Hi all,
I have a BLI Paragon 2 Mikado running on an NCE Power Pro w/Radio system. When I sound the horn the headlight and ditch lights go off . I can turn them back on but it's annoying. Any ideas?
Gary
If the lights are off and you sound the horn, do they turn on again?
Check the value of CV 36. I think it should be 8. Any other value might cause the horn button (F2) to do unexpected things.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Will do, Thanks. I'll let you know. The NCE controller has a key for horn and lights separate from the function keys. I'm hitting the key labeled "Horn" does that matter?
Try resetting the decoder. It's somewhat common for ditch lights to come ON when sounding the horn, and then go off a short time after. But not the headlight, although with various function mappoing settings it COULD have gotten programmed to do this.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
What do you mean by 'ditch lights'? Steam locos usually do not have ditch lights(At least my BLI Paragon 2 steamers don't).
Modeling BNSF and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin
same here but only the first toot. After that it works normal. Strange.
Sorry for the delay. Lights do not come on when I re-sound the horn. I have to hit the "Lights" button on the NCE PowerPro, then the lights come on.
Ditch Lights? There are 2 yellow/amber lights on the front. Thought they were ditch lights.
Those are classification lights. The purpose of classification lights was to help identify the train on which they were displayed. The three colors and their meanings were as follows: White. Indicated an "extra" train not shown in the timetable. For much of railroad history, train-movement authority was granted by timetables. If a train was listed in the timetable, it had the authority to operate according to its printed schedule. Deviations from the timetable, such as a train running late, were handled with train orders from the dispatcher. Under this "timetable-and-train-order" system, it was important that trains kept as close to schedule as possible, and that any special trains not shown in the timetable be clearly identified as such with a white light. Many freight trains operated as extras, and thus carried a white classification signal. Green. Indicated that, while the train displaying the lights was a regularly scheduled one, a second section was following behind it. This was done, for example, when ridership demand exceeded the capacity of a single passenger train. If there were too many passengers for a single section of, say, New York Central's 20th Century Limited, a second section was operated, and, if needed, a third, fourth, fifth, and even sixth. The engine of each section except the last would display green lights. While each section was a separate entity, the timetable's "train 25" would not be considered to have passed a given point until the last section of the train had gone by. For operational convenience, special trains that otherwise might have carried white "extra" signals were sometimes operated as advance or second sections of regular, but unrelated, trains. Red. Indicated the end of a train. A train, be it a single engine, a group of engines, or an engine(s) with cars, must have a marker on the rear end. In the (relatively rare) situations when the last element in a train would be a locomotive, the red lights would be lit. Classification lights phased outThe timetable-and-train-order system has been replaced by other forms of movement authority, and classification lights are no longer used, although older locomotives still have them. Some railroads (including Amtrak, and New Jersey Transit) still use red marker lights, but most have done away with the extra items and just use the headlight on a trailing locomotive as a marker.
WOW thank you for that education. I really appreciate the information.
Do any of your other locomotives have light shutdown when you sound the horn?
I had a similar problem and emailed Tony's Train Exchange (where I purchased it) and was given instructions on how to clean it. However, befire I got to it I had another problem, my fault, ran too many locos and had to send it to NCE (at Tony's direction) for repairs and they took care of both problems. They were great to deal with and I was pleased at the short turnaround time. They may not always be that fast, but even if they had taken twice the time I would have considered it reasonable.
I was going to thank them when I went to the Amherst Show in Jan, but they were knee deep in customers, so I kept going and didn't get back to their booth.
I certainly would say they have great customer service.
Good luck,
Richard
It seems to be only the Paragon 3's