I just started my first operating session in a few weeks and the subject loco has begun exhibiting a new problem - when the loco is moving forward and the speed is reduced to “0” on the controller, it keeps moving at the same speed as at notch “1”; multiple presses of the speed “-” button have no effect. The only way to get it to stop is to use the emergency stop button on the controller. This only happens moving forward as the loco exhibits normal stopping behavior in reverse. All other throttle and sound functions operate normally (as do all my other locos). I’m using an MRC Elite wireless DCC system and have not reprogrammed the Bachmann 4-4-0 since my previous operating session. Any idea what is going on and how I can correct this problem?
You’d have to look up in the instructions / website to find the right value to enter, but set the decoder to not use speed curves (probably CV29), and then try the engine again. Just a guess, but may be the engine is using a speed curve that somehow had speed step 0 assigned a value higher than 0.
Maybe try setting CV2 to 0 also and see if that does anything.
I’ve reset the decoder to the factory defaults (CV#8 = 8) and the engine still continues to move when I throttle down to “0”. I believe that negates the effects of any speed curves & CV#2, so I’m stumped. Everything else on this engine works properly as do my other locos. Anything else to check/try?
If your system has a direct (not radio-wireless) option, does it do it with that also? Radio control systems can sometimes not pick up everything they should.
Only other thing I can think of is are you using a long or short address? Just thinking if say you’ve changed the long address, but the short address is still 03, it might be at some point it’s picking up a command under 03 to keep moving. Or if you’ve ever had an engine with the same ID number where it might be picking up an old command?
Is there a system reset you can do? Could be something messed up in the command station that is causing this.
Speed tables or CV2 wouldn’t do this - the first speed table entry, or also CV2, are for the speed in step 1, not step 0. So if for example you set CV2 to a really high value, the locow ould stop at step 0 and as soon as you turned it to step 1 it would take off liek a rocket.
I’m not sure if I have a “direct mode” or not, but the same thing happens whether my throttle controller is plugged into the main station or running remotely on batteries. The loco is using a long address (engine # is 106 and that is the programmed address). I changed it from the default 03 when I started running it, so I wouldn’t think there is any residual programming from its original address. Is there any way to check for that condition?
I doubt that it is a problem with the command station or throttle as no other engines exhibit the problem and the only reset for the command station is to recycle power which has happened numerous times w/o affecting the problem. Now the loco is back to the decoder defaults except for the address, which has been reprogrammed to “106” which is the roadnumber.
Just to gather more info as I know very little about the MRC system, but put the loco on the program track and read the value in the following CVs if you can. CV 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 17, 18, 19, and 29. Also just how did you program the address 106 you called it a long addy, most systems and decoders use this as a short address, 1-127 is short 128-9999 being long address, that is why checking what is in CV 17 & 18 . Also might try after a reset just running the loco on addy 3 which should be the default after a reset and see how it runs, also checking cv’s 3, 4 to make sure they are both set to zero ( 0 ) after reset. 3-4-19 all should be set to zero. Also are you using the speed knob or the buttons to adjust the speed?
Ah but the part people seem to miss is that the command station stores some information about the loco you are running - so yes, it could be a corrupted memory or setting in the command station and only affect the one loco address. The command station is just like any other computer - a periodic reset is not out of line when it comes to strange issues.
Only if you yank the throttle wide open. On my Dad’s old 1948 vintage set with the original transformer, I could get decent slow speed performance. He had another older American Flyer outfit where there was almsot no range of motion to the knob on the transformer so that one was stop of pretty much full throttle until the train rolled off the track on a curve. Which is why that one was pretty banged up. The old Lionel wound field motors could be quite smooth (and quiet, if you flipped the lever to turn off the E unit’s constant buzz - but then you couldn;t change direction).
What I mean is, does your DCC system ONLY allow you to run trains via the handheld/radio controller, or do you have a way to run trains without it? It’s happened to me using my Digitrax Zephyr that I’ve called up an engine on the Zephyr’s built in controller, but then got doing something else and forgot I had done that, and then called up the same engine on a plug-in throttle connected to the Zephyr - so two controllers were trying to run the same engine. The engine in that situation did exactly what you’re describing.
As noted, you may be having trouble if you programmed 106 as the long address, as that normally would be a short address. I would try setting the long and short address back to 03, and then try running it on that ID.
Again, as someone mentioned earlier, most DCC systems allow you to “clear the slate” and remove all the DCC addresses it’s saved. Just having too many addresses saved can cause trouble. Your DCC system instructions should explain how to do it.
The MRC DCC system dooesn’t have any controls on the base station; you have to use the handheld controller. The manual also doesn’t mention a way to “clear the slate” as such. The only reset that is mentioned for the base unit is to disconnect power for at least 3 seconds (which I do after every operating session) and that doesn’t seem to impact any stored data. I probably misspoke in regard to the loco address change as I didn’t program it to 106 using CVs 17 & 18; I just used CV 1 so it was still a short address.
Yes, 106 is a short address, no need to mess with 17-18, do you have the full manual, I have been reading it on line as I do not have MRC, it seems to have something to do with programming if after a reset things work fine on address 3, and do you only have just one throttle? Manual shows how to delete address from recall list after use. Try reset again, and just type in 106 into short address do not mess with any other CVs see if problem remains or returns…
I have the only manual for the MRC Prodigy Elite I’ve ever found (hardcopy that came with my system & digital version from MRCs website) and it’s a little thin given my limited experience w/DCC. I only have one throttle (wireless), so it is automatically the Master. By “try reset again” are you talking about deleting the 106 decoder address from the system or resetting the decoder to the factory defaults? The last thing I tried was changing the locos short address back to 106 after resetting the decoder to the factory defaults and the loco wouldn’t respond to the address reprogramming.
CV 29 = 29 is a little odd. I assume the engine has a Soundtraxx Economi or similar Soundtraxx decoder (assuming it’s a factory install). Their chart for CV 29 values doesn’t use 29. The default is 02 (No speed table, No Analog (DC) mode, 28/128 speed steps, Normal direction).
Even though the MRC manual doesn’t mention or address “flashing data” when reading out CVs, I suspect that it means the system was unable to read the value for some reason. That would explain some of the other odd values I’ve seen. As to why the system can’t read them, I have no clue (unless there is a decoder issue which I hope isn’t the case).
I just deleted address 106 from the DCC system and was then able to reprogram the loco w/address 106; it also fixed the throttle problem! Then something interesting happened - I changed the speed steps from 14 to 128 and the throttle problem returned. Dropping the speed steps to 28 made the problem disappear. I verified the situation by moving the speed steps back to 128 and the loco refused to stop with throttle controls again. I’m sure that I had previously operated the loco @ 128 w/o problems (I set all my locos to 128 after I figured out what the SPD STEP button did), but no longer. Any thoughts on that?