Problems with an Atlas NJT GP40

Model Railroader Electronics and DCC
1

Hi all. I recently bought an Atlas NJT GP40 with sound and DCC in it and when I went to go put it on the track, i noticed that it would constantly short out. So first I checked everything on my layout to make sure nothing was out of place or lose wires or anything metal was laying on the tracks. After that, i decided to send the engine back to walthers in exchange for a new one. When I got my new one today, it was doing the same exact thing. All my other Atlas engines and other engines run perfectly fine, but this one.

Does anyone have any ideas as to whats wrong?

2

First, what is the system you are using?

Have you tried it on a single piece of track with the DCC system hooked up?

Does it run at all and short at a specific spot or as soon as you put it on the track.?

Are you sure they didn’t just send the same one back to you?

Try placing just one of the trucks onto the track to see if it runs.

3

Im using Digitrax and iv tried it on DC and it runs great with no problems, and it will short out, (or cut out if you want to call it that) anywhere, not just on a certain section of track. Im going to try and use the magnetic wand to try and reset it, and try it on another section of track with DCC. Im sure its not the one I had before because I did a few things to it to make sure that I would know if they sent the same one back to me.

4

Shorting out and cutting out are 2 different things. Which one is it?

David B

5

Shorting out.

6

How are you determining that it is shorting out? Also where is is shorting? Turnouts etc.

7

I want to say shorting out because it does it most on switches, but it also does it on my main line where its all flex track, so thats why it makes me wonder why this engine is doing this.

8

This definitely sounds like a turnout issue. Do you have access to a camera to your layout pics here?

In the mean time just run the loco you’re having the problem with, but don’t include any rolling stock. See if you can identify problem areas with the loco only.

9

I ran it today and i identified another problem with it. If i select it with my digitrax controller, the engine cuts out, even with it idling, but if i select a different engine and leave my NJT GP40 idling, it does not cut out, so im really beyond myself now…

10

There might be an auto silence feature enabled to silence the loco if it’s inactive and idling for awhile. Some sound loco’s have the feature available so that you don’t have to hear them when parked. I’ll have to look it up but I believe that feature might be available on Atlas.

11

Atlas does have the auto silence feature. It’s set by CV51.5 The setting tells the loco to silence after a programmed time of inactivity. Maybe that’s what you’re seeing?

12

Thats not the problem. I have it set so that the engine idles the whole time while not being used.

13

Sounds like it’s time for a reset of the decoder.

14

Thats what im going to do. My system wont let me reset the engine on a test track, due to the system not being able to read it for some reason, so im going to use the magnetic wand Atlas says to use.

15

There is no need to read a QSI decoder in order to do a factory reset.

Simply Set CV49 to 128

CV50 to 255

CV56 to 113

It can be done on the main or the program track.

16

Is CV49 supposed to be 128?

I saw a post on the Atlas forums to set it to 110.

I’ll have to do some more reading.

17

Hmm Book says 128. I’ll have to visit the Atlas forums to comment after trying it on one of my loco’s I also notice that you can also just reset the sound volumes to factory default.

18

If I recall correctly CV49=110 is an error that first appeared on Tony’s web site.

19

I did a reset on one of my GP40’s and the 128 did the trick. I actually remembered to write down my changed CV settings before doing so, saving me the time to speed match with the others.