BLI Locos Dropping to Idle in a Particular Block

[eric220]

More data points:

• I wiped the command station's memory.  The problem persists.
• Once the M1 has ground to a halt, the problem will persist if it is straddling the double gap.  If as few as two axels of the tender are still in the problem block, with the rest in a normal block, the locomotive will not respond to throttle commands.

I think I have found the problem, although why it's manifesting the way it is still confounds me.  There was something different about the layout when the problem cropped up.  I had just added two more Bachmann P70's to the train.

I mentioned earlier that I bought a second booster.  Last weekend, my command station started shutting down randomly and beeping incessantly after shutdown.  I finally identified the problem: the booster was getting overloaded.  I have a lot of stuff drawing power on the layout at the moment.  After removing my Centipedes and the K4 that I wasn't using, the booster stopped overloading.  I just took all those nice lighted P70's off the layout, and guess what: the M1 lives!  I put a Centipede back on the tracks, and sure enough, the problem returned.  Looks like I need that other booster stat.

[John]

before you do that, try setting the booster trip current on the PM42  to fast trip ..

[C855B]

What exactly do those P70s have in them that chews-up that much current?!?    Wowser. (Seriously - add them back one by one. One may have a "leaky" circuit board.)

Yes, let's be sure to add what you did to everybody's diagnostic tree - take everything else off the layout and then see what happens.

[eric220]

I don't completely understand how changing a setting on the PM42 will help. AFAIK, that thing is just a circuit breaker, and power is still flowing.

I think P70s were just the last straw. I think my power usage was so high that the P70s just sent it over the edge. I did in fact take them off one by one and see what happened. Once I reduced the train down to about three coaches, the M1 came back. With all the P70s off the layout and another sound equipped locomotive on the layout, I lost it again. I still don't understand why it's just that one block.

I'm starting to think that I may have damaged my DCS200. I've also realized that the power supply I bought all those years ago to power the layout can only output 5 amps, which kind of defeats the purpose of having an 8 amp booster. I bought a PS2012 to go with the new booster, and that puts out power on two 10 amp outputs, so it should power both the new booster and the old command station with power to spare. My thought long term is to use one of the two outputs to power an accessory bus that would supply power to my tower controllers and other stationary DCC accessories. With a pair of those, I could power the whole layout on and off with two switches.

[mmyers]

Check the output on that old power supply. You will need to put a load on it. 5 amps is too low for am 8 amp system if the load is getting near or over 5 amps. MF615's are rated above 5 amps but under that load the voltage drops off. Watts is the defining factor. Volts  x amps is watts. Watts stays the same so raise amps and the voltage goes down.

It is also very possible that your 5 amp supply is failing. Eric (seusscaboose) had this problem a couple of years ago. He was good up to about 1 amp. raise the load above that and the voltage dropped like a rock. Failing but not quite dead power supply was the culprit.

Martin Myers

[seusscaboose]

Yes

A melted (almost) power supply just plain sucked!

[John]

I don't completely understand how changing a setting on the PM42 will help. AFAIK, that thing is just a circuit breaker, and power is still flowing.

sometimes when you use the PM42 with an electronic breaker or reverser, they do strange things .. trip current adjustment sometimes works .. but since you are zeroing on something different, disregard this suggestion

[bdennis]

Hmm so the OG-AR taken out of the circuit = Problem persists.
Can you temporarily take the PM42 out of the circuit?

the RR-Cirkits block detectors wont be an issue as they are just inductive coils.

[eric220]

Well, problem solved.





With a power supply that can put out all 8 amps that the booster wants, and a second 8 amp booster, the problem is gone. The command station was initially behaving strangely, like taking several minutes to boot up, but every time I power it on it seems to do better. I'll keep an eye on it, but I think I'm back in business.

[peteski]

Excellent! Thanks for the followup.