J36 not working

[Maude Scot]

Complete novice to train sets. Purchased a Hornby train set analogue. Works fine. I also was gifted a J36 class engine last year. This engine has digital TTS sound. Unfortunately I cannot get it to work on my track. What am I doing wrong? 
I also have a a class A3 locomotive which is DCC ready . It works perfectly even after sitting on display for 12 years.

 

[jane1707819582]

Are you using a DCC controller ? .if analogue then possibly DC running is disabled.

[Chrissaf]

1) Your original train set controller is DC Analogue.

 

2) Your Class A3 locomotive is 'DCC Ready' which means that it is actually a DC Analogue locomotive that does not have a DCC decoder fitted. When a locomotive is labelled as 'DCC Ready' this does not mean that it is a Digital DCC locomotive, it just means that it is a DC Analogue Locomotive that has a socket inside it 'ready' to accept a plug in DCC decoder to make it Digital as an upgrade path. As a 'DCC Ready' locomotive, it works with your DC Analogue controller just like a normal analogue locomotive would.

 

3) Your J36 Class TTS loco is factory fitted with a DCC Decoder. Hornby now [new policy] disable the support for DC Operation at the factory for their TTS decoder fitted J36 locomotives [and it appears most other TTS fitted locomotives as well]. Even if DC Operation was enabled. A TTS sound decoder is unable to produce any sounds at all under DC Analogue control. Which means that your J36 TTS locomotive will not work 'out of the box' on your DC Analogue layout.

 

TIP: As a newbie poster on the forum, just be aware that the 'Blue Button with the White Arrow' is not a 'Reply to this post' button. If you want to reply to any of the posts, scroll down and write your reply in the reply text box at the bottom of the page and click the Green 'Reply' button.

 

See also – further TIPs on how to get the best user experience from this forum. TIPs include 'How to post images' and 'How to make links clickable'.

https://www.hornby.com/uk-en/forum/tips-on-using-the-forum/

 

[Maude Scot]

Is there a way I can enable the DC operation myself as I don't care about sound effects. Thanks

[Chrissaf]

Not without a DC controller capable of writing to CV29. It is not worth buying one just to write a CV as a basic capable controller that can do the required CV writing task is in the region of £100. After lockdown, you might find a Model Railway Shop that could do it for you or a local club or a friend who runs a DCC layout.

 

For information, I suggest writing a value of 6 to CV29 to enable 'DC Operation' on the fitted decoder.

 

The cheaper option [but not necessarily the easiest option], is to open up the locomotive and remove the Hornby TTS decoder and replace it with a DC pass through 'DCC Blanking Plate [Plug]'. This is a small PCB that makes certain pin cross connections to allow the loco to operate purely as a DC Analogue loco. The Blanking Plate PCB can be inserted either way round and is not orientation sensitive. This mod reverts the loco back to being a 'DCC Ready' DC Analogue locomotive.

 

The thing is that these 'DCC Blanking Plates' seem to be like 'hens teeth' and out of stock everywhere the last time I checked.

 

The 'DCC Blanking Plate' required for Hornby locos is 8 pins. Suitable products are:

 

Bachmann 36-057

Hornby X9255

LaisDCC 860068

 

EDIT - Stop Press:

LaisDCC 860068 is now back in stock with this linked eBay supplier.

 

[ColinB]

This is probably of no use but I have a huge bag of those DC headers. When I convert a loco to DCC, it is cheaper to buy the socket and header, rather than the socket alone, so I always have the header left. They also charge stupid prices for those headers.