Blueline Sd40-2 gone silent

[john.pickles87]

Hi Folks,

I’m having problems with a pair of Blueline SD40-2’s running on Cons 11. Front unit is running normal, rear unit runs normal but has lost sound, nothing, tried F8 and F9 on the individual loco on my test track nothing, there is no DCC sound.

 

I plugged in the DC blank and she fires up and was off at about 35% DC power so the DC system works.  So next I lifted the front unit’s power chip and plugged that in, still no sound. By now I’m getting a bit ticked off.

 

So this is were I’m really stuck, I’m low-case dyslectic which means online manuals are a nightmare, spent a couple of hours checking the M1 Diesel Reference Manual looking at page headings and to be honest I don’t think I was even in the right book.

 

I’m gonna need some help please, before I even try to e-mail BLI.  Maybe I’ve missed something;  I need someone who really knows their way around these manuals to put me in the right book and on the right page.  Ho ye, I was told, they were running when it packed up.

 

Be in touch.

John Pickles (pick).

[cacole]

That's a problem with the BlueLine decoder that I and several members of our club have, too.

The only solution we have figured out is to keep both locomotives on the same address instead of trying to create an Advanced consist.

When we first encountered the problem with the Alco RSD-15 models numerous emails to BLI offered no real solution without the complication of having to remove the add-in motor decoder, putting the dummy jumper plug back in, programming numerous CVs, and reinstalling the motor control decoder.

But as soon as we tried to create an Advanced consist, the second unit lost all sounds. It's a definite glitch in the BlueLine sound decoder.

 

[john.pickles87]

 Hi C,

Thanks, the pair were acquired as is from a fellow modeller for a reasonable sum about 6yrs ago and have done great service until the last show Nov13 when the trailing loco went duff.  As I said played about with it, but to no avail, but not on JMRI. 

 

So, I opened up JMRI tried to do a reset.  Nothing, so I’m gonna try a reset on the main with me Prodigy when I get to the club on Wednesday.

 

I’ve a pair of real nice SD9’s I’ve been trying to match up even with same power chip and same numbers but they drove me nuts, so I Tsunami’ed em, sorted now.

Be in touch.

pick

[cacole]

I believe you must remove the add-in motor control decoder and reinsert the dummy plug in order to perform a reset of the BlueLine decoder, no matter what system you have, and you must use Ops Mode (main line) programming.

[john.pickles87]

Hi C,

Ahhhh, I was a bit wary about programming with the Dc blank in, but it makes sense now, to sort the sound side without a power chip. 

I programmed my steamers on the NCE programmer before installing them.  Then checked them out and rostered them on JMRI,

Thanks I’ll give it a try.

Be in touch.

Pick.