New ES44AC's 'misbehave' when turned on < SOLVED & "TROTS" >

Would guess it isn't getting the Legacy signal and is starting up in conventional?

If it is only one spot, seems like a signal/track issue.

Is your legacy base powered up at the same time by the remote outlet as well? Maybe there is a silght delay in signal.

Its always recommended that the base be powered first to make sure the loco sees the command signal.

Given the large size of your layout and the second or two it takes legacy to "boot up" maybe the signal is a little late "getting there".

Diesels generally have weaker antennas than steamers which may make this model more susceptible to a lack of signal.

Compound that with the fact it seems "newer " legacy stuff has more sensative electronics than the first legacy offerings and the TMCC stuff that preceded it. I.E. more sensative to dirty track, power drop outs over switches etc.

When you bring the power up with the handle, you give the base a little more time to get the signal to the track.

 If you can try powering your legacy base first, then turn on your transformer the way you typically would, see if theres a difference.

Rick,

I tried what you suggested, and it worked! I repeated it five time to be sure, and each time the engine behaved as it should.

Procedure:

1. Make sure ZW-L switch is OFF (handles up - maximum outputs)

2. Turn remote outlet ON (all control panel transformers, power supplies, and Legacy)

3. Turn on ZW-L with its own switch.

This worked fine.

This is not an issue for me since the main reason I have the outlet on remote is in case something goes wrong when I am not at the control panel. I can shut down everything with the outlet remote, which I carry in my pocket.

THANKS!

Alex

I'm glad it worked Alex!

Rick,

Yes, but it still begs the question that Lima raised; i.e., whether there is something wrong with that particular track (spur)?

There really is nothing wrong with that spur track, BUT it is DIFFERENT from the rest. You see, I have been substituting the terminal strips, which distribute each TIU output to six tracks, with relays. This way I can shut off the power to any track that is not used. This works great. However, I have not installed all the relay modules yet. I will have eight such modules with six relays each, but have installed only five modules (30 relays) so far.

The spur in question IS NOT supplied via a relay (yet), but from a plain terminal strip. What difference does this make? In this case, a lot.

Here is what happens.

When I turn the power ON to the control panel, everything turns on, but the power supply that powers the relays takes about two seconds to come on, and then you can hear the relays pick up. Since that particular spur is not yet connected through a relay, when the power comes on, the spur is immediately powered up, and as we found out, this happens before the Legacy base signal comes on.

The other spurs, which are connected via the relays, take a couple of seconds to power up, allowing enough time for the Legacy signal.

And now you know The Rest Of The Story! (TROTS)

Alex