Walthers 0-8-0 Problem Solved

[JGray]

Thanks to the tech support folks at Walthers and Digitrax, the two DC Walthers 0-8-0's shorting the PSX-3 as soon as the power button on the Digitrax Zephyr is pushed (Posted a few days ago) has been solved. Seems that some analog locos pull more power than the 2.5 amp Zephyr provides. I obtained a DC transformer from a friend. Wired it directly to a section of test track and it ran the 0-8-0's. Evidently the two Model Power analogs that I ran do not pull as much current as do the Proto 0-8-0's. At first the test did not work because the plug from the tenders to the engines was backwards. The plug is an 8-pin connector that is reversible. The engines come with a twist in the wires that favors a connection to the tender that is 180 degrees wrong. Removing the twist in the wires results in the plug favoring a proper connection orientation. Thanks for the replies. I guess I need to install decoders in these things sooner that I had planned to. Jim

[selector]

 Something is very wrong if a P2K 0-8-0 is drawing much over 0.1 amps just sitting there, and it should not draw more than about 2 amps on stall test.  That means full throttle and you clamping it in place with pressure on the rails to keep it from spinning.  How it can draw more than a Zephyr's rated output by itself when underway is a sign that you have a problem, IMO.

Maybe I have misunderstood or misread your explanation.

-Crandell

[rrinker]

 Especially in N scale. What I suspect is more likely that they have a bad design in their constant lighting circuit that appears like a short to the alternating DCC signal, but when DC is applied in only 1 direction or the other, it's fine. No way is a modern N scale loco pulling more than 2.5 amps. At least, not and not generating smoke from the wrong end.

                                      --Randy

[JGray]

Uh-oh....now I'm worried again. The first tech. I heard from was the one at Walthers. He called yesterday morning. He told me that not all analog engines will run with a DCC system set in analog mode. He also said that they have "seen this problem before with the Digitrax Zephyr." He advised me to get a DC transformer and try to run the engines. I did that this morning and as I reported, both engines ran using the DC transformer. All lights worked, etc. This morning, I received an e-mail from the Digitrax Tech Support. It reads as follows: "Zephyr has run Proto 1000 and 2000 locos fine. It does not like analog as it is only a 2.5 amp system and analog does pull a lot of current so that may be the problem here. We do no know why Zephyr has problems with those locos in analog mode." I assume from what the Digitrax Tech wrote that they also have seen this problem before. The Zephyr will not run the Proto 2000 0-8-0 in analog mode for some unknown reason. The Tech from Walthers said that if the engines in analog mode run OK using a DC transformer, then they should be OK running with the Zephyr once decoders are installed. We talked about decoders and I told him I was thinking of installing the Digitrax DZ-125. It sounds like from what you are saying, I'm back to Walthers again because something is wrong with both of my locos.

[rrinker]

 Well, something is 'wrong', a poor circuit design. However it works fine on regular DC so they wouldn't consider it a problem. Once you install a decoder there will be no problems.

                                              --Randy

[locoi1sa]

 Do you have an amp meter to see how much the locos are pulling in DC?  My P2K 0-6-0 only pulled .025 amp at stall.

   Pete

[wjstix]

So what you're doing is running DC 0-8-0s on the Zephyr using "OO" ID?? Very few engines really run well that way. I'd try putting in a decoder and see what happens before assuming they're defective.

Make sure the tender trucks are turned the right way too, if one of them gets rotated 180-degrees it can cause a short that may cause some of the problems you're experiencing.

[JGray]

Thanks for all the replies. I contacted Walthers again and they pretty much agreed with the consensus of the responses. The 0-8-0 is an "old design", and does not tolerate running analog on a DCC system. Their advice again was if it runs on a DC transformer, put a decoder in it and it should do fine on the Zephyr. If not, send it in. Jim