I've been getting great advice and answers here, understandable and friendly. I'm obliged to everyone. Here's my newest snag. Following the NCE ProCab manual, I hooked up the (NCE) power unit and the throttle and ran what will be my main bus wires (12AWG) to a stretch of track I've laid, just two pieces of ME flextrack soldered at the joiners and with a pair of 22AWG feeders about eight inches long.
I used a terminal block and put the red bus wire and red feeder together, likewise the black bus and feeder wires. As others have mentioned, the little plug on the NCE station won't accept 12AWG wire, so I filed away at the ends until they fit; I'll do something better later on.
I set my new non-sound Roundhouse 2-8-0 on the track and turned the power on. The red light on the NCE station, and the engine's front and rear lights, seem to cycle through a sequence: steady on for perhaps five seconds, then pulsing on and off every quarter-second or so for about five seconds, then off for about five seconds before repeating the same pattern. The display in the handheld appears to work, but the train doesn't move or respond to any button--it hasn't been on the programming track.
I have two other locos, also new: the Spectrum 4-4-0 and the new Walthers 0-8-0. I didn't test those because I didn't want to introduce sound into the mix; I also didn't want to plug the tenders in until I'd read through the instructions. But it means I can't rule out the 2-8-0 as part of the problem.
Can anyone suggest either some standard remedy (like a reboot) that I should apply, or tell me where the most likely weak link is in this chain--the weakest besides me, that is?
Does the 2-8-0 have a decoder in it?
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!
What happens when you turn the power on WITHOUT a loco on the rails?
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Did you call up the loco as 3, not 03? (Yes, I know it's in the instructions, but guess who hadn't gotten that far yet?)
Still learning DCC, but that was my first oops with my Power Cab and locos.
Good luck,
Richard
Does that Roundhouse 2-8-0 have a factory-installed decoder or did you do it yourself. Lights flashing on and off usually indicates an electrical short in the decoder wiring.
As suggested, turn the system on with no locomotive on the track and see what happens. If the fault appears as soon as a loco is placed on the track, then the problem is with the locomotive.
The indicator light should be on steady, if every thing is alright. Your description sounds like a short is indicated. Try power up without your loco on the track as Randy suggested. If same problem, check your terminal block, make shure it is not source of problem.
The problem is identified, though not yet solved, thanks to you all. After thoroughly cleaning the tracks--my theory was that dirty track was causing a continuous re-initializing--I read your replies and found that the NCE unit was fine without a loco on the track. So I sucked it up and plugged in the tender of my Spectrum 4-4-0 and bingo: it works just fine.
I'll be taking my 2-8-0 to the dealer and asking for some help from that quarter. Meanwhile, I'm ready to get more finished. Thanks again.
Just to be clear here, although several folks were nudging up to it, NCE does NOT support DC operation. Any loco using NCE must have a decoder.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL