Spectrum 2-8-0 Consolidation

[DCB]

I have a 2-8-0 Consolidation DCC ready; A 2-8-0 Consolidation DCC Factory Installed; and a 2-8-0 Consolidated with Factory DCC & Sound. I can put the DCC & Sound tender on the DCC ready Locomotive and it runs fine with DCC & Sound. But if I put the Factory DCC tender with the DCC ready Locomotive my Zepher goes crazy. Anyone know why?

[richg]

I have a 2-8-0 Consolidation DCC ready; A 2-8-0 Consolidation DCC Factory Installed; and a 2-8-0 Consolidated with Factory DCC & Sound. I can put the DCC & Sound tender on the DCC ready Locomotive and it runs fine with DCC & Sound. But if I put the Factory DCC tender with the DCC ready Locomotive my Zepher goes crazy. Anyone know why?

Please define, Goes Crazy.

Rich

[Pacific Northern]

I have a 2-8-0 Consolidation DCC ready; A 2-8-0 Consolidation DCC Factory Installed; and a 2-8-0 Consolidated with Factory DCC & Sound. I can put the DCC & Sound tender on the DCC ready Locomotive and it runs fine with DCC & Sound. But if I put the Factory DCC tender with the DCC ready Locomotive my Zepher goes crazy. Anyone know why?

What DCC decoder did you install in the DCC ready Consolidation? If it is anything othr than a Bachmann DCC decoder did you clip the capacitors on the PC board in the tender.

When I install a new DCC decoder I like to try the decoder with the capacitors intact, just to see how the locomoitive will run. In most instances it will take off at a moderate speed even with the speed set to 0 once you turn the power on to the track. The odd decoder will work but I do not want to take the chance and I cut the capacitors just to be sure.

[DCB]

The capacitor on the DCC ready tender were cut and the locomotive that came with it was working great with a Digitraxx DH123p plugged in. I wanted to see if this DCC ready locomotive would run if I switched the tender used the Bachmann DCC installed tender. When I did and powered the track the display on my Zepher started flashing with partially formed characters streaming across the screen. I then switched the tender to the one that has Bachmann DCC & Sound and everything worked fine. I had assumed that it was the tenders that controlled things and the locomotives could be interchanged. I'm not losing sleep over this as everything works great when I leave the locomotives with their respective tenders, I just found it curious that DCC installed tender caused the problem and the DCC/ Sound installed tender ran fine using the same locomotive that came with the DCC ready tender.

[WoundedBear]

Switching tenders amongst the various Spectrum models has always been a bit of a problem. Not all the circuit boards are "wired" the same. The general rule as I know it, is to keep the circuit board with the locomotive that it originally ran with.

There are some direct swaps, and if you do a search through the forums for "tender swap" you will encounter a lot of threads dedicated to the subject.

Sid

[Jim Banner]

The parade of zeros running across the screen of your Zephyr just indicates that the track is shorted by something.  The short causes the Zephyr to shut off power to the track in order to protect itself (a not so crazy response.)  As long as its track output is shorted, the Zephyr tells you about it by running zeros across the screen.  Sort of its way of saying "hey, Buddy, I need you to do something here!"

[TVRRMAN]

Now since we're talking about the 2-8-0's and differences in them, I have a few questions on double-heading of units.

I have a DCC Equipped one that, being I run straight DC, I've taken the decoder out of and placed the jumper pins in, and am looking into a Pre-DCC version to go with this unit. Now, since the DCC-Equipped version has the decoder out and jumper pins in place, would a DC Version of the same engine be able to double-head with the newer version? I'm hoping that I'm still falling somewhat in the topic.

In the future, once I have a larger layout, I will probably go DCC, but for the moment, DC seems to work properly.

To my understanding on the tenders, (and trying to see if I can help answer on the tender issues mentioned by DCB), I believe the wiring layout to the pins was changed somewhere after the 2nd? run of the 2-8-0's and around the time of the USRA Light and Heavy Mountains coming out.

Thanks in advance,

Thomas J Pearce

[rogertra]

Now since we're talking about the 2-8-0's and differences in them, I have a few questions on double-heading of units.

I have a DCC Equipped one that, being I run straight DC, I've taken the decoder out of and placed the jumper pins in, and am looking into a Pre-DCC version to go with this unit. Now, since the DCC-Equipped version has the decoder out and jumper pins in place, would a DC Version of the same engine be able to double-head with the newer version? I'm hoping that I'm still falling somewhat in the topic.

Why don't you simply try it?  After all, they are now both straight DCC. 

[jonathan]

TVRRMAN,

I have done the very thing you are asking about.  I can doublehead my 2-8-0s with no problem.  Once you put in the jumpers, the former DCC version will run exactly the same as a DC only or DCC ready with jumpers.

Just as an experiment, I have put DCC and DC versions on the track together.  The DCC version starts at a higher throttle, but once you get to around 7 or 8 volts of throttle, both versions run at the same speed.  Not recommended, but I have done it with no ill effects.  Play away. 

BTW the 4-8-2 mountain and 2-8-4 Berk run at the same speeds as the 2-8-0. So I have doubleheaded those as well.  Unfortunately the EM-1 will only run with another EM-1.  However, if you're a DCC guru, I suppose there is a way to match speed steps in DCC.  Perhaps I'll learn how to do that one day.

Regards,

Jonathan

[TVRRMAN]

TVRRMAN,

I have done the very thing you are asking about.  I can doublehead my 2-8-0s with no problem.  Once you put in the jumpers, the former DCC version will run exactly the same as a DC only or DCC ready with jumpers.

Just as an experiment, I have put DCC and DC versions on the track together.  The DCC version starts at a higher throttle, but once you get to around 7 or 8 volts of throttle, both versions run at the same speed.  Not recommended, but I have done it with no ill effects.  Play away. 

BTW the 4-8-2 mountain and 2-8-4 Berk run at the same speeds as the 2-8-0. So I have doubleheaded those as well.  Unfortunately the EM-1 will only run with another EM-1.  However, if you're a DCC guru, I suppose there is a way to match speed steps in DCC.  Perhaps I'll learn how to do that one day.

Regards,

Jonathan

Jonathan,

Thanks for the heads up on this information. This is definitely going to come in handy whenever I get around to doing roster adjustments.

Thanks again,

Thomas J Pearce

[Doneldon]

DCB-

As you may know, one of the major advantages of DCC is the ability to speed match locomotives and doublehead them with the locos running at the same speed. It often happens that two locomotives have similar running characteristics, especially if the locos are similar to one another. Consequently, I urge you to at least try running your Connies together. You may find that they play together quite nicely. If you are nervous about this for some reason, you can do a preliminary test by running each locomotive the same distance on your layout while pulling the same train. Time both trips and you'll have a good idea of how similar the running characteristics are. While very similar times for the test are desirable, it isn't necessary that the two locos operate at exactly the same speed.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                    -- D