Tcs t1 runaway

[Dan Griffin]

I have a tcs t1 decoder, previously fitted to a Bachmann class 37. It is now fitted to a Bachmann k4 steam loco. Problem is it runs away and will not respond to my dynamis. I have to press 'stop' to halt the runaway lI have other locos fitted with a tcs t1 and have had no problems. I have reset it by programming cv 8 to 8 and reprogrammed it but to no avail. Can anyone offer a solution? Thanks.

[BromsMods]

To reset TCS decoders you need to put a value of 2 into CV8.

[Dan Griffin]

Thanks. Reset it and it fails to stop. It will slow right down but when the speed steps are at nill it just keeps going.

[Suzie]

Dan

 

Some command stations (like NCE) by default only send a single stop packet (or not many at least) when you select speed step zero, so if you have decoders like the TCS T1 which require a very good DCC signal and they miss the packet (usually due to pickup problems on the loco) they just keep going until they time out (unless time out has been disabled, at which point they keep going).

 

You have a few potential remedies:-

 

1. Check that the pickups are OK and that the wheels and track are not dirty.

 

2. Replace or modify any dead frog points.

 

3. If you do not have a huge roster of locos adjust your command station to send continuous stop packets.

 

4. Adjust CV11 so the loco stops quicker in the event of no valid data.

 

5.Disable DC running.

 

6. Replace the decoder with a more modern type that is better able to decode the DCC data in difficult conditions. Any decoder that supports asymmetric braking (including some TCS ones) should be OK.

 

If one of those steps does not fix the problem, it is a tricky one.

[BromsMods]

Have you removed the capacitors from the loco?  Sometimes this will cure the problem, as will terminators at the end of the bus.  There shouldn't really be any issues with TCS decoders and NCE command stations. Disabling DC running might also help.

[Dan Griffin]

What cv do you adjust to prevent dc running?? Thanks

[BromsMods]

See http://www.bromsgrovemodels.co.uk/TCSDecoderscvsettings.htm#CVSettings for a complete help list of TCS CVs.

 

One other question - did the decoder operate OK in the diesel?

[Oldddudders]

What cv do you adjust to prevent dc running?? Thanks

CV 29. This is by far the most important of all CVs, because it gives the decoder, and hence the loco, its "personality". Well worth studying to see how you wish to set up your locos. Chances are, having identified a suitable value for CV29, it will be the same in all your locos.