Can multiple diesel lash-ups be operated with DCC?
Thank you.
Dave
Absolutely. Decoders and the command stations support lash ups, MU or consists. You need to make sure that the performance of the locos is close by speed matching them. Once they are matched then you can lash them up. My 11 year old just created a 4 unit consist ready for an operating session tomorrow. It took a little bit of effort to program the speed curves to be close, but once done they are running great together.
Simon Modelling CB&Q and Wabash See my slowly evolving layout on my picturetrail site http://www.picturetrail.com/simontrains and our videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/MrCrispybake?feature=mhum
Welcome to the Forums
Yes they can and it's easy.
Here's a couple of video's with 6 loco's in a consist.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqQqZArMbDg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzTmE9KhNyc&feature=related
Springfield PA
They sure can, Dave. All you need to do is program each locomotive into the consist. You tell the DCC system:
If you break up the consist and use your locomotives in a different configuration, you need to first individually "kill" each locomotive so that each is a independent unit again. After that you can assign them to another consist.
Lastly, Dave, you should test each individual locomotive in your consist to see how well they will run together as a unit. You may need to speed match your locomotives so that they aren't tugging and pulling one another because of speed variation.
Hope that helps...
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
The easiest way to consist is not to consist. I use a Bachrus speedometer and have listed the speeds at each notch for a particular locomotive and then speed match others. In my case all my locos with the same decoders run the same and always use locos with the same brand decoders when running together. ie: don't mix Tsunami with NCE, MRC with NCE, etc, etc.
The Bachrus speedometer comes with rollers that sit on the track and then allow you to set the loco on top so matching speed is very easy as you can change the CVs while the loco is sitting in a static position. I use a 14" piece of track just for that purpose and use Programming on the Main.
I've found consisting is time consuming and just renaming the locos to the same number, turning off bells and lights is a much simpler plan. And you don't have to tell the cab controller which direction each loco is running nor location of the loco in the consist nor do you have to kill the consist in each loco in order to run it by itself.
Unless you are planning to keep the locos always consisted it is a pain and takes up too much time.
Thom
I find the opposite. Consisting is both prototypical and fun to do. I agree that consisting is easier with the same manufacturer of both loco and decoder. It can be done with different decoders but requires a bit more work. Either way the time put into it is worth it. The 6 loco consist shown earlier was done with all Atlas Gold loco's at default settings. It has GP40's, an Sd35, and a B23-7. With the Atlas regulated throttle control the loco's adjust to each other and run great. No bucking and fighting each other.
Just ran for the past week at a show with a pair of GP7's consisted back to back hauling my train on the club layout. Once my train got stuck - the leas unit stopped. Got told by someone that 'we don;t consists on the layout - we assign all locos the same address". Great,. so when someone accidently dialed up my address and stopped the loco, they would have stopped my whole train exactly the same as happened anyway (other than the second unit spinning its wheels trying to push the other one). I had my computer and PR3 hooked up a coupel of times using my phoen as a throttle, there are plenty of consists in the command station (I've TRIED suggesting they do a reset as part of the setup at each show to prevent problems, but for that I was told that it would be too annoying to redo consists - wait, if consists aren't used... ). Oh well, operation is actually smooth, even if dirty wheels/pickups gets translated to dirty track a bit often, with the cleaning train running more than it has to.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
cadman11 I've found consisting is time consuming and just renaming the locos to the same number, turning off bells and lights is a much simpler plan. And you don't have to tell the cab controller which direction each loco is running nor location of the loco in the consist nor do you have to kill the consist in each loco in order to run it by itself. Unless you are planning to keep the locos always consisted it is a pain and takes up too much time. Thom
This might work if you are never changing the engines in the consist. However, if you do change consists you will have to change the address of all the affected locos anyway, so I don't see how this becomes easier than just deleting the consist in the first place and starting over.
And if consisting is really such a chore, possibly this is something your particular DCC system does not do well.
FSTA29 Can multiple diesel lash-ups be operated with DCC? Thank you. Dave
to the forum.
And the simple answer to your question, as noted, is YES they can.
Not a problem.
-G .
Just my thoughts, ideas, opinions and experiences. Others may vary.
HO and N Scale.
After long and careful thought, they have convinced me. I have come to the conclusion that they are right. The aliens did it.
A resounding YES. Most of my diesels have been purchased in pairs and are set up to run as 2-diesel consists, sometimes 4-diesel consists. Looks more prototypical that just a single diesel pulling freight.
Rich
Alton Junction
And once you get all locos speed matched, not only can you MU them together, but can also use mid train or rear end helpers as needed. Example:
http://www.youtube.com/user/ClinchValleySD40#p/u/1/DU2i3nT52Qg
One of the really great benefits of DCC
Larry
http://www.youtube.com/user/ClinchValleySD40
http://www.flickr.com/photos/52481330@N05/
http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showgallery.php/cat/500/page/1/ppuser/8745/sl/c
maxman And if consisting is really such a chore, possibly this is something your particular DCC system does not do well.
cadman11 is using a Prodigy Advance 2, the consisting procedure is almost identical to the procedure used by NCE. I own a Power Cab and also find the consisting procedure to be time consuming.
Jack W.
jalajoie maxman: And if consisting is really such a chore, possibly this is something your particular DCC system does not do well. cadman11 is using a Prodigy Advance 2, the consisting procedure is almost identical to the procedure used by NCE. I own a Power Cab and also find the consisting procedure to be time consuming.
maxman: And if consisting is really such a chore, possibly this is something your particular DCC system does not do well.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but if you want to run two units back to back don't you have to go into CV29 of one of the units and change its value so that it will run in reverse while the other unit runs forward. Which you then have to change back if you run it by itself so that locomotive forward agrees with controller forward?
He also says that it is easier for a single unit to run by itself when taken out of the consist because you don't have to change the loco number. While this may be true, what does one do with the other locos that were in the consist? Set them on a siding with a toggle switch off, or take them off the railroad?
As far as breaking up a consist goes, with an NCE system clearing a consist takes maybe 3 or 4 keystrokes. If that process takes more than 30 seconds, someone is not reading the instructions.
But regardless of which DCC system he has, consisting has to be much easier and convenient than what he proposes. However, to each their own.
The only time you need to change CV29 for consisting is if you want to use the always works completely universal method of assigning both locos the same address, and they will be coupled back to back. The command station assisted consisting in all the major brands can handle the 'backwards' loco without any manual programmign of CV29.
maxman Correct me if I'm wrong, but if you want to run two units back to back don't you have to go into CV29 of one of the units and change its value so that it will run in reverse while the other unit runs forward. Which you then have to change back if you run it by itself so that locomotive forward agrees with controller forward? He also says that it is easier for a single unit to run by itself when taken out of the consist because you don't have to change the loco number. While this may be true, what does one do with the other locos that were in the consist? Set them on a siding with a toggle switch off, or take them off the railroad? As far as breaking up a consist goes, with an NCE system clearing a consist takes maybe 3 or 4 keystrokes. If that process takes more than 30 seconds, someone is not reading the instructions. But regardless of which DCC system he has, consisting has to be much easier and convenient than what he proposes. However, to each their own.
Not at all, I don't think you are wrong. In fact myself I will use the same numbering method only with A and B units that are always couple together.
I was responding to the last sentence of your first post wish "I interpreted " as an allusion that his DCC system consist handling was not to par with others.
I own an NCE and I used the Prodigy in the past and both systems handle consisting the same manner. I only wanted to put this into light.
The NCE system makes the CV29 change for you. As noted earlier, if you use the old style consist you don't have to worry about it. The command station simply sends out commands out to each loco.
Hamltnblue The NCE system makes the CV29 change for you. As noted earlier, if you use the old style consist you don't have to worry about it. The command station simply sends out commands out to each loco.
My original comment concerning manual changing of the CV 29 value was in regards to operating two or more locos back to back without consisting them.
Withotu conisting them in any way? Still no need to change CV29. If not consisted in any way (same address is considered a consist method), they they are under independent control. So just run one in reverse and the other in forward. On a dual throttel like Digitrax, you can have one loco under live control of the right knob and one under live control of the left knob. Of course if you've gotten that far and have them both moving in the correct physical direction, all you have to do is press MU and + to create a consist and be done with it.
What NCE changes is CV19, because for the most part they use CV19 Advanced Consisting, plus an alias to the top or lead loco, which can be easily flipped when you reach the end of the line and want to head back the other way. CV19 takes a consist address from 1 to 127, 129+ is the same address but with opposite direction of travel. So CV19= 2 on one loco and CV19 = 130 on the other will respond together to address 2, but the one with 130 will run in reverse.
rrinker Withotu conisting them in any way? Still no need to change CV29. If not consisted in any way (same address is considered a consist method), they they are under independent control. So just run one in reverse and the other in forward. On a dual throttel like Digitrax, you can have one loco under live control of the right knob and one under live control of the left knob.
Withotu conisting them in any way? Still no need to change CV29. If not consisted in any way (same address is considered a consist method), they they are under independent control. So just run one in reverse and the other in forward. On a dual throttel like Digitrax, you can have one loco under live control of the right knob and one under live control of the left knob.
The original premise as I understood it was that the gentleman said that running the engines together without consisting them was easier than running them in a consist, because consisting them was burdensome. My assumption from the post, maybe incorrect, was that he wanted to run them with one control. He does not have Digitrax. He wants both locos to have the same address. So if someone is willing to explain to me how to do this without changing CV 29 in one of the locos, I'm willing to listen.
Short of inverting the motor wiring, I agree with you maxman.
Same address requires changing CV29, no way around that. Would liek to knwo which system has such 'burdensome' consisting, they are all pretty straightforward, at least the mainstream systems. Same address if fine for things that always run together, like my FT A and B units, which have a drawbar (both prototype and model) and so it would be a huige pain to consist them every time I wanted to run them. Thus, simple same address, problem solved, plus I can take them anywhere and run them. For locos that come apart and are used individuallt or in combos with other locos, like my GP7's, they get consisted 'normally' so they can be used together in a consist or seperated, or consisted in various combinations with other locos so it's not just the same two always runnign together.
With Digitrax or NCE you can have a 3 loco consist running in less than a minute.
I recommend taking a few minutes to learn it. Once you do it a couple of times you'll wish you had a long time ago.