HI, I am new to this forum and to DCC. My question is has anyone ever encountered DCC equipped engines running slowly. I have three Atlas N Scale GP15-1's all equipped with the Digtrax DN163A4 decoder. A few days ago all three began to run very slowly no matter the throttle setting. I have reset the decoder to factory specs and it made no difference. I set up the motor control using the Digitrax recommended settings and it still made no difference. On the program track they seem to run a little faster but once on the main, they move at a crawl. Add a couple of cars to them and they barely move. I though it was electrical, not enough power, but I have two Kato F40PH's with TCS decoders that still fly around the layout. Does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks, Rob S.
Rob.
What DCC system are you using? Are all three powered and running in the same direction?
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!
Pete,
I'm using the NCE Power Cab starter system. All three have been on the track at the same time, all going in the same direction but only two will barely move. By themselves one loco seems to be faster than the other two and one seems to be the slowest of all three. It seems that once they start to move, there is no variation in speed, there are either moving slowly or stopped. Rob
Are these engines all running in a consist? Have they been in a consist?
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
No, they have never been in a consist. They have been in the recall of the power cab but I cleared that out. Rob
I have one of these, and because of the lower quality of the motor and pickup system versus the Master Line, it needs a highter throttle setting to get going. When some of my locos will get going using my NCE PowerCab system on speed step 6, this loco will need to get to speed step 16 before it really gets going using an MRC sound decoder.
I have noticed the difference in amps used by the Atlas loco and my Fox Valley loco. The Atlas amp usage varies between .16 and .19 at full throttle. The Fox Valley seems to stay constant at .18. What I don't understand is the Atlas loco will not even move when a second loco is added and running. It is still drawing the same amps but it just sits there with the motor humming. Remove the second loco and it might start to move again. I did not have this problem until very recently.
Since you have some locos that run just fine, it's the decoders. Read the CVs and make sure they did indeed get reset. Sometimes it takes more than once. Make sure you don't have a yard function turned on--I can't recall for sure but think Digitrax has a yard speed function that helps operate at slow speed?
Richard
CR8098On the program track they seem to run a little faster but once on the main, they move at a crawl.
How are you even running them on the program track?
Since I'm new to DCC, I don't know if I quite understand the whole CV programing concept. When I have reset the decoder to factory specs, I did it by programing CV 08 to a value of 008 as the Digitrax manuel said to do. When I reset CV08 already had a preset value of 129. I don't know what 129 is. I think I'm resetting the decoder because it looses the four digit engine number and goes back to an address of 3. Even after resetting the loco still does not run any better. How would I read the CV to know if it was reset?
Just forward and reverse on three sections of Kato Unitrak.
I located the problem. A few days ago I bought and hooked up an after market 50 ft. 6 pin flat cord to replace the NCE original cord. Since I couldn't think of anything else to fix the problem, I reattached the NCE original cord and like magic all the locos ran like they had before. I was assured by the seller, Litchfield Station, that the cord would work just like the original and obviously it did not. Does anyone know if it is possible to buy a longer cord that will work?. Anyway, thank you to everyone who responded. As I said I'm new to DCC and I will probably be posting more questions in the future. Rob
The Power cab cable needs to be that short of a length because the track power flows through those tiny small wires. You can get a smart booster and a couple of panels to plug into and move around the room.
What is a smart booster and does NCE sell one? Also where would I get the extra panels? I order most of my items from Model Train Stuff and I don't think I have ever seen those items for sale. I am limited on my layout because of the legnth of the NCE cord. I would install the smart booster and panel if I could find them. Rob
The Smart Booster is the second item top row on Modeltrainstuff when you select the DCC, Boosters category.
They don;t seem to list the normal UTP panels, must be out of stock. On NCE's page they mention have a run of about 50 of them made with the wrong connector so it doesn;t fir the fascia plate that comes with them, so they are selling them off for just $5 each, direct. You'd have to make your own fascia plate, or figure out a way to mount them. Or order the correct ones with the plates from somewhere else, like Litchfield. And some cables to wire them all together.
With the Smart Booster you will be able to add the extra UTP panels, basically they just daisy chain one to another, and then you can unplug the PowerCab while the train is running and plug in at a different UTP panel, without the train stopping. You can also add additional throttles, like one of the simpler ones made for just running trains. You still need to retain the current Powercab panel, since the Smart Booster has no program track capability. Best thing would be to use the Power Cab panel and power supply with a short section of track completly isolated from the layout itself.
--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,
Thanks for the info. I checked the MTS website and found the boosters. They have two, the NCE DB5 and the NCE SB3a, any suggestions on which on is better? Both say they are compatible with the Power Cab.
Actually, the SB3a is out of stock and has been discontinued by NCE. What you want is the SB5, which is the replacement for the SB3a. The SB5 is more expensive, but it does come with a power supply, while the SB3a did not. You DO NOT want the DB5. The DB5 is a "Dumb Booster", meaning it is just a booster. The SB5 is a "Smart Booster", meaning it is actually a command station as well. The command station functionality of the SB5 is what allows you to unplug the Power Cab and move to another location while the trains are running.
CR8098...When I reset CV08 already had a preset value of 129. I don't know what 129 is. I think I'm resetting the decoder because it looses the four digit engine number and goes back to an address of 3. Even after resetting the loco still does not run any better. How would I read the CV to know if it was reset?..
You can not tell if the decoder is reset by reading CV8. The fact that it reverted back to the primary(2-digit) address of '3' indicates that it was. CV8 has two functions on Digitrax decoders. On all NMRA compliant deocders, reading CV8 returns a number representing the manufacturer of the decoder, the value of 129 just means that it is a Digitrax decoder. On Digitrax decoders, writing the value of 8 to CV8 resets the decoder, but it does not change the value you get when you read CV8.
gatrhumpy I have one of these, and because of the lower quality of the motor and pickup system versus the Master Line, it needs a highter throttle setting to get going. When some of my locos will get going using my NCE PowerCab system on speed step 6, this loco will need to get to speed step 16 before it really gets going using an MRC sound decoder.
The motor used in the GP15 is the same motor used in many other Atlas locos, it is not of any lower quality. The difference in starting voltage you are seeing is likely caused by it being a "Scale Speed" motor.
locoi1sa The Power cab cable needs to be that short of a length because the track power flows through those tiny small wires. You can get a smart booster and a couple of panels to plug into and move around the room. Pete
The longer term solution would be to upgrade to the PH-Pro 5 amp system. For whatever advantages the Power Cab offers, it seems to be outweighed by its disadvantages.
Rich
Alton Junction
With the SB5, the track power comes from it and not through the PowerCab tether, so the issue of the longer cable goes away.
Which is another point, with the SB5, that longer extension cord from Litchfield should work fine.
CR8098 I located the problem. A few days ago I bought and hooked up an after market 50 ft. 6 pin flat cord to replace the NCE original cord. Since I couldn't think of anything else to fix the problem, I reattached the NCE original cord and like magic all the locos ran like they had before. I was assured by the seller, Litchfield Station, that the cord would work just like the original and obviously it did not. Does anyone know if it is possible to buy a longer cord that will work?. Anyway, thank you to everyone who responded. As I said I'm new to DCC and I will probably be posting more questions in the future. Rob
Have I read that correctly, a 50' phone-type cord? Then you have the problem of 50' of tiny gauge wire trying to pass reasonable voltage all along that huge length and still provide what three locomotives need. Not gonna happen. Try to keep wires feeding the trains thick, say in the 14-16 gauge range if it can be kept under 8-10'. If feeding a substantial layout with about 80-300' of rails, you would want a bus of solid copper 12-14 gauge household socket wire running along the major axis of the benchwork and several thinner wire feeders coming off the bus and up to the rails about every 5-8' if possible. Even so, a booster might also really help things along.
Crandell
Thanks for the info on the SB5. I will probably up grade to it in the future.
Crandell,
I ordered a 6 pin flat cord from Litchfield Station that was a replacement for the original NCE cord. I wanted the extra lenght to move around my layout. At the time I did not realize the electrical current was passing through the cord. I have since reconnected the original NCE cord and the trains run just fine. I use the Kato 3 way extension cord on my layout to feed the rails. I don't know the wire guage but it seems to work alright in both DC and now DCC.
Rob
I believe there are 14ft instead of 7ft cords that seem to work well with the Power Cab. Do you really want or need 50ft of cord? It seems like an open invitation to getting stepped on, tangled up, or caught on things. Multiple jacks with shorter cords seems like the better approach. Or if you have the funds, shift to radio control.
On our modular HOn3 layout (using NCE), we have jacks at least every 5ft or so. This enables use of the standard 7ft cord, and avoids the tangling, and stepping on issues.
For a small to medium home layout without radio control, the SB5 (or 3a) upgrade is quite useful. As mentioned, the SB serves as a command station and bigger booster so ALL the hammer heads (or other NCE throttles) can be moved from one jack to another while the trains are in motion. The power bus wires are now under the layout, and larger gauge wire can be used. A separate throttle bus is run to all the throttle jacks using the 6 wire flat cord. Since the throttle bus does not pass track current, but only signals to the SB, long runs of the throttle bus are not an issue.
my thoughts, your choices
Fred W
Go wireless!
You will never look back.