I have a Bachmann 4-6-0 steam loco with DCC that I run DC. I completely disassembled it, and reassembled it. It worked before, and I checked it after the frame halves and running gear had been reinstalled, and it worked at that point.
Now it will not run.
The headlight comes on, but that is it. After the last working check, I pulled some of the slack wiring from the loco to the tender, and mounted the headlight to the frame.
I have a DCC controller of sort, DCC++ on an arduino. It cannot detect the loco or program it. And it does not run on either DCC or DC, but the headlight illuminates on both.
I checked for shorts between the frame halves and left to right sides of the wheels, and didn't find any.
Any help or tips would be greatly appreciated, I'm not sure where to start trouble shooting. My prime suspect at this point is a connection that has been knocked loose somewhere, most likely on the board since the controller can't communicate to it.
Thanks.
to the forum your intial posts are delayed by moderation.
When you say frame halves. is this n-scale?
In HO, the decoder is in the tender. Do not remove the truck bolster screws. There is a screw underneath each truck that needs to be removed to lift the shell off the tender.
If we are talking about N-scale steam decoders I know nothing about how Bachmann does it.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Being as this is a custom install it's difficult for us to determine the problem. Are the lights controlled by the Arduino? If not and they work the problem is most likely between the rails and the Arduino.Mel Modeling the early to mid 1950s SP in HO scale since 1951My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California Aging is not for wimps.
It sounds like a connection problem. My first thought was the connection between the engine and tender. But it could also be the connection at the decoder. I would check both of these. Also make sure that the wheels are clean...
Simon
I think I miss read your post, I thought it had an Arduino decoder. If it has a standard DCC decoder and the decoder doesn’t respond then look for a bad connection in either the red or black wires that go to the rails.If the headlight is powered from the decoder using the white and blue wires then the decoder may have problem.Mel Modeling the early to mid 1950s SP in HO scale since 1951My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California Aging is not for wimps.
For the HO model, the motor does in fact sit in two halves.
When you say that you installed the light on the frame, are you saying that you connected the lights electrically to the frame? I assume then that you disconnected the wire that goes to the decoder, if there is such a wire (I assume there is one).
Other question: Is your decoder set to be DC enabled?
(EDITED: this part removed)
If this is the HO engine, one tender truck should pick up from one rail, and the other truck from the other rail, with the engine drivers picking up power from both rails. At least, the one I have is that way.
I would agree with Simon that it sounds like something has come loose - one of the small wires between the engine and tender, or one of the wires on the greenboard in the tender. Since the headlight works, I'd guess it's one of the wires to the motor.
You saying there are no shouts between frame halves tell me you have an open circuit between the pick-ups, you should see restance when checking the haves if the decoder is connected.
Firstly - Can you control the light with the DCC++ system? On/off?
If YES - Motor wire disconnected is most likely culprit.
If NO - USED TO - What type of Decoder? Factory, or custome install? How was the headlight wired in? Directly to frame, or via White/Blue (or whatever color Bachmann Factory uses) Decoder wires?
If NO - OTHER - Was it ever programmed to respond to function commands, like a standard DCC system would do? By address, for speed, dirction, lighting, etc...? If YES - Have you tried to do a decoder reset?
Related - Do you have a seperate programming track, or is it programming on main?
Ricky W.
HO scale Proto-freelancer.
My Railroad rules:
1: It's my railroad, my rules.
2: It's for having fun and enjoyment.
3: Any objections, consult above rules.
Sorry for the late reply, I lost track of this post while it was in moderation. It was an N-scale loco, completely stock with Bachmann decoder. I have no idea how I killed it, but both the decoder and motor are toast, so I replaced it with a new loco.
I could imagine killing the circuit board with stray static, but the motor itself will not run sitting on the bench hooked up to a power supply, and shows open on a multimeter.
Thanks for the advice, I am NOT going to tear the new one apart, as I can make the modification needed on the body shell without tearing into anything more.
RedDogF5 Sorry for the late reply, I lost track of this post while it was in moderation. It was an N-scale loco, completely stock with Bachmann decoder. I have no idea how I killed it, but both the decoder and motor are toast, so I replaced it with a new loco. I could imagine killing the circuit board with stray static, but the motor itself will not run sitting on the bench hooked up to a power supply, and shows open on a multimeter. Thanks for the advice, I am NOT going to tear the new one apart, as I can make the modification needed on the body shell without tearing into anything more.
Motor disconnected from everything except power leads?
If not, Decoder is definately toasted now.
Have you tested with the programming track? (if available?)
What voltage does your DCC++ system put out?
When on DC, what votage?
Normally performing maintenance, or disassembly with reassembly will not hurt decoders or motor, so if they are indeed both fried, something else is seriously wrong with your setup. If this is the case, you will burn up the new locomotive as well...
Yes, motor disconnected form everything, sitting on the bench with a power supply hooked up to it. I have urn it both with a Walthers DC unit, and the arduino, and a power supply straight. Have no idea what the Wlathers puts out, but have to assuem it is not destructive. The arduino DCC++ runs at 12V so as not to smoke the arduino itself, and when I ran it on the power supply, it was between 6 and 7 volts.
Tried it on a programming track, and operating track. Once it was clear the DCC decoder was toast, I cut it off per the direcitons to make it DC only, and it was still no go, so something got destroyed in the base power circuit. At this point I suspect something got popped on the circuit board, and a wire got yanked off the motor. But a new board was $60 something, and a new loc was $75, so I opted for the whole assembly. Will probably see if I can get it running again later. thanks again for the help.