DCC Power Problem

[Anonymous]

I have a large HO layout that I run with Digitrax. It is broken into three divisions. Yesterday whenever a train entered Div. 3 it slowed down as though there was some power drain. After about three seconds it would speed up quite a bit and I would lose all control over the loco. After about ten feet it would come to a stop and then I could control it again.

This just keeps repeating. I've tried two differemt controllers and a number of different locomotives and the same thing keeps happening. Any ideas as to what I should be looking for to trouble shoot this problem?

[cacole]

It sounds like an electrical short somewhere within the first ten feet of that third division, especially if all of your locomotive act similarly. The first thing I would be inclined to check is the wiring polarity to those first 10 feet of track to make sure you don't have the feeder wires reversed. On some DCC systems, the command station would shut down, but I don't know why the Digitrax isn't.

[cmrproducts]

The first thing to do is do a system reset (OPS 39). This has cured so many problems and it is usually the last thing anyone thinks of.

If I have a new problem and the layout has been running good right a long then a computer glitch in the command station/booster may have happened.

With the system reset then you know for sure that it should not be it.

Then if the problem still is there, check track voltage both with out an engine in block 3 and then try it with the engine running in block 3. It should show something different than the rest of the layout.

Did you do anything new to the layout just before this problem showed itself? Then this may be the problem.

BOB H Clarion, PA

[rrinker]

Sounds to me a lot like dirty track. Possibly dirty wheels on the loco but then it would act up in different sections as well. Give your track a good cleaning and see what happens.

--Randy