MU'ing two identical locomotives (i.e., same factory SKU's) in DCS?

New MTH engines come with a factory setting #1.   When you load that engine into your remote, it will go in as #1 unless that is occupied in which case it will go to the first sequential number available (e.g #5, if #1- #4 are occupied).  

There are endless tricks which can be played  to modify this limitation.  One example is to have multiple remotes that can store different engines with the same number.  I have ten remotes and they each have a different function.  One remote is filled with place holders Dummy #1 thru Dummy #99.  If I want to add a new engine with the number #66,  I delete Dummy #66 from the remote and then ADD the new DCS engine.  That new engine will be forced into the remote as engine #66 with whatever road information comes with the engine, let's say CSX 6000 #4266.

Now any remote that engine is added to will store it as #66, assuming that number was open in the remote.  Now CSX 6000 #4266 can have the DCS engine number edited to be any number available in that remote such as 1 thru 65 and 67 thru 98.

Of course the major issue with this system is bookkeeping.  You seem well organized David, but it certainly isn't for everyone.  I have a custom developed computer data base which will save me if all goes awry.

Warnings and limitations:

If one starts modifying engine numbers,  be sure to keep a clear record so as to know how to return to a baseline if inconsistencies start to occur.  I think our friend Engineer Joe can speak to that.

The most significant limitations come from the malfunctions when systems don't work properly.  Low batteries, bad signals, poor connections, etc. can leave one perplexed when the engine doesn't seem to have the number one expects after a particular ADD or EDIT command.  That topic is widely covered on the forum, so I won't endeavor to retrace those obstacles. 

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go to the edit engine in the remote or app

select edit address

pick the new address for the engine

if you meant the "road number" that would be edited in the name function

go to the "edit Engine" in the remote or the app

select edit name

 type in the new name you wish to use.

(notes: this name will only last until the engine has a factory reset which erases this info. This does not change the info when added to other devices. the info is stored in the device it's typed into, not the engine

A DCS dealer loader can permanently change the info stored in the engine )

Rocky, everything Joe said is correct,  Reading your question I just to be sure we answered you correctly.  No matter how many of the same locomotive you have, DCS will assign numbers sequentially; engine A will be assign to #1, engine B to #2, etc.  But, the description of all will be identical.  Now is the time for editing, you can just modify the name and description, so you can tell them apart.  If you feel the need, you can also edit the engine's id in DCS, following what Joe outlined.

Hope this helps.

David,

is there an easier way to explain changing MTH engine numbers?

Absolutely!  

Check out "The Truth about DCS ID Numbers". It's Appendix E in The DCS Companion 3rd Edition and it's Appendix B in on The DCS WiFi Companion 1st Edition.

This and a whole lot more about DCS is all in MTH’s “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 MTH's web store!

This and a whole lot more about DCS WiFi is all in MTH’s “The DCS WiFi Companion 1st Edition!" This book is available from many fine OGR advertisers and forum sponsors, or as an eBook or a printed book at MTH's web store! Get the free TMCC & Legacy Addendum here!

Many thanks to everyone who replied.  Very good information!!! 

Hi folks,

So the plot has begun to thicken, as they say.  Here's my scenario:

I have two MTH Premier CP AC4400 #9815 locomotives (20-20800-1), because I like the idea of double-heading locomotives from time to time... and I thought this would be a cool train to do that even if CP didn't run that way in real life.

The first locomotive added into my DCS remote in address location #15... no problem.  And the locomotive worked absolutely fine.  Features worked OK, and the LED holiday lights came on OK.

Then when I added the second locomotive (which I expected to go into address location #16), I got an OUT OF RF RANGE error message... but then shortly after that, the engine was added into address location #16.  That locomotive also worked OK, with features and LED holiday lights on.

Then I created the DCS lashup in address location #17, and called it "CP Holiday Train".  The #15 engine was the lead locomotive facing forward, and the #16 engine was the trailing locomotive facing backwards.  Now when I selected engine #17 in my DCS remote, the locomotives start up OK as a lash-up.  But the LED holiday lights are OFF on the lead (front facing) locomotive.    So that locomotive runs dark, while the trailing locomotive runs with the holiday LED's on (along with all the LED's on the boxcars).  I see where there's an individual LBE softkey on the DCS remote which is supposed to toggle the holiday lights, but that's not an option for the lash-up addressed as #17...

I've since deleted the lash-up as well as the individual locomotives in location #15 and #16, and reloaded engines #15 and #16 as before.  And re-created the lash-up.  SAME PROBLEM.  No LED's on the front-facing unit when in the lash-up.  But works just fine as a single engine w/o the lash-up.

What am I missing here?  It's gotta be something very basic or some subtle nuance about lash-up creation using DCS.  Then again, these holiday LED's are fairly new to the mix too.  This is my first lash-up I've created with DCS, so I will try another lash-up with two DIFFERENT engines (i.e., two 2-10-0 decapods with different road-numbers) to see how that all comes together. 

I've followed the lash-up creation sequence described in Barry's 3rd edition DCS Companion Book, and I've read the Appendix about "Truth About DCS ID Numbers".  But I guess I'm still missing something very basic here.

Anybody have any thoughts about this that might help the situation?  Many thanks!!!

David

David,

I've never heard of what you're describing, let alone experienced it myself. It sounds like you're building the lashup incorrectly by designating the wrong engine as the head engine.

How about a feature reset of both engines before creating the  lash-up..... As you know a feature reset   retains the engines in the remote  with  their  ID number.

 Menu/Advanced/ Reset engine/ Feature reset. (factory reset deletes the engine. don't go there)