Bachmann High Boiler 4-6-0 DCC Headlight Problem

Model Railroader Electronics and DCC
1

I bought a used Bachmann high boiler 4-6-0 w/DCC & sound w/o any instructions and discovered that the headlight is on dim when the engine is moving forward and off when in reverse. The backup light on the tender is bright when reversing and off when going forward. Does anyone know what CV(s) to change to get the headlight working properly (bright forward & dim/off in reverse) or to reset the decoder to the factory defaults?

Thanks,

akriggm

2

If factory installed SoundTraxx Sound Value decoder (CV 8 = 141 and CV 7 = 82)

Then CV 49 = 142 for headlight forward on, reverse dim

To reset all CVs to their factory default value,

Program CV 8 = 8 and turn power off and back on

RR Baron

3

RR Baron, Thanks for the CVs. Hopefully resetting one of those values will fix the headlight problem. Mike Akrigg

4

Hmmmm. Maybe that is why the headlight in my 2-8-0 is so darn dim! It turns completely off when in reverse. I never knew it was supposed to be dim while in reverse.

5

I have that loco but it worked fine for me. Bachmann forums does have the CV list but it sends you to the SoundTraxx site which has the CV list for all the companies the use the SoundTraxx decoders.

Rich

6

Most decoder-equipped engines come from the factory set up for the headlight to be on in the direction of travel with the opposite light being off. I believe that’s the way all Bachmann DCC engines come. It sounds like the previous owner changed the settings. Note that there are CVs that control how bright the headlight is when it’s supposed to be bright, and how bright when dim. I’ve had a situation where the light was fine when bright, but appeared off when dim. It turned out, the ‘dim’ setting was so weak you couldn’t see the light at all. I wonder if the light power settings aren’t the problem, so it’s only dim when it should be bright, and appearing off when it should be dim?

As noted, Bachmann has used different sound decoders over time, so you’d have to find the right list of settings for that decoder.

7

I finally carved out the time to reset the decoder on my Bachmann 4-6-0 and the result wasn’t what I’d hoped. After trying the individual light CV settings recommended by RR Baron (which resulted in no lights F or R), I reset the decoder to factory defaults (CV #8 = 8) which returned lighting function, but the headlight is still dim. I would think that if the PO had set the headlight to dim for some reason, resetting the decoder to the factory default would have overridden that change. So, I still have a dim headlight. Could there be a problem with the wiring or the LED itself? Any other ideas or recommendations?

8

My two 4-6-0’s have dim lights. First of all, the resistor on the PC board on mine is about 2.5 k I think. It has been about seven years since I messed with it. Others have notice a dim light.

If you get the tender open, look at the PC board resistors. I traced mine. There were two resistors in series as I recall. The DCC ready one, I removed the PC board and hard wired a Tsunami Micro with a 1k resistor. BIG difference.

In the loco, there is a 5mm clear LED with a light pipe up into the headlight assy. You can see this in the diagram page at the Bachmann forums if the loco is still made the same. That should not make amuch difference though.

Rich

9

akriggm,

After CV reset what value do you read in following CVs

CV 1 = ?

CV 7 = ?

CV 8 = ?

CV 29 = ?

CV 33 = ?

CV 34 = ?

CV 49 = ?

CV 50 = ?

CV 105 = ?

CV 106 = ?

RR Baron

10

RR Baron,

Here are the values from the decoder after doing the default reset:

CV 1 = 003
CV 7 = 080
CV 8 = 141
CV 29 = 029
CV 33 = 033
CV 34 = 018
CV 49 = 049
CV 50 = 001
CV 105 = 001
CV 106 = 014

Does this help to ID the decoder and the possible lighting issue?

Thanks,

akriggm

11

akriggm,

The CV 49 = 142 did not work because the decoder installed is not a Sound Value decoder.

The dim headlight issue is not correctable by CVs settings. The prime suspect is the light source for the headlight is not properly oriented with what Bachmann labels Light Bar.

RR Baron

12

RR Baron, Thanks for the info! I assumed it was a factory decoder installation (it came w/o a box, etc) but that doesn’t appear to be the case. It looks some disassembly is in its future…… akriggm

13

It is a Bachmann factory installed SoundTraxx OEM Tsunami decoder made to Bachmann specifictions (not to be confused with a Sound Value that is a different decoder).

Lights are set to directional on/off. You can dim by pressing F7.

RR Baron

14

RR Baron

Pressing F7 on my MRC Prodigy Advance 2 throttle doesn’t dim the headlight, but it does produce a sound effect - a clanking noise (perhaps coupling/uncoupling?). That appears to be correct for the Bachmann version of the Tsunami sound decoder per Bachmann’s website, so I suspect you are correct about the LED alignment.

Thanks,

akriggm

15

akriggm,

Does pressing F11 Dim headlight? If it does, then CV 30 = 4 right?

Also read again value of CV 29 and advise.

RR Baron

16

RR Baron,

F11 doesn’t seem to do anything, but CV 30 is set to 4. CV 29 reads as “29”, but that is not a valid value according to a Tsunami CV table that I found on the Soundtraxx website, so my MRC PA2 may not be reading CV 29 correctly.

Thanks,

akriggm

17

Agree – Don’t expect CV 29 = 29 is accurate read.

When CV 30 = 4

Functions F5, F6, F7, F8 are swapped with F9, F10, F11, F12

Thus if CV 41 = 16 then F11 when on it should Dim light about 60%

Note – Per your readings Hyperlight Effects CV 49 and CV 50 are configured for incandescent bulb not LED so if there are LEDs for light source then that may be part of the reason you see no effect when pressing F11

Good luck I am going on to other things. I need to have the locomotive on my test track and DCC system to get a full picture of what you have.

RR Baron

18

RR Baron, Thanks for your assistance & insights. I suspect that I’ll have to pull the boiler/cab assy & check the (hopefuly LED) lamp placement. Thanks again, akriggm

19

Again, I have the high boiler and low boiler Bachbann 4-6-0 Spectrum with sound. I pulled one apart. The loco has a 5mm clear LED in the bottom of the smokebox rigidly mounted. A light pipe brings light up to the headlight. The diagram shows this at HO Seeker.

I pulled the electronics out of the low boiler one. It was DCC ready. No room to plug in. About 2.5 k for the headlight instead of 1k. I still have the old PC board near me. I put a Tsunami micro in with 1k. Nice now. What a time putting the loco back together with all the pipes. You will not like it.

Rich

20

Rich,

I haven’t done any disassembly as yet. My loco already has a sound decoder installed (factory, I think?), so I don’t treally want to replace the decoder if I can avoid it. Is the original decoder in the loco or the tender and did you ever consider removing/replacing the headlight resister with a 1k?

Thanks,

akriggm