Railroad tornado poor running with new TTS sound chip

[The Novice]

Hi

I’ve had a railroad tornado for a few years it’s never been a very reliable runner suffering from poor starting and contacts and wheels that seem to require constant cleaning unlike my other locos. I recently fitted one of the new TTS sound chips to it. The installation and programming seemed to go fine. However I’m lucky if it will move 4 inches before stopping and no amount of cleaning improves things. Has anyone got any ideas? Any help would be appreciated. 

[Chrissaf]

DCC emphasises all the DC running issues a loco might have. If a loco is a poor DC runner, then it will always be worse under DCC control. Your best bet is to remove the decoder and resolve the core DC running issues first before refitting the decoder.

[Fishmanoz]

And change CV150 to 1 to use the other motor algorithm when you reinstall it. 

[WilliamDavid]

As well as my TTS Tornado (rubbish motor), I have the two BR green Railroad ones. These ran reasonably well but were like yours, especially on points.

I reckoned the lack of pickups in the tender did not help, so I fitted some.

They run a dream now.

Strangely, my Bachmann Tornado, also without tender pickups, has no such problems.

[The Novice]

And change CV150 to 1 to use the other motor algorithm when you reinstall it. 

Thanks will try that this evening 

[The Novice]

DCC emphasises all the DC running issues a loco might have. If a loco is a poor DC runner, then it will always be worse under DCC control. Your best bet is to remove the decoder and resolve the core DC running issues first before refitting the decoder.

Thanks will try that this evening 

[morairamike]

When you say the programming went well, what did you change? If only the loco number then it shouldn't  be a problem, if you changed anything else, what was it. I suggest that you do a reset CV8 TO 8 and see if it runs ok as #3.

[The Novice]

And change CV150 to 1 to use the other motor algorithm when you reinstall it. 

Thanks will try that this evening 

Changing cv 150 worked a treat many thanks

[96RAF]

I wonder if Hornby when initially programming the TTS decoder for a particular loco (Tornado, Scotty, etc) can preset the necessary CVs to match that loco's mechanical characteristics (motor type, gearing, etc) rather than giving them the standard default set, which the user then has to fiddle with.

 

Just as RM makes the proper list of CVs from the code it sees in CVs 7 & 8 and how CV 29 value affects other CV settings could there be a loco model specific CV the value of which then sets certain values into say CV 150 et seq.

 

This would ensure each marque ran perfectly straight out of the box and that if the decoder was reset these custom settings would be retained.

 

This proposed CV could then read back in RM to tell exactly which model it was - handy say for retro fitting a TTS decoder if you are not sure what loco sounds it is loaded with.

 

Rob

[Britannia Builder]

Hi Rob

 

I agree that a CV showing the R number of the decoder (eg R8108) would be useful, to identify the sound files stored on it. But as far as motor control is concerned, they could improve things simply by setting the CV150 etc defaults to match the basic Hornby R8249 controller, which seems to me to work pretty well without any of these parameters. This could be the same set of defaults for all models, as long as it matched the R8249. Whether this is CV150=1 (which I always use) or CV150=0 with some better values in CV151/2 I don't know, but the current defaults just seem to give jerky slow speed running in almost all cases (although my Class 31 wasn't too bad).

 

An advantage of having a better default would be that the HRMS speed profiling would not be disturbed by the user having to change the CVs, and indeed the speed profiles for the non-TTS version of the loco, which are presumably calibrated using the R8249, could be used without HMRS even having to calibrate the TTS controller. I find that after setting CV150 to 1 the speeds are generally higher than scale and I have to reduce the speed factor in Resource.mdb.

 

Regards, John

[The Novice]

And change CV150 to 1 to use the other motor algorithm when you reinstall it. 

Thanks will try that this evening 

Changing cv 150 worked a treat many thanks

Hi flushed with success after your advice I since fitted a tts sound chip to my flying Scotsman with no problem, followed by my Mallard.  Unfortunately my mallard is having running issues similar to the Tornado. Cv 150 is reading 33 and I can't seem to change it to 1. Once again any suggestions would be appreciated.

[96RAF]

Cv 150 is reading 33 and I can't seem to change it to 1. Once again any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

We never asked which controller you are using. Some controllers cannot readback correctly, so my advice is to write the new value and see if it makes a physical difference.

Failing that contact HCC and explain the problem and see if it falls into their 'TTS-decoder-problem-fix-available' repairs box.

Rob