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3 replies

Trains not running properly in TMCC

WillWillOGR Forum Member DIGITAL SUBSCRIBER

Hi all, and Happy Holidays!

Long time member, but infrequent visitor lately. And for some time, I have been mostly all vintage tinplate with conventional control. (Had an article on my tinplate layout in OGR Run 327)

However this year I decided to try to get Command Control working on my 25 year old locomotives with little luck. Hopefully some of you old timers remember how to trouble shoot this old technology! I haven't run trains with TMCC for maybe 5 years +?

I have a loop of Fastrak on the floor and am powering with a vintage ZW. The track has power and the Command Base blinks when I send signals through the Cab 1. I changed the batteries in the Cab 1. When I put my Lionel Atlantic (Don't remember the model number- circa 2000) the first time, it poured out copious amounts of smoke and at first the bells and whistles worked. But it crept along at about 2 scale MPH and was unresponsive to the red throttle knob on the Cab 1. Now it just creeps and no smoke or other functions work, although like I said, the Command base blinks when signals are set. I tried resetting the ID and also a general reset as per the manual.

I also have an Atlas diesel from the same era, and it does nothing at all.

Any ideas? Could me Command base be faulty?

Thanks in advance.

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L LandsteinerOGR Forum Member SUPPORTING MEMBER

And don't plug the command base into a surge suppressor.  Can kill the signal.  Plug directly in the wall outlet.  And hopefully your house has up to modern code, grounded wiring.

I'm assuming this is the same house you successfully used for the first venture into TMCC?  If not, and an older house, TMCC is sensitive to getting FUBAR by poorly grounded or not at all grounded wall outlets in older buildings.  The fix for that can be expensive, but bringing a house up to current electrical code is probably a good idea from a safety standpoint.  Just some thoughts about your situation.

WillWillOGR Forum Member DIGITAL SUBSCRIBER

Thanks. It looks like it was a simple case of not being grounded. In fact, not realizing that was imperative, I bypassed the ground plug with a three prong to two prong adapter. I have since plugged the Command base into a proper three prong extension cord.  Now the Atlantic is happily chugging along. However, somehow I got a fire in the smoke stack and appear to have burned out the smoke element and stunk up the house in the bargain! Good thing the kids ren'y coming until tomorrow.

The diesel is balking though. It idles and the horn blows but I can't get it to move.

I expect at some point I'll put the postwar 2046 on the track, switch to conventional, and happily puff postwar smoke and blow the raspy air whistle.

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