Las Vegas Modeler Needing Help

[cchristianmcguire]

Good Evening,

I am looking for any modeler willing to help me out with my N scale layout.  The electronics are not working, and I have no idea why.

The layout is a six foot long switching layout.  There are 28 feeders to the rails on every side of my turnouts, every turnout has a Frog Juicer, and every rail joiner is soldered.  I have tried my Bachmann switcher, and when that didn't work I bought a BLI NW2 thinking it was just a bad locomotive.  That didn't work, so I bought an RSC-2 from Kato as I heard bad things about BLI decoders.

The RSC-2 decoder won't even turn on the headlights.  The BLI locomotive randomly starts and stops like its power is being interrupted, but it does it on straight and level track at different points inconsistently.  The Bachmann won't move unless CV2 is set to 225, and then makes this terrible grinding noise.  All three locomotives have clean wheels.

The track is squeaky clean and his getting consistent power according to my multimeter (regular, not an RRamp).  I have set up a separate test track independent of my main layout, and have the same problems.

I am at a complete loss for how to move forward, and am shooting up the flare for assistance before I completely scrap this entire endeavor.  The only club the valley is a modular club and isn't particularly interested in helping with my home layout (which is totally fair). Is there anyone in the Las Vegas area who is good with this kind of thing?  

[hon30critter]

cchristianmcguire

I have set up a separate test track independent of my main layout, and have the same problems.

Hi cchristianmcguire,

If you are experiencing the same problem on both the layout and the separate track then I don't think the problem is with the layout.

What system are you using? Have you done a reset on it?

Dave

[RR_Mel]

I agree with Dave.

Give us the details of your DCC equipment and a drawing of your track plan would help.


Mel
 
Modeling the early to mid 1950s SP in HO scale since 1951



My Model Railroad    
http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/
 
Bakersfield, California
 
Aging is not for wimps.

[BATMAN]

It sounds like the connection between your DCC controller and the layout is intermittent. Those jack plugs can be finicky and become loose causing erratic behaviour. Physically push it in tight while operating the layout and see if consistency improves. When cords are always being whipped around such as with a DCC controller those plugs both on the cord and panel become loose and need to be replaced. A wireless controller saves such frustration.

[Overmod]

It sounds to me as if the likeliest thing, strange as it is, may be that he has three bad engines.

I would troubleshoot each of them accordingly, with advice from the experts here on each of the three models.  Does he have, or can he access, a decoder tester?

[cchristianmcguire]

Thanks for the help everyone!  I am using an NCE PowerCab.  When I started having problems, I had my parents ship a second PowerCab to me from my old high school layout.  This is a known good system and had run my HO layout for years with no problems.  I replaced all the PowerCab parts (throttle, cable, plug-in board) with the known good and had the same problems.  I have even gone as far as plugging into a different wall outlet in case it was the wiring in the house.

I thought about the chance that I have a third bad locomotive.  I don't have a decoder tester, is there a test like the quarter test I can do to test the decoder?

[rrebell]

That club may be willing to test your loco even though they were not willing to go see whats up (these days not willing to go to someones house is in the norm).

[rrebell]

Also you said you had layout before, any of those engines still arround.

[woodone]

Just now saw this- I hope you have it fixed by now?

But if not here is a few things to check (Power Cab) Make sure you are using the flat cable! On the panel with the LED to the bottom the throttle must be plugged into the socket on your left. The throttle should light up & the panel LED should light up.

 

[richhotrain]

woodone

Just now saw this- I hope you have it fixed by now?

There have been very few posts by the OP. He seemed to be having similar problems about 8 months ago when he started a similar thread. Since he is having problems on both his layout and a test track, the problem is puzzling.

Rich