I have an Athearn RTR P40 Amtrak #810 (ATH88833). It was one of three P40's released in late 2016/early 2017. The locomotive looks ok out of the box. But when I took it to a DCC Camp hosted at a club members office, the engine did not run fowards or backwards nor did any lights come on. The guy said he tried testing it three times and got the response, "Decoder Unreadable".
It has a decoder installed, though I forget exactly where the decoder was added. I may have gotten this off Athearn's website and had the decoder added later, but the person who istalled it didn't test-run the loco to make sure everything worked.
Any suggustions? Do any of you model 1990's Amtrak on your layout? If so, are these in your roster/do they run well? What decoders do you use?
I also noticed that Athearn updated the model by adding functioning ditchlights. So if I were to buy a new decoder, would a 4-function one work? I want front/rear headlights plus the ditchlights.
Thanks
Well, let's see if I can help some...
1: Who installed the aftermarket decoder, when, and what decoder? Is there a decoder? Does it run on plain DC? Was it ever ran on DCC?
If it runs on DC - You will need to see what decoder (if any) is installed.
To answer decoder type, you will need to remove the shell. RTR units had (almost universally) only the coupler boxes holding on the shell. Then the standard Athearn clips around the fuel tank.
If it does NOT run on DC - Further troubleshooting will be needed, with shell removed.
2: New run P40/42 units - Operating ditchlights on DCC/Sound factory units are fine - DCC Ready will have lighted ditchlights, but they will not flash prototypically with any installed aftermarket decoders without full rewiring. (Rear marker lights will not work without being wired in. Wires are present but not hooked to circuit board on DCC Ready.)
NOTE: I think the new run P40 has strobes though, as was delivered prototypically. (I have zero idea if these operate correctly DCC Ready vrs. DCC/Sound. Ditch lights on P42 only work correctly if DCC/Sound version from factory however, from experience.)
3: RTR P40/42 units can run smoothly, so should be no issue here. Mine I installed a Digitrax non-sound decoder. Better decoders are available, but I don't run mine every op session.
Ricky W.
HO scale Proto-freelancer.
My Railroad rules:
1: It's my railroad, my rules.
2: It's for having fun and enjoyment.
3: Any objections, consult above rules.
rickstrains4824:
1. I'm not excatly sure, it was either me, or someone in my club. Yes there's a decoder installed, I know this becasuse I watched the conversion happen.
The unit was plain DC when I got it, there were plans to make it run on DCC and pair it with another unit.
The shell will need to come off. I'll probably end up buying a new decoder to replace the one that's not working.
The location where this occured is either at Arine's Trains or the guys office for the locomotive camp. I can't remember.
2. When the decoder was being installed, I made sure that not only the front/rear headlight were wired into the decoder, but the ditchlights as well.
Once the shell is off, I'll double check this and make sure everything is wired correctly. It's also possible the decoder had been istalled, but wired wrong.
3. I saw the PDF's for Athearn's latest run of P40/P42DCs. They're now in the genesis line and are due early next june, but are kinda pricey and will fly off shelves in a heartbeat.
You are correct, the new run does include operating flashing strobes. P40's had them, while the later P42's did not.
I'm sticking with #810 (the one I bought in 2017) might look for another one that came out in the 2000's on ebay.
Once I take the locomotive in and see what's causing the problem, I'll post another update.
Thanks for your assistance.
My note on the ditchlights is on the new run Genesis line.
Buyers of the new Genesis "DCC Ready" version cannot "plug and play" a decoder and have flashing ditch lights, as from the factory the front ditch lights are incorrectly wired to a single function output together, making the factory board have both sides (both right and left ditch light) together as a single circuit, making prototypical ditch light flashing for grade crossings impossible.
They are a separate function from the head light, but wired as one circuit, so both would flash on/off at the same time instead of alternating.
On the Genesis "Sound" line, the ditch lights are wired correctly, as two separate outputs, to allow for the prototypical alternating flash pattern.
Athearn has no replacement ditch light board fix available, and I was informed they will not have a fix for the issue, and the newly announced run will not be different. DCC Ready ditch lihgts operate together, or are off entirely, while Sound version still can have correctly flashing ditch lights.
This was a factory mistake, that Athearn decided to leave uncorrected. They simply added to the description on the new run that only the Sound version has flashing ditch lights.
Your RTR unit would have needed LED's/Bulbs installed for the ditch lights, otherwise they were unlit from the factory.