Thank you for those advises. I finally solved the problem. This is what I did.
I assigned both engines to a new consist. Then the second engine in the consist moved. When I killed this new consist, I could operate this second engine normally. Engine one was still on the programming track still not responding. Then I try to control it with its short address #3 (thanks to Cacole) and it finally moved. I still have to use JMRI to restore the previous programming but I am now out of trouble.
Still don't know what happened but here is what I learned :
the second engine was still consisted, even if the cab display was showing that the consist was empty.
the only address that could be used with the first loco was the short one as I had set the decoder to original settings, even if the display was still showing both log address and the consist address while using the recall key. Misreading the cab display was certainly my main error.
in the future I should calm down before asking help on this forum, even if I followed, or tried to follow, the instructions per the manuals.
I learned some things and... the main is cleared.
Guy
Modeling CNR in the 50's
That Power Cab Recovery Programming option works ONLY with NCE decoders. If your locos have some other brand of decoder, the NCE recovery doesn't work.
Try a decoder reset per instructions for the specific brand of decoder you have and start over. Remember, too, that after a factory reset the decoder address will be 3.
The reset command for the various brands of decoders are:CV 8=8: Digitrax, ESU, TsunamiCV 8=33: LenzCV 30=2: NCE, SoundTraxx DSD, TCS
try changing cv19 to 0
While making and killing consists on my NCE Power cab system I made some mistake but I don't know what exactly. After killing a consist of two locomotives I ended with two dead locomotives which will not respond to the cab except for the headlight. I put one of the loco on the programming track to make a Recovery Programming (Option 7) as per the Power Cab System Reference Manual. With no results except that I now can't control the headlight anymore. I then tried, still on the programming track, to reset the decoder to factory settings by setting CV 30 to 2. Still with no results. All other locomotives on the layout run fine.
I need help fast as I now have a throught freight blocking the main with two dead engines.