Flying Scotsman Shorting Out Digital Select

[TFDutchman]

Gi there,

 

I've got two Flying Scotsman trains. One was a standard Scotsman out of the complete train set that has been converted to DCC. The other is the TTS Flying Scotsman. Both trains were running fine, but now neither one of them is working.

 

For the original Scotsman, I got absolutely no response from the train when adjusting speed, etc. on the controller. I removed the decoder and put in a blanking plate. It runs perfectly fine as an analog. So I put in a brand new decoder. Now when I put the Scotsman on the digital track, it appears to short out the Digital Select controller. It just keeps flashing "12" on the screen in an attempt to boot in.

I get the same problem with the TTS. It was running fine and now whenever I try to put it on my digital track, the Digital select controller keeps flashing "12."

I've tried other digital trains and they run fine without issue on the Digital Select. It's only these two Scotsman trains. Neither one is damaged in any way. Track has been cleaned. Wheels have been cleaned. And as mentioned, in the original Scotsman I've installed a brand new decoder (seeing as how there's no response at all when the original decoder is put in I can only assume it's dead), and both run fine as analogs with a blanking plate installed.

Am I just unlucky to have two Scotsman trains start to have the exact same problem around the exact same time? Or might there be something wrong with the Digital Select regardless that I've tested other digital trains?

 

Thanks

[Fishmanoz]

Hi TFD, welcome to the forums.

 

That sounds a bit strange and not sure what the problem can be.  But something to try anyway.  Separate the set FS from its tender and put first the loco, then the tender on the track separately. Do either cause the problem.  What I'm thinking is you may have accidentally bent the contacts on the tender post causing a short.

 

If you get a result from that suggestion, I'm not sure how the TTS is configured, does it have the same tender post contacts?  If so, look for them being bent too?  Reason I'm not sure is you also have a plug and socket between TTS tender and loco for the sound, so maybe power to is via this and not tender post?

[TFDutchman]

I'm only using the Engine from the Set FS. It doesn't pick up any power from the tender. So simply putting the engine on the track is enough to cause the Digital Select to short and wind up stuck in a reboot cycle.

The TTS, however, does pick-up power from the Tender via the plug. Putting the engine on the track by itself doesn't do anything. Putting the tender on the track by itself is enough to cause the Digital Select to get itself stuck in a reboot cycle.

So basically the issue appears when the Set FS engine is on the track or the TTS FS Tender is on the track.

I've completely checked over both the tender from the TTS and the engine from the Set FS, and there's nothing I can see that would cause a feedback or overload to the Digital Select. I just found it funny that it's happened to two Scotsman trains.

I'd like to think it's the controller, but I don't have another digital controller to test that theory, but when I've tried using other digital and tts trains and they appear to work fine I keep coming back to trying to figure out what it is about that Scotsman trains that are suddenly causing this.

The only other theory I have is that it's the DCC board that the decoders plug into. Seeing as how they run fine as an analog, but the issue arises when I put decoders into them, even brand new decoders. So whether or not there's feedback coming from that board?

Still a few things for me to try and test, but I was hoping I wasn't the first to run into this problem.

[Fishmanoz]

Well, that blows my theory out of the water.  And I suggest not the Select as it works with others.

 

But why two very different FSs or parts thereof, you've just about got me.  As they are so different, and the tender from the TTS is enough to do it on its own, means to me that they may as well not have the same name and be causing it.  The common thing between them is that it occurs when you put the part containing the  decoder on the track, not that they are FS.  I believe the FS is a furphy, as we say in Oz.

 

I would think it is definitely a short circuit though.  I would check that you haven't pushed the decoders far enough into the sockets that the pins are causing a short circuit on something metal under the socket.

 

And it should make no difference if you were to plug the decoder in the wrong way around, that leaves the motor running fine but makes for non-connection of the function wires, without causing a short.

[2e0dtoeric]

Poor Scottie - first it has no brakes, and now it is shorting out a Select controller. Whatever next?  😆