Legacy engines randomly slowing & track voltage dropping

Silly question but at the last running were 2 of these locomotives part of the last 3 running in the last session along with any lighted cars? Could be that one of the previous units were shorting out just enough to cause the bricks to foldback. Just thinking out loud here.

Yea, the Blue Comet and Southern Crescent ran both times with 4 lighted passenger cars each. The last time I added a TMCC "J" with 4 lighted passenger cars

Oh you need to change a part in your ZW to run with Legacy. Marty has A video on how to change it.

Thank You for your response. I don't mean to be ignorant but who is Marty and where do I  find this video.

I think what you might need is to change a chip in your ZW if this started after hooking up Legacy. The chip I got from Lionel is number ZWPCS01.HEX.

Thank You Gweedo. That may be it because it never showed up until I started using Legacy a month or two ago. It's not really like a halt but the trains slow and sometimes stop completely and track voltage goes very low. I am waiting for them to completely stop again so I can measure voltage on the actual transformer output. 

I'm not sure that the symptoms sound like the "legacy shutdown" issue seen in the ZW-C. Certain Legacy commands were read as "shutdown" by the transformer and thus "instant halt." This sounds like something else. Jeff may be onto a something regarding a slight short.

Here are Marty's directions on how to upgrade the chip in a ZW .Glad others have good memories, I had forgotten about it

 

http://www.martye.com/TipsandTricks/PWCZWLegacy.htm

Hum It's been a while since I had to change the chip in my ZWC. I thought that is how my transformer was acting. Mike if you have a Cab1 and a old command base maybe hook that up without the Legacy base and Cab2 to see if you have the same problem.

If a chip replacement is in order, Lionel provides an instruc. sheet with a procedure that is easier than the one on Marty's site. You don't have to remove all of the brackets or the main board. Just did mine a few weeks ago as I was experiencing the shutdown with legacy connected. On a small carpet layout, it rarely acted up. However, when the layout grew the halt's happened more frequently until I replaced the chip.

Mike,

I understand your frustration. Yes, the glitch (if that's what you're experiencing) only affect Legacy, not TMCC 1. The good thing is the fix is easy. 10 minutes and your ZW-C will be as good as new.

John's point about the pin alignment is a good one.

I just gently pressed one side against the counter top until they were at 90 degrees. I'd test and press more as needed.

OK I will order the part and see what happens. I suppose once you start removing the case it will become more apparent on how to plug this thing in. If that doesn't work its off to lionel

Just make SURE you keep it oriented the same way!  There's a notch in the end, note where it is for the old one before you remove it, and orient the new one the same way.

They send along an instruction sheet with the chip.

Once you remove the the cover, you really only have to bend one item to the side to provide better access to the chip. You then pry it out gently with a small flat-head. Carefully line up the pins on the new one (use John's "bending method" to ensure that the pins "seat properly on the board. Take your time with that part and don't press it down until you are certain that ALL of the pins are in the right spots.

You may need to do a recalibration once you reassemble and restart. I did as all of my handles showed "full voltage" when they were all set to zero.

I think this new chip worked!! Thanks for the heads up on this.

glad to hear it!

Good news, thanks for letting us know.