanks anyway.
Try giving NCE a email they are very helpful.
Barry S
Mechanically: Oil the motor and gear tower bearings. Make sure the truck tower clips are secure and also the bottom gear covers. Do the gears need to be lubed? Also check the wheel bearings to see if they're binding, (do not oil them, they are self-lubricating bronze bearings)..
Electronically: If you have a spare decoder on hand,, try switching it out, maybe the silent running feature is failing.
Jay
C-415 Build: https://imageshack.com/a/tShC/1
Other builds: https://imageshack.com/my/albums
oops ,self lubing wheel bearings ,did I miss somthing .....I bought a used fb2 and it had a whining sound (dc only ) and seemed two be the bearing near the gear tower and it was the same bearing as the wheels oiled sound gone so I oiled the wheel bearings too ....was that a bad thing? ....Jerry
modelmaker51 Mechanically: Oil the motor and gear tower bearings. Make sure the truck tower clips are secure and also the bottom gear covers. Do the gears need to be lubed? Also check the wheel bearings to see if they're binding, (do not oil them, they are self-lubricating bronze bearings).. Electronically: If you have a spare decoder on hand,, try switching it out, maybe the silent running feature is failing.
Unit is fine as far as gear lube, what everyone is missing, and which blows my mind is the fact it does it on one NCE system, but not on the other. And, it does it in reverse only on the one system, but is fine in both directions on the other. I have to admit that in my 50 years in this hobby, I haven't been as perplexed by any thing as I am with this cutie. Oh, and I did try another decoder, no difference. Oh, I emailed a guru on the NCE forum, and he is stumped also.
I personally would find it hard to believe that there is somehow a difference between the old and new NCE systems. That being said, what I would do is first leave the engine on the railroad and confirm that it is still making the noise. Then, it should be a simple matter of unplugging the connections on the two command stations and temporarily replacing the new station with the old. Now see if the engine still makes noise.