Do you have a procedure for adding a new loco to your DCC system?

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

Ok, DCC experts out there, I am really interested to find out if you have a comissioning procedure for adding a new loco to your roster. Let us assume that you have purchased a new loco either decoder equipped, or one you have just installed a decoder, are there any things that you routinely do before the loco is accepted as a part of the roster?

For example, when I add a new freight car to the layout, I always:-

  1. Check the weight and correct as needed
  2. Install Kaydee’s and adjust the height as needed
  3. Check the wheel guage and replace bad wheelsets
  4. Tune wheel barings with my Micromark bearing tool
  5. Lube.

With a DCC loco, I currently just change the address to 4 digit and the road number but don’t do much else. I am curious what other do?

Happy New Year everyone!

2

I don’t do much tuning of a new loco other than Kaydees as needed. I may change a few CVs but that is usually after I’ve run it a while.

3

I give the loco a visual inspection, looking for obvious defects or things like over-lubed gearboxes. I’ll usually also check the wheels with an NMRA gauge and the coupler height with a Kadee gauge.

Then I do the normal loco break-in, consisting of running it at about half-throttle in the forward direction around a loop of track for 10 minutes or so, then in reverse direction for another 10 mins. Then I swap it end for end on the track (so it isn’t always doing let’s say a right-hand turn) and repeat. Operation of lights and so forth get checked out while it’s doing the roundy-round stuff.

After that, if it’s a loco/decoder combination that I already have, I’ll adjust the CV’s (usually speed-related) as necessary to match the one(s) I already own. (This is really easy since I use DecoderPro). Otherwise, I just set the address to the road number. Any further CV tweaking is usually done after the loco has some time on it.

Steve

4

[#ditto] A visual once-over, remove all other locos (it’s cheap insurance), place it on the track, noting ease of placement and its stance. Then, I power it up and adjust the volume. Then I play with it for a while, maybe tinkering with individual characteristics via their referent CVs. Once I am satisfied that it is what I had hoped, I re-address it to the Road Number, and do a 60 minute break-in with no cars attached. Then I lubricate it. This might take a couple of sessions, after which I introduce it to all the other nice locos. Then, they all play on my layout.[:D]

5

Normal ‘after purchase’ tuneup:

o - Remove shell

o - Run it on a test track ‘roller’ using an old DC power pack(Verify that there are no problems) for about 30 minutes in both directions.

o - Install decoder/program/test run on the layout under DCC conditions to verify.

o - Replace ‘clone’ couplers, add road specific details and weather the chassis.

o - Enjoy the new model!

Jim Bernier

6

Once installed:

First is always to change the address to the loco number.

Then I’ll tweak the momemtum a bit, just dont like sudden stopping as a preference.

And last, I tweak the start voltage to get closer to movement at the first notch on my dial.

Dont have a desire to mess with much else.

7

If it’s one I installed a decoder inmyself, the FIRST stop is the programming track. That way, if messed something up, it won’t blow out the decoder. If I can program in the correct address, THEN I’ll test it on the main. If programming fails, that usually indicates a wiring problem. Once it’s running, then I’ll carefully watch it over turnouts and so forth to see that it tracks properly, and then start messing with momentum settings and speed curves.
On something DCC out of the box, like my new PCM T-1, it goes right on the main and I start playing with it on address 3, checking out all the features and watching how it runs. Once I’ve got that all down I’ll worry about changing the address and tweaking other settings.

–Randy