I am a long time NCE user, and have no problems on my own railroad, but I have a neighbor who is a UP modeler of long standing, has been on pro rail, etc. and recently began converting from the old CTC80 system to NCE. All is well, but he has a couple of BLI UP steam engines that he has found impossible to program the four digit engine number. Several of tried to help, we all hit a stone wall. All of his other steam programmed without any problems, but these two BLI are something else. He tried JRMI or whatever it's called, which simply tells him its unable to set the cv's. They run fine on two digit 03, but not at all on the four digit. He is using OPS.
Any thoughts I can pass along would be helpful. NCE has told him to contact BLI, BLI has been worthless. I will pass on any ideas you might have, but our local bunch is stumped.
Bob
pastorbob I am a long time NCE user, and have no problems on my own railroad, but I have a neighbor who is a UP modeler of long standing, has been on pro rail, etc. and recently began converting from the old CTC80 system to NCE. All is well, but he has a couple of BLI UP steam engines that he has found impossible to program the four digit engine number. Several of tried to help, we all hit a stone wall. All of his other steam programmed without any problems, but these two BLI are something else. He tried JRMI or whatever it's called, which simply tells him its unable to set the cv's. They run fine on two digit 03, but not at all on the four digit. He is using OPS. Any thoughts I can pass along would be helpful. NCE has told him to contact BLI, BLI has been worthless. I will pass on any ideas you might have, but our local bunch is stumped. Bob
Did he set CV29 = 34 ?
Engineer Jeff NS Nut Visit my layout at: http://www.thebinks.com/trains/
If they are BLI Blueline models than he needs a motor decoder to make them run on DCC. He needs to open up the tenders and pull the 8 pin jumper out and put any 8 pin decoder in the socket and then either program on the main or the program track. The best decoder for the money I have found to work great in them is the TCS T1 with short harness.
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!
I have never had a problem programming a BLI locomotive with my NCE PowerPro 5 Amp system by programming on the main line (Ops Mode). As already mentioned too, be sure to set CV 29 to a value of 34 after programming the long address to tell the decoder that you want the engine to use the long address instead of short.
First, select loco 3. Then program the long address on the main line by pressing the "program" button once and following the prompts. After exiting from this programming sequence, do it again with the address of 3, and select CV 29 and set to a value of 34. When you exit the second time, it should now run on the long address.
Both the three responders have hit it pretty much dead on. If the decoder being programmed is a QSI, or any other decoder that professes to adhere to NMRA standards, you must ensure that the decoder will accept commands under the "extended", or "long" address, which for many decoders is any number higher than 127. As stated earlier, you must enter CV29 and ensure it has a value of either 34 for straight DCC operations, or a value of 38 if you will sometimes expose the decoder to DC current.
But, that's if it is a DCC decoder, and not the style of decoder that the BlueLine series of locomotives will have in them. Those are strictly sound decoders and not motive decoders. No amount of programming a motive decoder will work if there isn't one installed in a BlueLine engine to accept the programming inputs!
-Crandell
Thanks guys: I called Charlie and will get with him on Monday. Our sources here in KC seemed stumped. He did say that there is a motor decoder in the tenders of both, and since he can run on 03 I would think he is right because his railroad is already on NCE DCC, no DC in sight. Since I haven't yet seen him trying on his railroad, can't vouch for what has and hasn't, just that he "can't". These are the big UP steam , I think a 2-12-2 or something like that. He has not had any problems with the rest of his steam, think he did say these two have QSI.
Again, thanks and will see if this will help him.
Bob Miller
If he has a 2-12-2 that is NOT from BLI -- it is from MTH and will not run well at all on a NMRA DCC system (NCE) because it is made to use MTH's proprietary DCS system. He's stuck with address 3 on it
And with the NCE system, the address should be entered at "3" and not "03."
cacole If he has a 2-12-2 that is NOT from BLI -- it is from MTH and will not run well at all on a NMRA DCC system (NCE) because it is made to use MTH's proprietary DCS system. He's stuck with address 3 on it
Thanks for the additionals, I am not sure if it is a 2-10-2 or a 2-12-2, I don't keep up with UP steam (or diesels) but he keeps saying BLI and the boxes he brought them over to my basement were BLI boxes.
Will see Monday what happens.
It would not be a 2-12-2 in any case, to be a nit-picker. It would be a 4-12-2.
Nit Picking aside, I do know he wouldn't touch anything MTH, we have trained him better than that.
Well, this morning we tried and failed. He is going to Daytona in a few months and is taking the engines with him to confront BLI (good luck!). We tried the various things mentioned in the posts, but the engines would not run on the four digit address (they ran fine on 03). Being a good friend, I am assigning my two lone steam engines, both BLI Santa Fe Northerns to his railroad since I seldom run them so he can have an op session. All of his other steam engines with sound run fine, but they are not BLI.
Bob,
You might try programming the loco direrctly in OPs mode using hex values in cvs 17,18,and 29
An example for loco number 2777
CV 17 is 202, CV 18 is 217, CV 29 is 34
I used this method on my first run BLI cab Forwards with great results.
Guy
see stuff at: the Willoughby Line Site
Got a call from friend Charlie, he talked to BLI and someone talked him through the problem, both engines are now steaming on the hostler track and waiting for trains. Charlies happy, I am happy because Charlie won't call me about it again, and I assume BLI is happy.
End of story.
Well, the loop is still very much open for me. I would like to know what the cure is.