DCC MUing with FAs - sound and headlight behavior on 2nd engine?

[JHarryF]

I have two Bachmann FA Diesels that I MU. Two questions:

1) When running them together as a MU consist, the lead engine's headlight, bell and horn work fine. (The second loco only makes the Diesel engine sounds -- no headlight, bell or horn). When I put the consist in reverse, the headlight, bell and horn in the second engine still do NOT work. Is this behavior correct?

Since this consist is not always pulling a string of cars, I sorta expect those functions to automatically turn on when the second engine is leading the direction of movement. (If possible, I would prefer not to have go through all the steps necessary to temporarily reassign the second FA as the lead engine.)

2) Where can I get a list of all the CVs for the FA loco?

Thanks in advance.

[bapguy]

http://www.soundtraxx.com/factory/OEM%20pages/bachmann/ho_fa2_sv.pdf
Also down load the Soundtraxx Diesel manual.  Joe

[rogertra]

Lets say you have two units.  Nos 1000 and 1001.

You set the consist up, using the long address hopefully, with unit 1000 designated as the front unit and 1001 and the second unit.

To operate the consist you address unit 1000 and the headlight, bell, horn and prime mover all function.  On unit 1001 all you get is the prime mover audio, which is correct.  During operation, you decide to back up consist.  When you do this, unit 1000 is still the leading unit and the headlight, bell and horn will only work on unit 1000.  This is because the "Sound on Board" decoders used in these units have no provision for a "backup" light.

If you then decide to operate with unit 1001 as the lead unit, you simply select loco 1001 as the lead unit and then the headlight, bell and horn will only work on unit 1001 as it is now the lead unit.  If, you do want the headlight, bell and horns to work on the trailing unit when backing up, not prototypical but what the heck, then you need to select the trailing unit as the lead locomotive.  Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a way to have a backup light on these units using the factory installed decoder.

That's how it works on my NCE system anyway.

Remember, on a prototype locomotive, the back up lights do not work automatically, the engineer has to manual turn the back up light on and off.  Also when backing up, the bell and horns only work on the lead unit as that's where the engineer sits.  

So, you have to ask yourself "How prototypical accurate do I want to be or do I just want to play trains?"