Hi, I have a True Line Trains FM C Liner with ESU Loksound which I am running with a NCE Power Cab controller.
Although bought new (old stock) there is no literature at all concerning the decoder supplied with the loco which I find surprising and unhelpful.
There is a definite glitch when running as if function 9 key is pressed the sound accelerates and will not slow down, this is independent of the motor speed which has no effect on the engine sound even with the loco stopped.
The only way to regain motor sound control is to reprogramme the loco or simply disconnect the handset.
Any ideas please as to the solution to the runaway sound and also the lack of decoder instructions with a new loco?
IF the prior owner had “upgraded” the decoder, assuming it is a Loksound Select, they may have installed the “FT” version or Full Throttle where pressing F9 enters the “drive-hold” feature and does exactly what you describe, the prime mover sound can increase independent of the motor speed of the locomotive.
However, pressing F9 again should bring the motor drive back to the throttle control where loco speed and prime mover speed are somewhat synchronized.
I would suggest a decoder reset if the F9 function continues to give you erratic behavior.
If you search ESU “Full Throttle” or Drive Hold" you will find more information on it.
I have heard of some ESU decoders made for Rapido, maybe others, that have a “Straight-to-eight” feature which revs the prime mover to full RPM to simulate supplying head-end power for passenger trains. I have also heard complaints that once this feature is enabled, it will not disengage when the function is turned off.
Again, I’m only making a guess at which decoder is actually installed in your engine. The previous owner could have bought the DC version and installed any number of sound decoders.
The loco was new old stock bought from Pacific Western Rail Services and the decoder was fitted by TLT, i.e. “factory fitted” and the box end label states DCC/DC sound.
The F9 function is clearly as you describe a rev up function but does not cancel when pressing F9 again…as indeed was your description.
I shall look into the problem suffered by some Rapido locos, with any luck there will be a suitable work around.
The is an ESU forum on Groups.io that might be helpful
You don’t need to a lokprogrammer to run the LP program. Conceivably you could download the sound package specific for your loco and figure out what CV’s need to be changed.
Which ESU decoder is it? Can you post a photo of your install or PM one to me as an attachment?
No sound I assume? If it has sound I wonder where and how ESU got the soundtrack for the FM 16 44 engine. It would be unique due to the opposed piston design. 16 pistons in 8 cylinders. The firing order of the engine would be interesting since the timing of the opposing banks was slightly offset. I’ve not heard a recording if one and there are no running prototypes left as far as a I know.
The FM models are very interesting. I just acquired an older Athearn FM Trainmaster 24 66, metal trucks and all. A previous owner had done a reasonable job of Tuscan Red and Grey paint and detailing including reasonably good decals. Being an old design this Athearn rumbles a bit (straight DC of course) which is fine really given the prototype. Haven’t looked inside yet.
Which road name did you get?
I have the earlier versions of the Trueline C Liners built for the Canadian market by Lifelike and marketed by Canadian Hobbycraft as Proto 1000 models.
Trueline acquired that tooling, as I understand things.
I’m looking to add decoders to my set of five C Liners.
One of my B units already has an after market installed ESU LPS motor decoder. It’s just hard wired to the lightboard but otherwise sitting loose over the front truck. I’d like to clean up that install and then put similar decoders in the other four C Liners I acquired.
The latest equivalent LPS decoder is half the size of the one in my B unit. I plan on fitting it in mounted to a decoder buddy.
Reverse mode will be a particular CV value problem unrelated to the F9 issue.
So, only CN bought the unique five axle C Liners. FM built some with a three axle rear truck for passenger service. The rear truck had only two powered axles, the center axle was an idler. On the models all axles are powered.
Ostensibly the three axles were “needed” for the added weight of the steam generator required for heat in winter for the passenger cars. However, CPR ordered some of their C Liners with steam generators equipped with the regular two axle trucks.
The issue with sound for these locomotives is a correct sound file.
Posting a video would be good. I was rather cheekily looking for a photo of the chassis without the shell showing how Trueline fit all that inside a Proto 1000 shell. Yours would be the first. If the Trueline model is the Proto 1000 model then the shell just slips off, rather too easily imho. The bottom edges of the shell just spring closer to the chassis to hold it on. To remove you gently spread the bottom sides and lift the shell straight up…then you get your phone camera out…and. . .
Thanks in advance if you’re willing to do this.
As an aside, when a I emigrated to Canada in 1965 I landed at Halifax and took the “immigrant train” to Toronto via Quebec City and Montreal. The train was green with yellow trim…
F9 is manual notching UP and F10 is manual notching DOWN.
If you turn on F9 the notching will increase. If you turn F9 off, it will hold at that notch. In order to bring it back down, be sure F9 is turned off and turn on F10 and it will come back down. Turn both F9 and F10 off to regain auto notching (some versions also required you to be at speed step 0 in order to revert back to auto notching).
Here is the CV29 configuration for a TCS decoder. It’s a standard CV setting so it works for all decoders:
Value Effect
32 - Make decoder address 128 or higher
16 - Make loadable speed table active
4 - Enable analog (DC) operation
2 - Use 28/128 speed step mode
1 - Reverse direction the engnine runs
All you need to do is add up the values of the features you want then enter that into CV29. My default setting value is normally “34” for my locomotives, as I only operate them in DCC and don’t bother with speed tables. However, since my larger diesels run long-nose forward, I do add “1” to the value of CV29 to make it “35” in order to reverse direction.
I programmed the controller to use the option key as +10 and also tried the alternative method using the shift key and Prog/Esc but no joy as F10 does not cancel F9 and start dropping the revs.
Oddly if F10 is pressed on its own it ramps up revs identically to F9 so that probably explains why it won’t drop the F9 keyed revs.
F10 to F19 do appear to work, well F18 anyway, as it seems to be brake squeal.