A beginner's question

[SPSOT fan]

joe323

One additional comment if you are programming an A & B unit to the same address somewhere you should mark the B unit so you know which direction is foward.

Should there already be an “F” marked on one end of the B unit per FRA regulation?

[joe323]

One additional comment if you are programming an A & B unit to the same address somewhere you should mark the B unit so you know which direction is foward.

[RR_Mel]

Stix post reminded me, I use a draw bar between every AB combination because I never separate them. I have 6 sets of AB locomotives PAs & E7s that are never separated, all are used in passenger service all using the A equipment number.

 

 

Mel

 

 

My Model Railroad   

http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/

 

Bakersfield, California

 

I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.

 

[wjstix]

York1

Thanks for the info.  Numbering the same seems to be the answer.

 

If the A and B units always run together, then yes. In the early days of E and F units, railroads sometimes connected an A and a B unit together with a drawbar, so they were always together. However, over time many railroads added couplers to all their A and B units so they could mix units together as needed, so you might see an A unit with two B units, or two A units back-to-back, or an A-B set...or just an A unit by itself. For freight diesels, I've seen a GP-9 running with an F-7B on a train.

[ROBERT PETRICK]

York1

I searched, but didn't find a previous discussion, although I'm sure there was one.

With DCC, I bought  E9 and B units.  They each have the same number.  Since I've really just started DCC, I usually enter the DCC loco number.  Should I just number the B unit a different number than the A unit?

What do those of you in the same situation do?

I would just address the B unit the next higher number than the A unit. What are the odds you'd ever need that next number for some other loco?

I have a similar situation, except the locos have A and B as part of the number shown on the loco's number board and I didn't know how to input that into Digitrax.

Robert

[York1]

Thanks for the info.  Numbering the same seems to be the answer.

[peahrens]

Glad you asked the question, as I can update what I did in this case to a better solution. 

I have Proto 1000 Erie Built A&B and Proto 2000 PA A&B with same numbers.  The latter has a dummy "B" so no issue.  For the Erie Built, nos. 706 & 706B, I had assigned 7061 to the A unit and 7062 to the B.  As several have noted, I have no need or desire to run the B separately, so I will simply renumber both to 706, ensuring the B is in correct direction and horn off, already the case.  I will certainly prefer that neater approach.

Another attaboy for the Forum!

[richg1998]

Some years ago I bought a BLI A and B on sale from BLI with no decoder and not set up for DC. I put a Tsunami and speaker in each. I ran them on the same address.

I had a A B F3 set with the decoder in the A unit that ran the motor and speaker in each unit from a company owned by BLI. I think it was Precision Craft.

I could run all four in ABBA using just two numbers.

Rich

[joe323]

Since the B unit can’t run by itself  I programmed it ( In this case NS F units)to the lead locomotives address making it a permanent lash up.

[SPSOT fan]

Well to answer your question you need to ask yourself another question, are you every going to run the engines separately. If so you will want to give them each a different number, say the road number for the A unit and the B unit the last 2 or 3 digits of the road number. If you will always run the two units together then you should be able to give them the same address without issues.

[gmpullman]

RR_Mel

I run my paired diesels with the same number, that way I don’t have to worry about building up a consist in the controller. 

I do the same thing Mel does. For JMRI user it is only a matter of seconds to change the address and NDOT * of a locomotive if I want to break up a "set". In one case I have five locomotives all with the same address running as an MUed "consist".

On a few occasions I'll use the Digitrax universal consisting method, generally with steam locomotives, which often get broken up to run individually.

https://tonystrains.com/news/complete-guide-to-consisting/

*NDOT Normal Direction of Travel

Cheers, Ed

[RR_Mel]

I run my paired diesels with the same number, that way I don’t have to worry about building up a consist in the controller.   I do program the B units horn and bell to off in the B units.  Been doing it that way for years, no problems.

 

 

Mel

 

 

My Model Railroad   

http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/

 

Bakersfield, California

 

I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.

 

[Stevert]

Sixty-four of my sixty-five locos have unique DCC addresses which are the same as their road numbers.

With a few exceptions (mostly switchers) they are fairly well speed-matched so I can consist just about any of them without issue.

The pair with duplicate numbers are painted differently to match different stages in that loco's life (patchout when acquired and corporate colors after repainting), and as such only one is on the layout at any given time.

[BigDaddy]

I'd say same number.  This is sort of related

Numbering B units

[mbinsewi]

So, the B unit must be powered?  I still have locos with the default of 03, mostly because they run great together, so it's like consisting in the days of DC, find a pair of locos that run good together.

I'm not sure how the DCC purist do it.  I'll have to pay attention, and see what answers you get.

I have a P2K E6 along with a B unit, but my B isn't powered. 

Mike.

[York1]

I searched, but didn't find a previous discussion, although I'm sure there was one.

With DCC, I bought  E9 and B units.  They each have the same number.  Since I've really just started DCC, I usually enter the DCC loco number.  Should I just number the B unit a different number than the A unit?

What do those of you in the same situation do?