User's Manual

Answers to questions (continued)

Problem Solving

I want to run my conventional locomotives, but they take off at full speed.

• Use a track power transformer or accessory that can provide variable AC power to the track, allowing for the

operation of conventional locomotives, also known as transitional command control.

• Note that you can only operate one conventional train per track power block.

I’m running one conventional locomotive and a few Command-equipped engines at the

same time, but they’re all running slowly.

• When you operate in transitional command control, the track power level selected for the conventional

locomotive (in essence, it’s “speed”) is also the maximum voltage available to all Command-equipped

locomotives addressed and in action. To increase the maximum speed potential of all locomotives in

operation, increase the AC voltage being delivered to the track. The conventional locomotive’s speed will

increase, and all Command-equipped locomotives in action now have a higher maximum operating speed

as well.

My locomotive takes forever when I throttle it up.

• Reset its momentum to LOW. Your locomotive remembers the momentum setting until you change it.

• Make sure enough power is being applied to the track. Hint: test using a small lamp or lighted car.

Why is there no neutral

• You don’t need neutral in command control. A Command-equipped locomotive doesn’t move until it’s been

addressed, so the “neutral” state in the reverse unit isn’t necessary. If you want a locomotive to stay put as if

in neutral, simply stop it and select another locomotive.

I built a consist with two locomotives, but it won’t respond when I press TR and its ID

number.

• Carefully repeat the consist set-up sequence.

• Make sure you selected a TRAIN (TR) ID# that doesn’t identify a track power transformer accessory or

another TRAIN consist on your railroad.

The locomotives in my consist seem to fight each other.

• Do not mix LEGACY and TMCC1 locomotives in the same consist.

• Reset the consist’s direction: press TR, the train’s ID#, AUXI, and 0. This re-programs each member of the

consist to begin operating in their “normal” TRAIN start direction.

• Set ALL reverse unit control switches to FORWARD.

• Reprogram the contrary engine with or without the DIR button command during the consist build

sequence.

I want one of the locomotives in my consist to face “backward.” How can I do that?

• Include the DIR command in your consist programming string. For example, if your F3 #89 is to be the

“rear” engine in the consist facing backward, press TR, the consist ID#, 89, R, DIR, and SET. This tells the F3

that it should operate in “reverse” during “forward” consist operations.

When I operate my consist, the circuit breaker on my track power accessory trips.

• Try reducing the number of motors in the consist.

• Make sure you don’t have two TRAINS with the same ID#.

The locomotives in my consist all seem to start differently, even though I set the stall

voltage for he consist.

• If you’re operating differing locomotives in a consist (for example, a postwar F3, MPC Geep, and LTI RS3),

each locomotive will start at a different voltage threshold. Try fine-tuning the stall voltage for the consist by

setting individual stall voltages for each locomotive. See “Tuning consist performance.”