Bachmann DCC turnouts


N

Nucular

Member
I have searched for hours as well as tried endless ways to fix the following problem, hopefully someone on here knows the answer.

Using digitrax, I programmed two turnouts under the same number address to function together to form a passing siding. However when one switch is "thrown" the other is "closed". The switches are always opposite of one another, instead of being in parallel and the same. It is like they are fighting each other, instead of working together. Now I can program each one to a separate number address but I like to use just one number address and only have to press one button to switch two switches. It is easy to do with the old style dc switches but no so much with the DCC.

If someone could tell me how to fix this problem, I would appreciate it. Thanks.
 
Switch the lead wires? They are DC actuators, so switching the wires should reverse the action. Hey, it's a start!!! If these have decoders, though, and I doubt they do, then you have to change a CV value. I confess, I have never heard of 'DCC turnouts'.
 
I took the whole switch apart and analyzed it. I fix it. What I did was pretty ingenious. Bachmann appears to use an electromagnet sliding rod that goes back and forth a set distance. From there, that sliding rod is connected to a straight geared plastic piece, which when slid turns a round gear. The round gear has another rod on it which is off center. So to fix it, I took the gears apart, moved the sliding rod to the opposite position, and put the gear back in. Works correctly now. I did not have to switch any wires, or change any CV values. A simple mechanical fix did the job.

Finally my Masters in Philosophy pays off big, as I used my logic skills and hundreds of hours of study and thought in epistemology to outsmart a highly complex DCC system into fooling it, by rearranging the position of a mechanical piece in relation to other mechanical parts.
 
You should be able to program the turnouts to move to the desired positions - I believe it has to do with setting the default position.
 
That is what I thought fcwilt, but the directions for Bachmann stated that I need their EZ command center to do that, and I do not have that, nor do I wish to spend the money to get it. So I found an easy way around the problem. I just override the gear position so it flips around the designation. Now "closed" and "thrown" are correct. I did spend hours reading the manual for the digitrax system, and I even tried program mode with switch enabled, and while I was able to change stuff, it did not do anything. I just reversed my changes as who knows what those do, and did the mechanical fix.
 
Interesting.

I used mine with Digitrax. After changing the addresses, all of them responded the same - a "c" command set them for the straight route, a "t" command set them for the divergent route. Several of them were used in pairs as a crossover.

Were yours new? They all come from the factory set a certain way and either yours were pre-programmed by someone else or they were assembled wrong at the factor.

Weird.

You could have also swapped the wires to the solenoid.

Glad it's working.
 
Nucular said:
that sliding rod is connected to a straight geared plastic piece, which when slid turns a round gear. The round gear has another rod on it which is off center. So to fix it, I took the gears apart, moved the sliding rod to the opposite position, and put the gear back in.
Click to expand...
Atlas works almost the same way, except it is a slot rather a round gear. One can flip the plastic piece with the slot in it. This is most often used when one wants to move the turnout motor to the other side of the track.

Nucular said:
I did spend hours reading the manual for the digitrax system,.
Click to expand...
I would have not expected the Digitrax manual to have anything about the specifics of Bachmann stationary decoders in it. So the Bachmann instructions specifically stated you needed their system to perform the necessary DCC programming function? That strikes me as weird.
 
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The EZ-Command system, unless it was redesigned recently to afford full CV control, is an extremely limited system. It's owner, back six years ago or more, could not change CV2 and on up, AFAIK, with the exception maybe of CV29 for long addresses and DC/DCC sensitivity. It also used to be severely restricted on the amperage throughput, something like a single amp. However, that aside, if the EZ-Command can control the actuators digitally, so can any other system extant.
 
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