I have 2 Broadway Limited Paragon engines. When I first got them they tested out fine. Now I have major DCC issues where one doesn’t even start up any more and the other seems to have issues getting power from rail to engine. It just starts and stops all the time. Tracks and wheels have all been cleaned. And I’m still a rookie at DCC.
My GE AC6000 won’t even power up. I have a NCE Power Cab. It ran fine when I got it. I dial in the engine number and none of the function buttons work. I am programing on the main. I tried to reset it but got zero results. As I said, I’m a rookie with DCC programing.
The issue with my BL EMD SW1 500 switcher is when I power it up everything works. When I start it run it it will go for a few seconds and then stop dead. Then it might start to run again but stops again. I’ve cleaned the wheels with alcohol. I’ve cleaned the tracks. All my other engines run fine. Sometimes if I add a little pressure from the top of the engine it will start to run. It’s acting like there is a bad or loose connection somewhere. Power at the track is good. I’d be a bit leary to open up the engine.
Suggestions, tips for re-programing the GE, and getting my swtched to run normally??? Thanks
Maybe try programming CV1 (short address) to say “03” then see if the engine responds under ID 03.
I would open it up and look. As you say, sounds like it might be a wire connection came loose, maybe from one of the trucks. Might be it could easily be soldered back in place. You won’t hurt anything by looking.
Then maybe you should tell us how you did the reset. The Powercab has a reset decoder function, but according to the late Randy Rinker, it only works reliably with NCE decoders. Writing 8 to CV8 and then turning the power off and on works on most decoders. However numerous pepole report problems programing BLI decoders with the Powercab. See this thread
Your other engine does sound like something is loose. Are either of these under warranty?
Welcome to the nightmare of Trouble Shooting! (Gremlins are not necessarily limited to DCC.)
How were they initially tested- -DC or DCC?
If tested with DCC did you use the NCE system or was it another manufacturer?
What address did each unit respond to initially; a 2- or 4-digit address?
Is it on the same track arrangement- -Has anything changed?
When in the “Programming Track” mode it is possible to “broadcast” and re-program all locomotives to the same address.
Try removing all locomotives, except the one you are programming, from the layout to make sure the system is only “talking” to one locomotive.
Did you set CV8 to V=8 (no need for preceding zeroes) and then “cycle the power” (remove and replace the units from the track) before re-testing at address 3?
Unfortunately, the NCE Power Cab doesn’t have the capability to set up a dedicated programming track, like the Power Pro based systems.
For that, you will need an NCE Auto SW. (The NCE website lists them as “Out Of Stock.” (Search under “NCE Auto SW.”)
Bli engines have a manual reset switch.on the one that is not responding that likely will reset it and I would try it on the other as well. There have been three varieties. One is a magnetic Reed switch then there is a pull out type and an extremely small push button. If you Google BLI reset video a couple of videos should come up giving detailed instructions. You might also try hitting F6 a couple of times to see if it wakes up.
Would you be running them on sectional track or soldered flex track? Sectional track like Bachman EZ track can lose electrical connection between track sections.
Your Power Cab has a built in amp meter. I can’t recall how to call it up but it is in the manual. Call up the amp meter and see if it reads any current going to the decoder.
It would behoove you to acquire a length of flex track for a test and programming track. Good soldered connections to the Power Cab panel is a must.
On my GE AC6000 I was able to get a reset. I got very loud sound and the engine came to life and ran almost one complete trip around the layout… then it juust died. I tried to do another reset but no good. Back to square 1.
The track is all Peco 83 flex track HO. Everything has been DCC since I started building this layout.
I’ll get back to review the rest of the info provided here tomorrow.
My NCE Power Cab has a programming track function. When I push the ‘Prog/Esc’ button on the lower left, the first option offered is ‘Programming on the Main’ but if I scroll through the options by pushing the button three more times, I will see the ‘Programming Track’ option.
You only need the Auto SW if you want a dedicated programming track as part of your layout, when powered by the Power Cab.
You can easily set up a spare piece of track at your bench and use that as a programming track with your Power Cab. Press PROG/ESC 4x, press ENTER and - voila! - you are in programming track mode. That’s the advantage of the Power Cab throttle over the ProCab.
Are these your only locomotives? If you have others how do they run?
An autoswitch for Power Cab is available. But you could also put in a DPDT toggle switch to the program track also. Still, the built in amp meter is useful to see if the locomotive is drawing current.
All the hocus pocus about auto switches and dedicated programing tracks isn’t going to help the OP overcome the BLI uniqueness of it’s decoders.
Look through the archives and for ever person having a good experience with BLI there will be 2 or 3 that ripped out their decoders and replaced them with decoders that are actually compatible with NCE and Digitrax command stations.
I agree with several others. Do you have other brands of locomotives that run OK? If so, then you may be headed to changing the decoders to get satisfaction.
Long time BLI/NCE user and have zero issues. Even the old Blueline locomotives. The OP could have a bad decoder but 2 at once in two different locomotives? The odds are astronomical. The only issues I have had with BLI was a cracked gear on the first run of the I1sa and a chuff sensor on the J1.
There has to be an underlying condition. Broken wire to the motor, track joiners not soldered, an accidental programming of CV15 or 16. Proper troubleshooting is the ticket. Not the " Your stuff is junk."
The OP said wheels and track are clean. Even a rub down with alcohol can leave a film behind. This is why I rub down the rails with an old T shirt after the alcohol cleaning. You won’t believe what’s left behind that the T shirt picks up.
A proper quarter test is in order. Something most MRs seem to skip. Clean wheels with the shirt also and a dry spot too. Replace every plastic wheel on the road with decent unplated wheels.
This should get an idea weather track or locomotive is the issue.
Is that loco a Paragon3? Sounds suspiciously like the problems I had with a Paragon3 Consolidation. I wound up sending it back to BLI, and they fixed it. Sent me instructions on what to do if I ever had to do a factory reset. If your unit’s a Paragon3 let me know and I’ll find the instructions and post them.
It wouldn’t hurt to try running each engine on DC. If the one not responding to the DCC signal runs on DC, it’s something with the decoder (or more likely the programming). With the other, a loose wire connection will cause the same trouble on DC as DCC. At least it would narrow down the possible issues with each engine.
p.s. Mark - based on the BLI website, it looks like the AC6000 is Paragon 3.
It’s the same on the Pro Cab to get to the “Programming Track” function.
With the Pro Cab the difference is the command station/booster goes into programming mode:
On the command station, the “Status Light” (left side) blinks rapidly.
The track power output is disabled.
And the “Programming” output on the command station/booster becomes active.
A stand-alone piece of track can be powered from the “Programming Track” output or a programming section can be incorporated into the layout.
If incorporating a programming track into the layout that section of track needs to be isolated (gapped) and a DPDT Switch is used to toggle between the Track Output and the Programming Track output, as illustrated on pg. 78-79, of the Power Pro System Reference Manual (Version 1.1.13).
On pg. 4 of the NCE Power Cab System Reference Manual (Rev. 1.65); under the “Programming A Locomotive Address” section it says:
“#1 The first item of business in this section is to remove any locomotives from the layout that will not be programmed.”
No, what I meant was having a 2nd dedicated PTP panel and programming track at one’s workbench; separate from the layout. Do all your programming & tweaking there. Then, once satisfied, bring the locomotive over to the layout.
That’s my preference. If it isn’t yours - that’s okay. [:D] Agreed. Better for another thread…
Before I moved, I had a modular switching layout, 2’ x 12’. It is currently undergoing expansion. I did exactly that, There was only one loco on the layout and was successful in programing NCE, TCS, Bachman and ESU decoders. No Auto Switch, no workbench.
If the OP has a layout like Howard Zane’s, removing 20 or 30 locos would be a pain. That is a practical consideration, but is there a layout that couldn’t be used as a programing track, just on the basis of size?