Locomotive Issues

Is this a steam loc or diesel?

Steam locs with IR tethers could exhibit this problem.  The IR Tether is draining the command signal to the ERR board and it thinks you are running in conventional mode.  I had this same issue with a T1 I upgraded.  The workaround was to power up the track to 18 volts quickly (most times this worked and the engine functioned fine in command mode).  The long term fix was to send the board back to ERR.  They upgraded the board to the latest firmware which fixed the problem.  Current versions of the cruise board do not have this issue.

If that is not your problem, it could simply be a bad connection and re-seating the boards will work.

Need more data, was this a complete upgrade to Cruise CDR, or a CCM upgrade for an already TMCC engine.  Either way, first do the reprograming of ID # and set the Feature (4) for Steam in accordance with instructions.  Then retest.  If that does not fix it, sounds like a serial data issue or some other factor depending on the upgrade.  Warranty???  G

The RPM increasing without motion sounds like the sound board is in conventional mode.  Does the sound start up before you send any keystrokes to the engine after power up?

Just to give an update, this is a diesel locomotive.

John, I think you upgraded this loco from PS2 to TMCC.  The sound starts immediately, once power is added.

Thanks!  Tyler.   

If the sound starts immediately, the serial data is likely not making it to the sound board.

What exactly is in the locomotive, the standard ERR upgrade components or something else?  I don't remember it, but a lot of them come through.  I would guess if it was a full upgrade it's the Cruise Commander and RailSounds Commander.

I looked, and the only engine I have a record of upgrading for you is a Weaver Pacific, when was this done?

Hey John.  I purchased the locomotive from someone else on this forum.  I will send you pictures ASAP to try to answer your electronics question.  Thanks. 

PS  The Weaver Pacific runs beautifully and is a show stopper. 

It's good the Pacific is still running.

Pretty hard to follow from pictures, I'm afraid I'd have to be a bit "closer" to actually determine anything.

What a weird set up.  Has a Cruise M, a Sound Board and then some type of motherboard with the R2LC.  What a mess.  Should have been a Cruise CDR with sound to make it cleaner.  Some one kit bashed it.  Hope you did not do that one John.  G

I have actually done some like that, it allows you to add functioning ditch lights as they're provided by the CC-M.   With the demise of the ERR Sound Converter, which also had ditch light outputs, there's no way to add those.  One of the many projects in my queue is to develop a diesel module to do stuff like that.

Well, the wiring is a mess, sticking the Sound board on top of the R2LC which is bottomed certainly makes later troubleshooting or repairs a nightmare.  Like Brass upgrades with smoke and such.  You have to do the installs with maintenance in mind.  That one will not be an easy fix.  G

Jumbled wiring is my most bothersome thing. I understand that there are no wires in N gauge 😀