Hello, I have been an N scale modeler for over 10 years. In the last two I have converted my layout to DCC using MRC Prodigy. My locomotive are all Kato, with Lenz decoders, since making the move I have had nothing but trouble. Trains go into reverse full power then jump forward. Stop and stall all over the layout. I have soldered ever joint Cleaned the track until my fingers bleed, cleaned the wheels on my locomotive(s) almost everday, made connection points about every 3 ft...Still have problems... I am almost ready to dismantle everything and go back to block control. Has anyone else had simular issue with MRC DCC ?
I am sorry to hear of your frustration. Let me start off by saying that I am not familiar with the MRC products so I will only be able to address your question in general. How do you clean your track? I have found that using a product called CRC 2-26 works wonders in greatly reducing the need to clean the track. CRC 2-26 is the unofficial preferred contact cleaner of the Digitrax Yahoo Group. Prior to finding this product, I always cleaned my track with a Tony's Train Exchange track cleaning car with alcohol. After running trains for a short time the track needed cleaning again. Now all I do is put a very small amount of the CRC 2-26 on a pad on the Tony's Train Exchange car and run it around the layout. I only do this every few months and only to make sure the track is clean before an operating session. Have you disabled analog conversion? This is the capability of your decoder to operate on regular DC (blocked) layouts. This is frequently the cause of run away locomotives. After a short or on first applying power to the track, the decoder thinks it is seeing regular DC on the track and takes off. Find the CV for this (usually part of CV29) and disable it. Have you told your decoders to run in the correct speed steps? I may be wrong on this but I think the MRC units only operate in 14/28 speed steps. Have you told your decoders to operate in this mode. If not this could be a major source of the problem. This is also usually set with CV29. Most decoders now run in 128 speed steps. Do your decoders have BEMF? Some Lenz decoders have BEMF. If not adjusted properly the locomotive will run very strangely. Have you tried running your locomotives on some other layout with another command station other than MRC? Go and join the Digitrax Egroup at Yahoo and post a request for someone in your area to let you come and try your trains. The Digitrax group has about 4000 members so someone should be fairly close. Not only might you find a new friend but someone might be able to help you solve the problems. David [ 28. May 2004, 19:14: Message edited by: ncng ]
