Trains.com

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Loco won't respond, but decoder settings are normal...?

8270 views
20 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Trois-Rivieres Quebec Canada
  • 1,063 posts
Posted by jalajoie on Saturday, July 17, 2010 9:20 AM

Thanks Jeffrey, this is worth remembering.

Jack W.

  • Member since
    June 2004
  • From: Orig: Tyler Texas. Lived in seven countries, now live in Sundown, Louisiana
  • 25,640 posts
Posted by jeffrey-wimberly on Saturday, July 17, 2010 9:16 AM

jalajoie
I am curious, what was the problem ?

The decoder may have locked in DC mode. I've had a couple of Bachmann decoders do that. Both were on locos that still had the capacitors on the motor. Since I removed the capacitors no more problem.

Running Bear, Sundown, Louisiana
          Joined June, 2004

Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running Bear
Space Mouse for president!
15 year veteran fire fighter
Collector of Apple //e's
Running Bear Enterprises
History Channel Club life member.
beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam


  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Trois-Rivieres Quebec Canada
  • 1,063 posts
Posted by jalajoie on Saturday, July 17, 2010 8:59 AM

Oakhurst Railroad Engineer

Turns out programming was never the problem, so I never needed to resort to this technique ...

I am curious, what was the problem ?

Jack W.

  • Member since
    October 2006
  • From: Los Alamitos, California
  • 322 posts
Posted by Oakhurst Railroad Engineer on Friday, July 16, 2010 11:44 PM

Hamltnblue

On another thread didn't randy suggest putting a 1k resistor across the tracks for programming a bachmann  unit?  It was just a day or 2 ago.

Turns out programming was never the problem, so I never needed to resort to this technique ...

www.oakhurstrailroad.com

"Oakhurst Railroad" on Facebook

  • Member since
    May 2008
  • 4,612 posts
Posted by Hamltnblue on Friday, July 16, 2010 4:14 PM

On another thread didn't randy suggest putting a 1k resistor across the tracks for programming a bachmann  unit?  It was just a day or 2 ago.

Springfield PA

  • Member since
    October 2006
  • From: Los Alamitos, California
  • 322 posts
Posted by Oakhurst Railroad Engineer on Friday, July 16, 2010 3:38 PM

Wanting to try pure DC, just to see if the motor would turn, I took it to my local train store: Arnie's Trains in Westminster, CA.

Same nothing on DCC.  Then it did run fine on DC and he quickly switched back to DCC.  Worked fine!  I took it home and set the address and CV's that way I wanted.  Problem solved! 

Thanks,

Marty

 

www.oakhurstrailroad.com

"Oakhurst Railroad" on Facebook

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Trois-Rivieres Quebec Canada
  • 1,063 posts
Posted by jalajoie on Friday, July 16, 2010 1:52 PM

Oakhurst Railroad Engineer

CV8 was originally, and resets to 101

The CV8 and CV30 changes are definitely resetting the decoder back to address 3, and changing CV2 back to default as well, so the reset is working.  But the loco still won't move.

OK CV8=101 indicate Bachman manufacturer. I can be wrong but I still think it is a Lenz decoder and CV8=33 will reset it.

Anyway to make sure, read the values in CV1, CV17, CV18 and CV29, they should be as follow :

CV1 =3, CV17=0, CV18=0 and CV29=6, then we will know the decoder is indeed back to default setting and will look elsewhere for a solution.

CV2 is irrelevant to your problem.

Jack W.

  • Member since
    October 2006
  • From: Los Alamitos, California
  • 322 posts
Posted by Oakhurst Railroad Engineer on Friday, July 16, 2010 1:27 PM

jalajoie

A value of 99 in CV8 indicate a Lenz decoder when you read it.

Normally a Lenz decoder is installed in a Bachman loco. To reset such a decoder a value of CV8=33 is required

CV8 was originally, and resets to 101

The CV8 and CV30 changes are definitely resetting the decoder back to address 3, and changing CV2 back to default as well, so the reset is working.  But the loco still won't move.

www.oakhurstrailroad.com

"Oakhurst Railroad" on Facebook

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Trois-Rivieres Quebec Canada
  • 1,063 posts
Posted by jalajoie on Friday, July 16, 2010 12:38 PM

Oakhurst Railroad Engineer

I resert the decoder twice, using CV8=8 and again using CV30=2.  Still only lights with no motor.

A value of 99 in CV8 indicate a Lenz decoder when you read it.

Normally a Lenz decoder is installed in a Bachman loco. To reset such a decoder a value of CV8=33 is required.

Jack W.

  • Member since
    October 2006
  • From: Los Alamitos, California
  • 322 posts
Posted by Oakhurst Railroad Engineer on Friday, July 16, 2010 11:45 AM

I resert the decoder twice, using CV8=8 and again using CV30=2.  Still only lights with no motor.

www.oakhurstrailroad.com

"Oakhurst Railroad" on Facebook

  • Member since
    October 2006
  • From: Los Alamitos, California
  • 322 posts
Posted by Oakhurst Railroad Engineer on Friday, July 16, 2010 10:56 AM

rrinker
make sure CV19 is 0.

Just tried that.  CV19 reads back a 0 and I reentered it to 0.  Still on the lights work.

Should I try running it as pure DC to see if the motor runs, or do you have other ideas?  How do you reset the CV's in the Bachmann decoder?  There is no useful information in the sheets provided with the model.

Marty

www.oakhurstrailroad.com

"Oakhurst Railroad" on Facebook

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Friday, July 16, 2010 6:47 AM

Repeating the orignal advice, make sure CV19 is 0.

                          --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

  • Member since
    October 2006
  • From: Los Alamitos, California
  • 322 posts
Posted by Oakhurst Railroad Engineer on Friday, July 16, 2010 1:02 AM

I'm having similar troubles with a Bachmann GE 70 ton DCC loco.  It was running fine a few days ago as part of a consist (it was not the superior or top loco).

Now, a few days later, I only get the headlights to come on and off and switch front and back normally.  It will not run, despite repeated attempts.  I did break the consist (maybe I did it properly, maybe not, I can't remember exactly) before I tried to run this loco.

I checked CV's 1-12 and they match my other twin loco that is still running fine.  I don't have a complete CV list.  Does Bachmann use a standard set of CV's and defaults?

Suggestions before I send it back to Bachmann?  I bought it in May and I have added weights and weathering.

Thanks,

Marty

Tags: DCC

www.oakhurstrailroad.com

"Oakhurst Railroad" on Facebook

  • Member since
    May 2008
  • 4,612 posts
Posted by Hamltnblue on Thursday, February 19, 2009 2:55 PM
What manufacturer of engine and decoder do you have?

Springfield PA

  • Member since
    December 2004
  • From: WSOR Northern Div.
  • 1,559 posts
Posted by WSOR 3801 on Thursday, February 19, 2009 1:20 AM

 Using a DT400, when the display comes up stat tri, hit the Edit button.  Then scroll thru the choices till you get to stat 128.  Then enter to acquire the engine. 

For whatever reason, I have to do this fairly often.  It seems like after I use the UT4 to run an engine or consist, the next time I call it up on a DT400 it is in trinary.Confused

Mike WSOR engineer | HO scale since 1988 | Visit our club www.WCGandyDancers.com

  • Member since
    June 2006
  • From: Baltimore, MD
  • 1,726 posts
Posted by CSX_road_slug on Wednesday, February 18, 2009 8:14 AM

mfm37

Look up status editing in the system manual. Looks like the address for that loco has been status edited to motorola trinary.

Follow the steps in the manual to status edit it to 128.

Hmmm...wonder how that happened?  Anyway, thanks - I'll try doing your fix when I get home this evening.

-Ken in Maryland  (B&O modeler, former CSX modeler)

  • Member since
    July 2008
  • 1,206 posts
Posted by mfm37 on Wednesday, February 18, 2009 5:49 AM

 Look up status editing in the system manual. Looks like the address for that loco has been status edited to motorola trinary.

Follow the steps in the manual to status edit it to 128.

 Martin Myers

  • Member since
    June 2006
  • From: Baltimore, MD
  • 1,726 posts
Posted by CSX_road_slug on Wednesday, February 18, 2009 5:31 AM

Martin and Max -

I tried resetting CV19 to zero but that had no effect.  Then I reset the decoder to factory defaults, and after that, set CV29 to 34 and changed back to the original 4-digit address.  The throttle indication still says "stat tri" when I select that address.Banged Head

If I set the decoder to anything but that address, it works OK.  But I really don't want to have to renumber my loco just because a decoder doesn't work...

-Ken in Maryland  (B&O modeler, former CSX modeler)

  • Member since
    February 2008
  • 8,878 posts
Posted by maxman on Tuesday, February 17, 2009 11:22 PM

Was the engine ever part of a consist, or was it never in a consist?  Some of our club engines would not run after previously running properly.  Even though their owners claimed that they had broken up the consists properly, investigation showed that the engine decoders had retained their consist addresses.

As was suggested above program CV19, which is where the consist address is located, to zero and try to run the engine using the long address.  If that doesn't work, try the short address in case that has become the active address.  Hopefully you left the short address as 3 so that you can remember it.  If that doesn't work, then you can try resetting the decoder back to the factory default settings.  The decoder instructions should tell you which CV is the reset CV and what value to use.  After resetting, you should be able to run the engine on address 3.  If it does, then you can reprogram the decoder to use the long address of your choice.

  • Member since
    July 2008
  • 1,206 posts
Posted by mfm37 on Tuesday, February 17, 2009 11:03 PM

 Program CV19 to 00. Then try running it using its normal address.

Martin Myers

  • Member since
    June 2006
  • From: Baltimore, MD
  • 1,726 posts
Loco won't respond, but decoder settings are normal...?
Posted by CSX_road_slug on Tuesday, February 17, 2009 8:59 PM

I have this loco that absolutely refuses to respond to any operating commands.  When I put it on the programming track and read back all the CV values, they appear normal.  But when I 'acquire' it and try to run it, the only thing that happens is the headlight comes on.  I tried all the troubleshooting suggestions in the Digitrax manual, none of those worked.  And it is NOT part of a consist, so that isn't the problem either.

Any ideas..?

-Ken in Maryland  (B&O modeler, former CSX modeler)

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Users Online

There are no community member online

Search the Community

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Model Railroader Newsletter See all
Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox!