I’m looking for a solution to an issue I’m having with my locomotive. I purchased an Athearn DCC ready Santa Fe GP 60 from a local retailer. It came with a dummy plug installed and worked on my set up using the analog address on my Digitrax Zephyr.
I recieved my decorder (Digitrax DH126D) in the mail and tried installing it this morning. I used the quick decoder set up on a programming track. The decoder seemed to program when using the read function on the throttle. Everything responded the way I would expect it to.
When I put it on the main track, there is no response from the locomotive. The lights do not come on and the locomotive does not move. I experimented with another decoder, the lights did come on and respond directionally, but still the locomotive still does not move.
I understand that the issue might be a defective decoder, but what should I look for when I put a decoder that I know is working into the plug and the locomotive does not move?
Thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!
Possibly a dumb question but if it’s an 8 pin plug are you sure you fit it right way round? The dummy plug works either way round but the decoder plug doesn’t. They both fit easily the wrong way round of course
Usually pin 1 on the decoder is an orange wire and the corresponding motor wire on the locomotive socket end will be red. Pin 1 may be marked as such on the locomotive motherboard. For DH126D the orange wire is top left looking at the pin side, wiring to the left of the decoder.
On the off chance that the locomotive has been rewired before you bought it (or is it brand new?) you might check the wire colours going into the socket side on the locomotive board.