I just got into DCC about 2 weeks ago and love it. I have 5 engines with decoders and one is a Genesis F3 with sound. When I start my layout up (power on) the Genesis engine starts moving forward at about a scale 20-30 mph (this is just a guess) and I have to go to the throttle that is plugged into that loco and advance the speed knob a little and then go back to 0. Then it will just sit on the track and idle as it should. This is the only engine that does this. What could the problem be? I have a Digitrax Zephyr with a UT4 throttle for my second control unit.
Bob
Life is what happens while you are making other plans!
If you select the loco number on the Zephyr does the display say ST? It sounds like you didn't stop the loco and dispatch the address after last using it. If it does say ST when you enter the loco number, press the Y button. Then bring the loco to a complete stop (make sure the speed control is all the way at stop) and then press Loco and then Exit. Now shut off and power back up and it shouldn't move. If it's 'stuck' on the UT4, select it there and bring it to a full stop. The hold downt eh Dispatch button and unplug then plug the UT4 back in.
Or on the Zephyr press Prog, then Switch, and enter 36 and press C/-. This will erase all stored loco info in the Zephyr. Power down then back on, the loco should remain still. Remember each tiem you are finished with a particular loco and go to select another one, either do the Loco - Exit sequence for locos you've been running on the Zephyr or follow the Dispatch instructions for the UT4. The speed MUST be at 0, full stop, for the loco to be removed from memory.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Randy,
It just occured to me that this only happens using the UT4 throttle so I will try your suggestion.
Thanks,
All is good now! Thanks for the info and advice. This only seemed to happen with the UT4 and my Genesis F3 loco.
I believe the reason this happens sometimes is that two throttles are on the same address and the decoder is recieving commands from both throttles causing it to do strange things.
I can only speak based on my experience with the Digitrax DT400 throttles, of which I have two, but I have never been able to get the same loco on two throttles at the same time. Digitrax engineers it so that you must 'steal' that address from the active throttle, and that requires four (4) steps...punching in the address and clicking on the throttle, you get the 'steal?", at which you press "Y", and then it's yours.
I have temporarily shut down my system using the power off to the tracks feature on the DT400, done something or other, restored the power, and find an engine over there slowly creeping along. I go to its throttle and find a spurious single speed step on the display...which the decoder dutifully obeys. I get this rarely, but I do get it a couple of times a year.
-Crandell
i thought if you stole a loco the original throttle still had control too which is part of the problem????
Yes, if you 'steal' a loco it's active on both throttles. If both throttles are DT types with encoders, it's not really a problem, as one will simply 'follow' the other. But if one or both throttles are UT types or the Zephyr console with potentiometers, then they will fight each other. If one is set at half throttle and you try to slow down with the other, the train will slow down then speed back up to half speed. If you try to increase the speed on one, the train will go faster then slow down to half speed. It gets really crazy when one is at or near stop. The train will run as you advance the one throttle, then randomly come to a stop then start up again then stop. Just another reason I don;t really care for potentiometer throttles, there's now ay for the throttle to adjust to the speed of the train you aquire because there is a direct relationship between throttle position and the speed. Encoders have no such relationship, so when aquiring an already moving train it can just keep right on going at the same speed, and turning the knob will speed it up or slow it down from there.
I wonder if I have that problem also. This only happens with my TRIX ALCO PA-1s (the only TRIX products I have), but not with any of the 8 other locos. The TRIX PA-1s will start up at some relatively high speed when I first apply power to the track. (Digitrax DCS 200 with DT402 throttles, one tethered, the other RF). Once the train even started to move on its own even though it stayed put at power-up and I was running a couple of other locos.
I undertand the stopping routine as it should be and must confess that I may not be doing that consistently. But then, why only with the TRIX locos?
Tammo
I don't think it's your problem
What you have looks like a CV29 issue
I posted the fix to try on your other forum.
Springfield PA