Wicky Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 I am a newby to model railway. In fact, I just bought my first set (The Majestic Digital Train Set with eLink - R1172) about three weeks ago and I received it last Saturday. Since then I have been working on the set. The set has two locos namely a class 47 diesel loco and a 4-6-2 BR Peppercorn. I have successfully managed to take control of the class 47 loco via Railmaster software. However, I cannot take control of the Pepercorn loco. The loco does not even move.Therefore, I tried to read the CV values of both the engines using the program mode of elink. While I was successful in reading and writing a new DCC id to the class 47 loco, I was unable to read or write to the Peppercorn.Does this mean the BR peppercorns DCC chip is faulty? How do I verify this? What should be my next step to get this loco running? Thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wicky Posted June 20, 2014 Author Share Posted June 20, 2014 Thanks you for the reply. I only have a DCC setup and do not have DC controls. Any other ways apart from going DC? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashbang Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 HiRather than trying a read of the locos CVs have you tried to readdress the loco? It may also be worth trying to reset the decoder back to its default settings including its address number to 3 by CV8 entering the value of 8. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yelrow Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 Wicky, hi, have same set. when they come, they both are on ooo3, and i ran both on this setting for a week or so, before attempting to changr cv. Did you do that, as i have never changed peppercorn, and still run it on 3.. If it refuses to move, as flashbang says, reset it back to 3., as it may just be you have made an error in programming it . As a matter of course, i run my locos to make sure they are ok, before attempting to change. Also, sowetimes you have to gently press down on loco on prog track, john. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wicky Posted June 20, 2014 Author Share Posted June 20, 2014 Yelrow,....yes I tried to move them seperatly without doing any programming. But the peppercorn refused to move even then. I only tried to read the chip after all other attempts failed. Still my peppercorn is 3 and the diesel loco was set to 4 by me and runs fine. However, I did not press the loco when reading or attempte to write to the peppercorn. So I will try that. Flashbang,....I saw this option on a website too. I did not go ahead since both the read and write operations fail in the peppercorn. Is it still worth it resetting cv 8 if this is the case? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishmanoz Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 Hi Wicky, can I say for a start you have done well to get all the way to changing a loco ID without assistance, many can't. It certainly sounds as if the Peppercorn is faulty from all you have tried. And given you can't read CVs or write them, it would seem to be the decoder rather then motor or something else. So that also means you can't reset the decoder by 8 to CV8. And given you can't program it, it will still be on default settings anyway. Given it's brand new, my advice is to take it back. However, if you want to persist yourself before taking it back, then you will need to remove the body of both locos. If you do that, first check that there is nothing obvious like a disconnected wire anywhere in the Peppercorn, and that its pickups are contacting the wheels. If that all seems ok, then swap the decoders around between the locos. They will plug in so simple to swap and no soldering needed. If the other loco is now unable to move, then it is definitely your decoder faulty. If the fault stays with the Peppercorn, then it is something else like a bad or broken connection or faulty motor. Remember the loco ID is actually in the decoder, so you will swap the IDs when you swap the decoders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wicky Posted June 21, 2014 Author Share Posted June 21, 2014 Hi Fishmanoz, thanks for the suggestion. I removed the cover of the peppercorn to see whats wrong and found out that the decorder is hanging free in side the body of the loco. I fixed the decoder in place and the engine works fine. However, I find it very odd to find such faults with brand new products. I went to great lengths in fixing this myself because it is a hassle to return products bought online and I do not have a Hornby retailer anywhere near where I live.I currently have a few issues with peppercorn stuttering at some track joints and change points. I think these are mainly power issues related to connectivity. How would you gys fix this problem? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gilbo2 Posted June 21, 2014 Share Posted June 21, 2014 I would run the Pepercorn for about 30 minutes in each direction before doing much more to allow it to run in. Make sure your track in clean though too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graskie Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 Would thick cardboard be any good, magfan? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graskie Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 What about thin metal strips then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishmanoz Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 Graskie, what magfan has is a way of insulating all but one pair of pickup wheels, loco or tender, from the track so that you can see if that pair of wheels is picking up power, the final result being you will know if all the wheels are doing it. If all the wheels are picking up, there should be no stuttering unless the track is very dirty or wheels are lifting over points or non-flat track. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graskie Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 Sorry, magfan, I was being deliberately naughty with my suggestions. In actual fact, I like your idea of using paper strips. At least it elicited a great comprehensive response from our expert Fishy.Using your method would be ideal on the main layout, certainly avoiding the need of upturning a loco in a cradle, especially if that loco still has some smoke oil in it! I generally use a Peco foam cradle but I will definitely try your idea when considered more suitable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poliss Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 I must have been timed out as I typed my reply, as my monika doesn't show up against my post. Looks like the forum will never be fixed. :-p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael_A Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 Bear in mind that if you have to return faulty goods bought on line, under UK law the retailer MUST pay all reasonable postage costs, including your costs to return the faulty goods. Although less convenient, this can be a safer option than taking things apart, as this may invalidate the warranty. (this applies automatically to faults (not wear and tear / misuse) that occur within the first 6 months, therefater it becomes more complex) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walkingthedog Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 If your track is a circuit you can't test continuity with a meter. Putting a probe each side of a rail joiner proves nothing as even if the joiner is removed it will still show a full reading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poliss Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 Doesn't matter WTD. If there's power on each side of a rail joiner the loco won't stop will it, and that's the point of the exercise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walkingthedog Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 Ah right. If there isn't power each side of the joint it doesn't mean that it's that joint that is faulty though. Could be anywhere around the circuit. You might get a reading across the joint but you're not reading the power your just seeing if that joint is good. I know what I mean, not sure you will. Generaly if there is a bad connection stopping the power it's going to be in the most difficult to get to part of the layout. On a circuit if you don't get a continuity reading across a joint it doesn't mean it's just that joint that is bad it could be others around the circuit. If you completely disconnect that joint and get a continuity reading it means all the other joints on the circuit are OK. It doesn't say your looking for power, it says switch off the controller so you're just looking for a sound joint between the rails with the meter set to ohms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
96RAF Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 Having agreed with all the above...The easy round this to sort the OP problem is to connect up a single piece of track or better still use a rolling road. That rules out any round the track connection/no connection problem.Having determined if the problem is loco or track associated then further diagnosis can be carried out, be it loco or track and rectified if necessary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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