I have a Digitrax Super Empire Builder Xtra Set. I never leave my trains running on the layout if I have to be out of sight of it. I ALWAYS turn the throttles down to zero. I even click the 'emergency stop' button..twice...to kill power to the locomotives decoders. Well....99.99% of the time. Today was that .01% that I DIDNT hit the 'emergency stop' button..twice. I had to come inside to answer an important phone call. As is usually the case when leaving the trains...like everyone else...I got caught up in other matters and didnt get back out there for 3 hours. When I finally did...one of the trains WASNT where I had parked it. The other one had stayed put. It actually took a few looks around the layout to find the other train ! I found the locomotive and 2 cars stalled out at a curve. The light on the locomotive was flickering. The other cars where clear across the yard at another curve. The lead truck on the rest of the train was derailed. Trains have NEVER derailed on that curve. I cant remember the last time I even had a derailment...anywhere ! Locomotives have NEVER moved when I turn the throttles down to zero. I double checked the throttles...both where at zero. I moved the locomotive manually thru the curve. The light was on constant and I watched it for a bit. There was NO movement in the locomotive. Not even the slightest tie to tie crawl we can usually get at "1" on the throttle. I turned the throttle up a bit and the locomotive ran ok. Reversed it and hooked back up to the rest of the train. Everything is running fine. No fried decoder...whew !! All I can figure is that there had to be 'throttle creep' even when the throttles where zeroed. Lesson learned >>> ALWAYS hit the 'emergency stop' button twice...or shut off the command center when leaving the layout. NEVER trust a zeroed throttle to NOT be sending move signals to the locomotives. JMHO...YMMV. :headspin:
I have a different controller, but have found that a simple remote AC-power-killing switch has been the best addition to my layout. I put the small remote around my neck. Bob
I have had the creeping myself. I have the Digitrax Super Empire Builder Radio system with a DT400r and a DT402d throttles. When stopping a train with a single loco or an mu'ed set of locos the throttles occasionally jump from 0 to 1 after the throttle is turned down to 0 and the train then creeps around the layout. I don't know why that happens and it doesn't really worry me as long as I double check the display on the throttle before I put it down and walk away. It also happens at my club with the Super Chief system with other throttles. It seems not to happen when I give the throttle knob a few extra turns when stopping and it doesn't happen when I am doing slow speed switching. I also do a quick dispatching when I am going to be away from the layout. It also happens with HO as well as N scales.
I have turned a throttle down thinking it was at zero and after checking it was actually at one. If I check and make sure it is at zero it always stays there, never had a time were it jumped from zero to one.
Halloween. Cue Vincent Price in the House of Usher, Peter Lorre hiding under the layout, Boris Karloff in the closet. Strange things happen this time of year.
Any possibility of kids or pets? The other possibility is a ghost. This kind of reminds me of years ago I walked up to my layout and seen some scenery material moving. turned out it was a tiny spider carrying off some loose Woodlands "gravel" that wasn't glued down..
No kids or pets in there. I also know the throttles where zeroed when I left...and...zeroed when I went back in. It didnt 'jump' to '1' . That all being said.... I do notice that when advancing the throttle...one can sometimes turn the knob a few 'clicks' before the display shows the next speed. I suppose it is possible that when it said 'zero' it was actually one click shy of full zero and still sending a small movement signal to the decoder. OR...as someone said...Halloween is coming up...gremlins in the throttle ???? LMAO
George: I'm not a big fan of command stations with with knob controls. I use a NCE Power Pro with a digital read-out. When I shut down the DCC command station, I automatically turn off the power to the plugs of the command station. N ever the less you really have to be careful when you shut down the power on short notice. Anyways, there was no damage, so life goes on. Have fun with your trains.... Shades
Yup...have that on the Digitrax too. I can 'emergency stop' from the throttle...and that ends signals going to the decoders. I have a toggle switch in line with the 15v going to the command center. That shuts it down. I have the 'main' breaker on THE RV that shuts everything down. Lots of options...I just forgot a step. As you say...no damage...everything is good. Just curious 'why' the throttle had 'creep' when zeroed. :headspin:
Using the word jump when describing what the throttle does is probably not the right word for it. When stopping a train the throttle displays 00 and the train is not moving, but then looking at the throttle again it displays 01 and the train is slightly moving as I have adjusted CV2 for that. Turning the throttle CC a little more stops it. It is not a momentum thing either as CV3 and 4 are set to 0.
Wow that is intriguing, I can say that I've never had that happen with my MRC Prodigy Advance... even at its age lol. Granted it has both knob and button throttle controls so that may help its case. I do know I have left it on for weeks at a time and my trains stay parked.
Well I'll add my 2 cents worth,however I have no clue as to what caused the problem. As a start, I want to say that I use NCE Powercab on home layout and have never had the problem. However, I was using and old Digitrax, I think it was a DT400 , and did have this problem. I am not sure what the Digitrax brains are that we were using but one day I noticed that I had "parked" a train when I set the knob to zero. I came back to the train in probably 10 minutes and guess what. The train was moving along at a fair clip and the throttle had, one step at a time, climbed from zero to 22. I stopped it again and right away the throttle started advancing one step at a time. I was pi--ed! Just for the fun, I removed my locomotive and set the throttle to zero and it climbed, one step at a time, to 89 before I stopped it. I had already decided to send the throttle to Digitrax to be updated to a duplex throttle. D-trax called me regarding the upgrade and told me they, in their usual way, do not know for sure what caused the creeping. They would fix it when doing the upgrade. To their credit, I have used the new upgraded throttle many times and not experienced any creeping. IMHO, some little diode or electronic part fails and causes the problem. Just my expeience with the creeping Digitrax throttle. Carl
Actually....I have had this happen a lot...and not even dcc. Sometimes rain, as in monsoon, but more likely snow. If we run Shays on plow ops, the show builds up under the loco cab floor, where the throttle resides, and we run by using the brake. Constant slow acceleration. Shut it off, take it in the house and set the loco on top of the heater vent, good to go in 30 minutes. You sure you don't have a water leak somewhere? Dave
Had the same problem at my club as in reply 14 above several times. It was a stuck pushbutton and when it was released the throttle returned to normal. It happened so long ago I forget what button it was. The throttles involved are still going strong without being repaired.
If you have JMRI software connected to you DCC system, look at the slots and see if there is a slot with the same address set to 1. If you don't have/use the JMRI software, do a system reset to clear all of the slots. Glenn
retsignalmtr You may have hit upon it. I do know the sticking pushbutton plays havoc with the operation of the DT-400. I learned the hard way but never thought about it causing the "creeps". It, for sure, will cause strange things. Carl
DCC is digital, and I'm sure if the NCE had a stuck button a similar problem would accrue. I have been using Digitrax on my railroad from day one and now have 2 DT-200 and 2 DT-400 and have never had a problem. IMO it's the guys that think you need to push the buttons threw the case in order for it to work that have problems.
