Solution to system wide DCC EZ track non response of switch decoders.

[John The Sailor]

To all who have experienced system wide disruption in DCC decoder equipped switch machine operations this was my solution to the problem.  I had 23 DCC decoder equipped EZ track switches stop working all at once.  I could not figure out the problem until Bachmann sent me a new Dynamis system to experiment with.  After hooking up the system all my switch machines responded as when they were new.  Then, after I entered my fifth locomotive to the new system's register all my switch machines stopped working again.  This was the AH! moment for the solution.  I removed the fifth locomotive from the register and all my switches worked again.  The trouble was not with the Bachman system but in a decoder of an engine I had a sound system installed by a professional.  I then reinstalled my old Dynamis system to my railroad and deleted the fifth engine from the rooster on the command station and (BINGO!) all my DCC switches began to operate normally again.  My suggestion to you if you have this same problem is to deleted all your decoder equipment from your Dynamis rooster and then reset your handset to (factory default).  Then reenter all of your extraneous DCC decoders one at a time until you find the one that is corrupting your switch decoders.  Let's all thank Bachmann's service department for helping us work through this problem to a solution.  Sincerely John the sailor.

[hawaiiho]

Glad that solved your problem, BUT, I'm not sure that your's is a cure for all those having problems with Bachmann's DCC turnouts.

I am having exactly the same problem with one of  my Bachmann DCC turnouts.

It occurs only with Bachmann non-sound decoder equiped locomotives on the track.

None of my sound locomotives cause any problem, and I have  a bunch.

Will

[John The Sailor]

Dear Hunt,
To answer your questions: #1. The offending sound decoder that was professionally installed in this engine was a Soundtraxx Tsunami for a Proto 1000 F/M H15/16.  However, I would not fault the decoder because I suspect it was installed improperly.  I have had Tsunami decoders installed before and never had a lick of trouble with any of them.  #2.  The control of the Bachmann switch decoders, in my case, all reverted back to their original settings that I had originally programed them for.  As I see it, in a worse case scenario, once you wrested the switch decoders back from the faulty programing of the offending decoder by eliminating it from your system all you would have to do is reprogram them with the individual switch's programing button like you did when you first set it up.  #3.  All of my locos are Walther Proto 2000s or Atlas Master Line........accept for the offending locomotive.......... which was a Proto 1000 for which I had the Tusnami sound decoder installed.  I hope I answered your questions for you.  John the sailor   

[John The Sailor]

Dear Hawaiiho or Will,
To answer your questions: #1. You are correct.  This solution may not resolve the individual turnout problems which I have noted in my experience have almost always been physical equipment problems, such as a burned out decoder, and not a programing problem.  However, there are about five people that contacted me on my last post who experienced the same system wide switch decoder failures who may be helped by understanding the solution that I happened upon.  And even if their problem is not exactly the same as mine they may be able to interpolate the essence of the solution that worked for my problem and find a resolution for theirs.  #2. I am not a Bachmann switch decoder guru but I would suggest that you pull the offending switch which is troubling you and test another one from your layout in its place.  If the other turnout works correctly I would send the bad one back to the Bachmann Service Department for evaluation...........or buy a new one.  Sometimes I forget it is a hobby too.  It is something to enjoy.  I try not to let something like one bad switch annoy me. The only major switch problems that I have come across are in the double crossovers and YIKES! their $60 bucks.  #3 This next response is said in humor.  In your last sentence in your posting you said that none of your sound locomotives cause any problems - but that you have a bunch.  Does that mean that you have a plethora of locomotives........or.......that you are having a lot of personal problems??   Sincerely, John the sailor

[hawaiiho]

Dear Hawaiiho or Will,
To answer your questions: #1. You are correct.  This solution may not resolve the individual turnout problems which I have noted in my experience have almost always been physical equipment problems, such as a burned out decoder, and not a programing problem.  However, there are about five people that contacted me on my last post who experienced the same system wide switch decoder failures who may be helped by understanding the solution that I happened upon.  And even if their problem is not exactly the same as mine they may be able to interpolate the essence of the solution that worked for my problem and find a resolution for theirs.  #2. I am not a Bachmann switch decoder guru but I would suggest that you pull the offending switch which is troubling you and test another one from your layout in its place.  If the other turnout works correctly I would send the bad one back to the Bachmann Service Department for evaluation...........or buy a new one.  Sometimes I forget it is a hobby too.  It is something to enjoy.  I try not to let something like one bad switch annoy me. The only major switch problems that I have come across are in the double crossovers and YIKES! their $60 bucks.  #3 This next response is said in humor.  In your last sentence in your posting you said that none of your sound locomotives cause any problems - but that you have a bunch.  Does that mean that you have a plethora of locomotives........or.......that you are having a lot of personal problems??   Sincerely, John the sailo

I suspect a bad decoder in the turnout and am waiting for my LHS to get some in stock.  It appears to be a supply problem as all the internet retailers that I checked are also out of that particular item.

[John The Sailor]

Dear Hunt,
I had found out through experience on my layout that the total amperage output of the Dynamis system (2.5 amps) was not enough amperage to run four engines pulling long trains and to operate the decoders on 23 EZ track DCC decoder equipped turnouts, three of which were double cross overs.  Somewhere along the line of expansion on my layout I began to lose control of the engines or the switch decoders.  So I added Bachmann's 5amp booster to the system and all the loss of control that I was experiencing disappeared and the system worked well after that.  So to answer your first question I have run up to 7 locomotives on my layout with out any problems....not just five.  However, I have that extra booster installed.  When I had added the H15/16 decoder in that fifth locomotive by itself to the system it screwed it up again.  I'm sure that was the single source of the problem that I had.  So in my circumstance it was not the accumulation of locomotives to the system that was the source of the problem but it may be in your case if you have a lot of locos and only 2.5 amps to run it.  That lack of amperage can cause your switch machines to falter under the load of the locomotive draw.  If that is your case get a amperage booster and it should solve your problem.  John the sailor

[John The Sailor]

Hunt,
I keep all of my locomotives that are not currently being used on the layout on trackage that has  the power disconnected to eliminate cooking off my engine decoders while they sit idle.  So when I had the problem with loosing the control of the switches when the defective locomotive was on the track it was in essence by itself.  After the loss of turnout control for the first time I could not regain control by using the stop button, because of course, when the stop button is pressed no signal is transmitted from the Command Station.  Even after I reset the stop button to on I had no controll of the switches as long as the faulty engine was in the command station's roster whether or not it was on the track.  The only way I could gain control of the switches was to remove the faulty locomotive from the roster and that would allow my switches to operate.  So let me go into a little remedial detail here for you.  On the new command station that Bachmann sent to me the turnouts on my layout worked until I programed in the faulty decoder in the fifth locomotive.  As soon as I turned on the locomotive to run on my system none of the switches would work until I uninstalled it from the command station.  When I uninstalled it the turnouts worked correctly.  Then when I rehooked up my old command station, which I thought had been defective, and just removed the offending locomotive from the roster everything worked normal again on that command station.  So....apparently the decoder in that locomotive is somehow corrupting the data base in the command station.  And yes you are certainly correct, in that I have no intention of reintroducing the fouling son-of-a-gun locomotive to my system ever again.  Not because of the time involved in further testing but because of the chance that it will screw up the system which I now have up and running.  In fact I intend to decommission that locomotive and use some of the parts of it elsewhere.  I would be interested in hearing from you whether or not any of this shared information was beneficial to you.  Thanks, John the sailor  P.S.  I know a Howard Hunt.  Are you him?

[richd286]

Thanks John,  Your solution is interesting.  I have 12 Bachmann DCC switches and 10 Bachmann locomotives.  I have the Dynamis with Pro Box and locomotive programming is flawless.  I have modified the CV for momentum effect and again they respond perfectly.  All my DCC switches are dead.  I have previously blown away my entire roster and still the switches do not respond.  You solution may be unique to your situation.  Bachmann is not returning my calls.