Several months ago I bought two Kato SD70's when they did the Espee run. I also bought two Digitrax DN163K1B decoders. One arrived DOA. So not able to wait to run the new locos I took a Digitrax DN163K1B decoder out of my SD40-2 Snoot and away we went. Recently I bought another DN163K1B for the SD40-2. It arrived last weekend and I immediately installed it in the SD40-2. It would not program. Zero, zilch, nada! I tried it in a Kato C44-9 with the same results. The next day I took a DN163K1B out of a SD70 and put the offending new decoder in and, WOW, it programmed. Then I put the SD70 decoder in the SD40-2 and it programmed. Huh??? Last night the new decoder would not do anything in any engine, then today works almost fine. Now the plot thickens. I MUed the SD40-2 with the 2 SD70's. They worked wonderfully together. Later on I decided to remove the SD40-2 and replace it with a C44-9. I could not get the SD40-2 to release. It continued to operate when the SD70 powered up??? I put the SD40 on the program track and reset it with CV08. I still was MUed to the SD70??? I didn't change the address since I want the address it has and even if I change it to MU with another engine(s) eventually I will want the present address since that is the engine number. Help!!! Doc
No expert here but it sounds like an intermittant contact problem either with the decoder or the loco possibly caused by dirty track, wheel surfaces or wheel points. The chassis contact strips could also be out of alignment with the tabs on the top of the trucks. (a common problem especially with the SD-70) The motor contact tab could be out of position on the side where it comes up from the bottom of the loco. Another failure point is the notched corners where the decoder picks up track power. Sometimes they need squeezed tighter with a pair of pliers. These are all problems I have encounters at one time or another. Before I ever install a decoder into an engine I do an inspection of all the power pickup points. I clean the wheels at the surfaces and the points. I use a micro-brush with alchohol to clean the contact cups and lube them with the Atlas Conducta-lube oil. I buff the chassis contact strips with Flitz and oil them with the Atlas Conducta-lube oil for a prime contact surface.
I would break down the consist of three loco's. Remove the two SD-70's first from the consist. Then remove the SD-40-2. Then reset the decoder to factory settings. Then reprogram your decoder. Stay cool and run steam....
might even consider deleting ALL the consists from your command station. I purge the consists after any N-trak meets, and I've never had issues with consists. consisting is a great feature of DCC, but can be a problem area... good luck
I have a Digitrax Super Chief and the DT400. I use the "MU" add and remove feature on the controller. Doc
I have to agree with sillystringtheory and say that it is most likely intermittant contact. I have a Digitrax Zephyr, so some of this is gleaned from the Chief manual. I understand that the Chief uses decoder assisted consists by default. If you try to remove an engine from a consist and the decoder is not making contact or the engine is off the track, the command station will think it is removed from the consist, but when the decoder makes contact again, it will continue to respond to the consist address.
is it a pure dt400 with no infrared or radio built in ? if i remember right you have to plug in the dt400 to do programming. building and releasing consists count as programming.
