Proto 2000 GP38-2 Issues


I tried a Digitrax DH 165LO plug in, and the latest is a NCE hard wired decoder same issues with both, I what your talking about have done that of some of my other Proto installs,
When you say you've hard wired the NCE decoder, do you mean, to the lighting board, or you've bypassed the lighting board. What I have done for quite a while now in both sound and a couple of silent ones, is remove the stock DC lighting board altogether because all of the functions etc are on the decoders anyway and the lighting board is basically just extra baggage. The only problem that presents, is having to extend the pickup wires (at least from 1 truck) to join up to the single pickup left/right track wires from the decoder.
 
When you say you've hard wired the NCE decoder, do you mean, to the lighting board, or you've bypassed the lighting board. What I have done for quite a while now in both sound and a couple of silent ones, is remove the stock DC lighting board altogether because all of the functions etc are on the decoders anyway and the lighting board is basically just extra baggage. The only problem that presents, is having to extend the pickup wires (at least from 1 truck) to join up to the single pickup left/right track wires from the decoder.
I bypassed the lighting board on my hardwired units - But I think I have isolated the issue. Every time I remove the worm gear cover it runs fine, I have tried a couple other covers and it still is binding somewhere. Even filed down the inside a bit still causes the issue, like there it's enough room under the cover but it's the same as rear end and I don't understand why it's binding.
 
I think I have isolated the issue. Every time I remove the worm gear cover it runs fine, I have tried a couple other covers and it still is binding somewhere. Even filed down the inside a bit still causes the issue, like there it's enough room under the cover but it's the same as rear end and I don't understand why it's binding.
 
Glad that you have found a fix without too much angst.

While I would have liked mine to be a solution I must give a couple of
corrections to my posts.

CV57 I assumed this was a commonly used CV but it turns out only(of the 2 makers) Digitrax uses it
for user control. All I can find for NCE is reference to it being in a group of "manufacturer
reserved CVs". Early NCE decoders apparently did not have BEMF so do later versions have it?

Change value of CV. While good intentions might prevail it would be a good idea
to check and retain the original value for the subject CV(before changing) unless it is a very commonly
used and well documented CV.

,,,, Ken
 
Interesting that it doesn't bind with the cover off. I'm 'on' a facebook re-motoring page, most that come up on there are steam engines. One member had a binding issue between worm and gear. Turned out to be an eccentric worm i.e. it was off center on it's shaft, but not only off center, but off straight as well. Something else worth checking too, is that there is endwise free play in the drive shaft. I think the early Life-Like Proto's used a slip joint with key and keyway in the middle. Lift the worm out of the top of the truck and push towards the flywheel. The shaft assembly should have to be pulled out again to reseat the worm and bearings. Make sure both trucks are on a flat surface and straight ahead.
 
I did those changes to the CV’s and forward went super fast and reverse would not go until my NCE power cab was up around 30-40 and just jumped. What are your thoughts on that? Thanks T.C.
You need to implement a more systematic approach and eliminate some of the possibilities. I would disconnect the decoder and connect the motor directly to an analog throttle with 2-3 ft of wire , if it runs ok you know its not the motor or drive train.

The fact that its worse in one direction than the other suggests that its probably in the decoding , either the decoder itself is malfuctioning or something is causing the decoder to malfunction ( back emf from the motor , or loss of signal from DCC) . To eliminate the loss of signal/ power from the DCC , hard tether the locomotive to the track by running a jumper from the rails directly to decoder.
 



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