Fickle TMCC Engine

It could be that the antenna is the issue, have you checked the handrails to see if they're shorted to the boiler shell?

What do you mean "gives indications that the command has been received"?

Thanks John. By "gives indications" I mean that I'll hear a little "puff" sound like a steam puff when I give a command. For example, when a direction change to reverse is executed the tender reverse lamp lights up. Sometimes I'll hit the direction button multiple times and each time hear that little puff sound. Also the light will blink on the Base 1L but no change in direction by the engine. Other times I have to give a command 3 or 4 times to get it to execute.

I had no idea that the hand rails were the antenna.

On most steamers, the handrails are the antenna.  When the reverse light comes on the tender, will the locomotive go in reverse if you start it up?  Since it doesn't respond every time, it sure sounds like a reception issue with the TMCC.

The first thing I would to try is reprogramming. With the rear light illuminating when direction is pushed but no movement indicates the R2LC is receiving the command.  I would suspect either R2LC (PWM) 5v DC. motor driver or wiring. Try the reprogramming first.

Bill

He did say it didn't always respond to the commands.  OTOH, reprogramming is never a bad idea, I should make that a hotkey on my keyboard!

Scott,

Remember the engine and tender rollers do not connect.  The engine rollers are for the engine only and the tender rollers work your Railsounds.  Bill and John I feel gave you your probable answers.  To check for the antenna issue, set your meter to continuity and put one probe on the handrail and the other on locomotive ground.  If you see continuity locate and repair your issue.

I see many engines that end up like that after someone took the boiler shell off.  Many have handrails that extend down to the pilot deck and upon reassembly the handrails never get replaced into the insulated bushing on the pilot.

More and more of my locomotives with the wireless tether are getting a single wire tether to connect the center track rollers, stuff like the Atlantic make it over switches much better now.

Thanks to all for the great feedback. Just to clarify for Bill a little, I gave a poor description on the tender light. The engine does move after the direction change. But it doesn't seem to want to -- at times -- acknowledge the direction change command. So it will be idle and set to go forward but I have to push the direction button multiple times to get the tender light to come on so it's ready to go in reverse.

I did Marty's continuity check it showed good -- no continuity. Reprogramming is next. According to the Cab1L Base1L that's AUX1+0 then track power shutdown for 10 seconds correct?

Actually, programming is as follows.

Set PGM/RUN to PGM

ENG

(TMCC #)

SET

... then...

AUX0

(reset code)

Set PGM/RUN switch to RUN

The TMCC # is the ID for the engine, the reset code is whatever the manual says, I don't know the actual engine number, so I can't be specific.  Some locomotives don't have a specific reset code and just require the ID setting.

Thanks John. The Cab1L Base1L manual doesn't directly address a reprogram in that manner. Which probably explains why not very much happened after I did the AUX1+0.

What is also pretty obvious here is that the two rollers on the engine aren't quite enough. I get stalls and light flicker as the engine rolls through switches. Odd because all of my MTH steamers are 2-roller and run trouble free. Can I simply run a jumper wire from the tender forward roller to the engine rear roller to improve things?

Thanks

That's what I do.  I run a single wire tether between the two with a little machine-pin home-brew connector.  I connect the collectors in the tender with the ones in the locomotive.  I also put a 3A PTC in the lead in case of a derailment, that protects the wiring.

John, that has been a big help for people who have several back to back switches.  I forget who put up posts on that a few years ago and insisted the rollers are connected.  That would be a great trick to have the IR connect them.  Never happen.

Boy, if the IR connected the rollers, I wouldn't want to mistakenly point that IR transmitter anywhere else, it would be like a death-ray!

Make sure batteries good in remote.  If all above doesn't solve this, but it runs fine in conventional, it could be a weak R2LC that doesn't pickup the TMCC signal, at least on your track.  Every once in a while you run into one that just doesn't wok right.  Swapping in an other R2LC from a good engine can confirm if the R2LC is the issue.  G

Quick update. Given that I had been having previous intermittent communication issues with the Legacy GP9 I have and that my home WiFi router is about 3 feet away, I used the Base 1L channel select feature and moved up 3 or 4 spots. Overall, the engine behavior seems to have improved quite a bit. Will also be adding the jumper to the tender.