Lionel operation on DCS problem

Maybe try resetting the TMCC address? After you do that, make sure you add a new TMCC entry for that engine in your DCS remote. Also, maybe double check that the PROGRAM/RUN switch is set to "Run." If that doesn't work, ask Barry. 

 DCS will allow an TMCC engine to be added to the dcs remote even though the engine may not exist.

To add a TMCC engine correctly the TMCC address must be know, That's the ID you would use if running with the cab-1. If you don't know what is it it gets a little tricky.

 assuming the cab-1's address is unknown it would go something like this..

Menu/ Engine set up/ Add engine/ Add TMCC engine... A list of letters comes up and you make a name for the engine (anything you want)  and hit the "D" for done.

Now another list of TMCC IDs come up and if you know what the TMCC engine address is you would enter  it. (if not make one up)Now you're done. The engine will be in the inactive list.

Lets say we don't know the TMCC address...... menu/system/ Engine set up/ Edit engine/ edit engine address. WE  now have a engine added  to work   with... Follow the on screen direction on the dcs remote. Place run/program switch to program etc.  

If the engine accepts the new TMCC address you should hear a slight whistle blast.

Thanks. No idea what the address is. I traded for the engine. Probably should have stuck with MTH engines exclusively. The interesting thing is it was initially operating after shutting system down it wouldn't respond when powering up again. When I turn the dcs thumb wheel the red light on the base blinks so it is hearing something.

Try giving it a new  TMCC address, using the edit command.  Try ID #1, See if you can get it to respond to couplers , horn. , You may have to  try different speed steps to get it to move  but the first priority is getting it added. 

Do I need to take it out of program and switch to run after changing address? Or can I just edit and change address until horn blast?9

If the PROG/RUN switch is in the PROG position, the engine will not respond to commands, even though the command base LED may blink.

I have gone up to 30 nothing. Was operating yesterday. I guess I have a command engine that will only operate conventionally now. Should stick with one mfr. That's another $$$$$ down the drain. This dealer is okay, it's just all the paper work was lost in a fire only the engine survived. Thought I could just buy command base and cable but boy this has been a waste of $$$ and time.

I'm thinking seriously now of going all conventional. Really less tech frustration and on my small layout I only have two loops with spur tracks. I will see how it goes and possibly sell my TIU and remote later as well as the command base and wiring to recoup some of my expense.

Do you have the cable that goes from the MTH  tiu to the Lionel command base?.  I assumed you had.

Gregg posted:

Do you have the cable that goes from the MTH  tiu to the Lionel command base?.  I assumed you had.

Yes and correct end to each as marked on cable.

You were given good advise above, did you check the prog/run switch?  Did you try to reset the engine ID?  You said you didn't know the id.  What ID did you add in the remote?   The instructions are available online.  Did you look at them?

The fact that the engine does not start up when power is added is a good indication that the engine is seeing the Lionel signal.

Have you tried to edit the engine's TMCC ID# to something that you will then know? If not, place the engine on a powered track and proceed as follows:

• Press MENU, scroll to SYSTEM and press the thumbwheel
• Scroll to ENGINE SETUP and press the thumbwheel
• Scroll to EDIT ENGINE and press the thumbwheel
• Scroll to EDIT ADDRESS and press the thumbwheel
• A list of all of the engines in the DCS Remote's active engine list is displayed 
• Select the engine by scrolling to it using the thumbwheel to highlight the engine whose address is to be changed. Press the thumbwheel to select it 
• If a TMCC engine is selected, a message to change the engine's RUN/PROG switch is displayed followed by a list of TMCC engine ID#s
• Turn off power to the engine, change the engine's RUN/PROG switch to PROG and then turn power to the engine back on
• Scroll to the desired TMCC address and press the thumbwheel to change the TMCC engine ID#
• Turn off power to the engine, change the engine's RUN/PROG switch to RUN and then turn power to the engine back on.

This and a whole lot more is all in “The DCS Companion 3rd Edition!" This book is available from many fine OGR advertisers and forum sponsors, or as an eBook or a printed book at OGR’s web store!

Barry Broskowitz posted:

Have you tried to edit the engine's TMCC ID# to something that you will then know? If not, place the engine on a powered track and proceed as follows:

• Press MENU, scroll to SYSTEM and press the thumbwheel
• Scroll to ENGINE SETUP and press the thumbwheel
• Scroll to EDIT ENGINE and press the thumbwheel
• Scroll to EDIT ADDRESS and press the thumbwheel
• A list of all of the engines in the DCS Remote's active engine list is displayed 
• Select the engine by scrolling to it using the thumbwheel to highlight the engine whose address is to be changed. Press the thumbwheel to select it 
• If a TMCC engine is selected, a message to change the engine's RUN/PROG switch is displayed followed by a list of TMCC engine ID#s
• Turn off power to the engine, change the engine's RUN/PROG switch to PROG and then turn power to the engine back on
• Scroll to the desired TMCC address and press the thumbwheel to change the TMCC engine ID#
• Turn off power to the engine, change the engine's RUN/PROG switch to RUN and then turn power to the engine back on.

---

This and a whole lot more is all in “The DCS Companion 3rd Edition!" This book is available from many fine OGR advertisers and forum sponsors, or as an eBook or a printed book at OGR’s web store!

Barry, I have tried this several times. When I first hooked up my lionel command base and programmed the engine it worked. Next day powered up layout and lionel engine would not respond. I have edited and selected up to 30 addresses no response.

Barry, went through it again. It programmed it in and responding. Don't know quite what I was doing wrong but hopefully it will operate now. Thanks.

Ralph,

Some days, even a blind squirrel finds an acorn!  

Barry Broskowitz posted:

Ralph,

Some days, even a blind squirrel finds an acorn!  

Spoke to soon. Shut off power to layout came back an hour later turned on power and engine sounds on but no response from remote. This is what happened before. Now if I try to go through process again when I switch to program turn on power the engine takes off full speed. It seems it's conventional again. Mind boggling. Beginning to think the memory in the remote is lost or something in the command base. 

Weird... Where do you have the command base plugged in?   It should be powered  up first or at the exact same time as the layout. It seems the engine is starting in conventional. Try the U connection from the base to an outside rail.

Barry Broskowitz posted:

Ralph,

Some days, even a blind squirrel finds an acorn!  

Spoke to soon. Shut off power to layout came back an hour later turned on power and engine sounds on but no response from remote. This is what happened before. Now if I try to go through process again when I switch to program turn on power the engine takes off full speed. It seems it's conventional again. Mind boggling. Beginning to think the memory in the remote is lost or something in the command base. One thing I have concluded. Between this Lionel engine and my Lionel transformer it's all MTH in my future. I'm willing to almost give the Lionel stuff away.

TMCC engines should be silent when you power up the layout. The fact that it's powering up with sounds. It's not seeing the TMCC signal.  Can you describe in detail the setup of how you have the base hooked to the track ?  Are you shutting the engine down in the same spot or area each time ?  Then when reprogramming it. Placing it in a different area.  I've always said. One of anything in this hobby isn't enough. You often need multiples just to keep your sanity when troubleshooting. Just to rule things out. 

Tmcc command base connected to TIU with the required cable. Ground wire from command base ground post to the output ground of TIU fixed one to track. Shut down was in same general area but not exact spot obviously. Programmed in same general area each time. That is when I can get the engine on a powered track to not go racing away. If I hadn't traded something of greater value (but not useful for my small layout) I would throw this whole deal away and be done with it.  Never had a problem in all these years until getting this engine and trying to operate it with my dcs system. I would trade this for another Mth engine in a minute. At the moment it's programmed and running but afraid as soon as I shut the layout down and power it up again I will spend another hour trying to reprogram it again. Maybe it's the command base.

How are your  MTH engines behaving? There is a chance the DCS remote and TIU are not communicating?

Ralph,

Be sure that the TMCC wire is connected to the output Common (black terminal) of every TIU channel that's in use.

Gregg posted:

How are your  MTH engines behaving? There is a chance the DCS remote and TIU are not communicating?

 

Mth engines responding normally. I Have shut down the power to the layout again and will see if when I power it back up whether or not the lionel engine will respond. I have been able to get it operating but then shut things down and then power up the next time and doesn't respond. This time I have cut the power to the transformer but left power on to the command base although don't think that should necessarily matter.

Sounds to me that's it is an antenna issue. Pull the shell, check the antenna wire to see if it has come loose at the point where the wire is soldered to the metal plate. If it is loose, that is most likely you issue. Just resoldered it.

Also it would help to say what modle it is. Diesel, steam. That helps to look were the antenna wire is hooked too.

suzukovich posted:

Also it would help to say what modle it is. Diesel, steam. That helps to look were the antenna wire is hooked too.

Thanks, it's a #1842 Mikado.

Well powered up and all engines behaved properly. Maybe we are okay.

Pull the shell on the tender. Also check for loose tether wires. The antenna wire should be connected to shell. Also check the wires leading from the run/program switch. All it takes is one loose wire or a solder connection coming loose.

OK  Today?

All is well. I am not sure why it had to be reprogrammed a few times. The only thing I'm doing differently now is leaving power on on my TIU and Command Base and turning power off the transformer where before I would turn off everything . I power the TIU externally so the command base and TIU are always on.