Trials and Tribulations

I finally got the DCC setup installed and working.

Installing the system was simple, I installed a DPDT switch connected to the common rail and Atlas track switch panel, connected one side of that DPDT switch to the DC controller and hooked the DCC connection panel up to the other side of the DPDT. That way the layout is either all DC or all DCC so there is no danger of running from one into the other and causing system or locomotive damage.

Second was to program my locos. I have two locomotives, a matched set of Bachmann GP7's, that are DCC equipped. I threw all the track switches except the front main to the center off position and placed the locos one at a time on the front main for programming. One of them went just fine, but the other one didn't want to run. The lights would come on when commanded, but when I pushed the throttle up the loco moved, then the lights dimmed and it slowed to a stop.

I threw the master mode switch back to DC and tried it that way with the same results. I put the first loco back on the tracks and it wouldn't move at all. I threw the master mode back to DCC and the first loco ran like a champ again. Definitely something in its programming then, a problem for another time.

I took the shell off the second locomotive...which was a chore in and of itself, those things are on TIGHT...and removed the decoder. There are two little springy contacts that supply power to the decoder, I bent them out a bit and reinstalled the decoder, and then the loco worked as it should in both DC and DCC.

On to the first loco. I tried a factory reset according to the manual but this did not solve the issue.  tried a factory reset on the second loco and then it wouldn't work on DC although it worked like a champ on DCC, just like the first one (and completely opposite of what I wanted). Off to the internets!

The issue, according to the internets, was the decoder dual mode function was set to off. The dual mode function was included in a thing called CV29, whatever that is. More digging reveals a CV is a Configuration Variable, and there is a table that shows what they all do. All very well and good, but how do I know what to set them to? More internet digging!

Fortunately the Digitrax site has some Control Variable (CV) calculators that I was able to use to determine the bit that sets the dual mode (DC/DCC) on or off. As expected, when I checked it the bit was set to off. I programmed them each for dual mode again and once more I am able to run both locos on either DC or DCC as I wish.

In my experimentation I found two of my turnouts aren't quite up to par as the locomotives short on the frogs, so I'll have to work on them a bit, but so far everything is working as it should. One thing that annoys me about this particular setup is I am apparently not allowed to run DC locomotives using the DCC controller. Not a big issue I guess since I am able to switch the master modes over, but if I had a larger layout it might become a factor.

At any rate, the NCE Powercab is working as it should and I'm having fun with it.