I recently purchased a set of the Scale Trains UP late style water tenders. The problem is, whenever I back up through any of my switches, sometimes two or three at a time in my staging yard, the backup lights will turn off at the SLIGHTEST interruption of track power. If I turn the loco lights off and on again (same address), the backup lights come back on... until I pass another turnout. Then they turn off again. Why does the decoder not "remember" that the lights were "ON"? Is there any way I can reprogram the decoder to keep the lights on? I think the instructions say it's an ESU decoder..
Mike C.
I think we might need to know the brand of turnouts and whether the frogs are powered. Is the problem happening at the frogs?
It's not a memory problem of the docoder, it a shortage of electrons at the turnout. As you stated, it is an interruption of power.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
I know it's a power interruption (even though I have two 0-6-0 switchers with a MUCH shorter wheelbase), I also know that my locos don't lose their lights on a slight interruption. They may even flicker, but not stay off! It seems the majority of my locos power up with the lights ON, if they were on when I shut down. What I'm asking is can I make the decoders default to "lights on"? The only time I really "back up" is going through turnouts!
Try keep alive capacitors! Just a thought!
Steve
If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough!
I had thought of that, but these things are SO fragile, with all the tiny details...! I know some decoders have a plug-in for those. I wonder..?
This is when super detailing becomes a problem...
You can't even set them upside down without breaking something! Even cleaning the wheels is dangerous... that's part of the problem with the lights going out. If I clean the wheels REALLY GOOD, the lights won't go out... for a very little while..!