I have two different engines both are Athearns that when they are in my yard not suppose to be running and another engine gets close to it, it will start moving. They are the only two that will do this. I am using Digitrax and the DCC decoders are digitrax. I tried to reprogram with a different number and made sure no other engines were in the same room as the one that I was programming. Has anyone else had this happen to them?
Do you have CV29 of the decoders in those Athearn models set to a value of 34 to turn off DC operation? If not, that may be what's causing those locomotives to surge.
Is the engine that's not supposed to be moving on an isolated track that is not normally getting power? Or, is it on a section of track that should be getting power but isn't because of a loose rail joiner? I'm thinking that the other engine that "gets close" is bridging the gap and applying power to the track and the other locomotive.
When you address that engine and tell it to go, does it work properly?
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
I will go and change them. I did find out if I had my running engine and the engine at the sighting both with the same kind of chip (sound or non sound) it didn't have these issues. Just when one is a non sound and one is a sound, the one at the sighting would start to run (backwards). I used an Intermountain and has no issues.
Have those locomotives ever been part of a consist? If they are not currently consisted, program CV19 with a value of 0 to clear out any old consist address that may still be in the decoder.
I've ran into a couple of weird situations where an old consist number was still in the decoder and could cause strange things to happen.
If this is not the problem, then I'm at a loss to offer further suggestions other than to try a different brand of decoder. I have no Digitrax decoders, so don't know if this could be some quirk that is in them.
CV19 is for Advanced Consisting(decoder) - Digitrax defaults to Command Station consisting, so messing with CV19 will do nothing. What I find strange is the mention that if moving engine gets 'close' to the stopped engine, the stopped engine starts to move.
This sounds like:
o -The stopped engine is really not at speed step 0...
o - And there are loose rail joiners involved.....
Jim
Modeling BNSF and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin
We set up a EZ track last night to do testing on so no rail joiners. We now have it so the sound engines just start making sounds but do not move. By changing some of the mentioned CV values. We have been emailing with digitrax and they have never heard of this and he can not get the same results as we are. He had us to reset the box. Thanks for all the help keep any ideas coming, we really appreciate the help!
WHat Digitrax system are you using? If it's a Zephyr/Zephyr Xtra - make sure you actually are stopping the locos. Turn the throttle all teh way down, but ALSO put the direction lever in the Brake position. It's very easy for the throttle knob to 'bounce' off the stop and actually be at a speed step other than 0, and if the decoder is halfway decent, the loco may indeed creep along at step 1.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.