And so here we go again. Like I said, I put everything back to DC and what a real nice running engine this thing is. So dismantled DC and put back to DCC. It started out nice for about 16 feet and then the dirty little @#$%^&* just quit. And believe me everything works as it should, except when it is converted to DCC. The only thing left that I haven't totally ignored, is the trucks. So, I will change them out for a different set and see what the outcome is from there. If it does the same thing again I will sell it with the added note, DO NOT CONVERT TO DCC BECAUSE IT DON"T LIKE it! I have done everything that has been suggested and more. I've never had this much trouble with any conversion I've done, including the Athearn Blue Box engines, as that is exactly what this is. The same frame, trucks, drive shaft and motor with the tape in the bottom, which someone before me got rid of all the attachments that came from the manufacture and hard wired it with the wire from the tabs on the trucks to the top of the motor and the bottom brush holder appears to have been changed for one like on top to a screw on the weight for that to complete the circuit. IT RUS GREAT! in DC configuration, but not DCC. I hang my head in disappointment. :-(
JT.

Ok, so today I totally dismantled my Proto GP30 and put it back to DC. It operated just like it's supposed to. Now I will again convert it to DCC and see what this will bring to me. Hopefully I'll be done with this frustrating Gremlin infested locomotive. Will post my findings, although it may not include the evasive answer as to what was plaguing this install.
Thanks for all your suggestions.
JT

John,
? The P2K trucks were loaded up with a low quality grease.? It gets?
everywhere - such as on the backs of the wheels where it interferes
with the power pickup.? Eventually it gets hard and will actually
cause the drive to slow down/not work right.
? The fix is to take the shell and bottom cover off of the truck and
flood the truck with isopropyl until -all- of the old grease is gone.
You can see it and it will be a dark yellow if it has solidified and a
less dark yellow before that.? Relube with Labelle plastic compatible
and conductive oil (104?) and you will be surprised how well the
loco runs after removing all of the factory grease.??
? This problem is present in every P2K loco I've ever opened up.
And it doesn't make any difference if the loco has been run?
frequently or not since it was built.? In fact the worst ones are
usually the ones that have never been run and are just now
being put into service.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?- Jim?

Nick
Whoops, I just noticed, this is your thread.? You may hijack at will!
Blair

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Nick

You've hijacked the thread, this is no longer about MERG Cbus.? It's good form to raise your own new topic instead (by hijacking, you've ensured that those who aren't interested in MERG won't see your posting, as it's filed under "MERG Cbus")).? However, the damage is done, so we'll continue, unless the moderator straightens us out.

Here's another table that will help you with wire gauge to dimensions:

Here's a page on a site by Mark Gurries, an EE with significant DCC experience, with a lot of info about bus and DCC wiring; it's complementary to the wiring4DCC website, but gets at the underlying reasons a bit differently.?

You haven't told us how large your layout is or what it's topography is (4x8 oval, basement filling "E" or "W", double deck, multiple yards, etc.); these things have huge effects on the lengths of run and likely current consumption, so it's very hard to tell you if your wiring choices are appropriate or not.? It's likely your layout is on the smaller side, and your choices are therefore okay, but I'm guessing at that.

Blair

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Thanks Ken.
I am definitely going to join MERG to reap the benefits.
As I am nearing wiring on my layout I think I need 3 bus lines, one for DCC, a 12 volt one for accessories and one for the Cbus. Is this correct? I'm assuming that the 12 volt line will power the Cbus modules and their outputs (for example the point motors)?
Also I have been looking into what wire/cable I can buy here in Australia, and they don't seem to rely on AWG like the US, most of the wires I can see are graded on either cross-section, Amperage or area, and I'm not sure if these measurements include or exclude the insulation. I am a bit confused as to what I should get. I am thinking that I need 14 or 16AWG for the DCC bus with 22AWG feeders but can't seem to work out the equivalent here in Oz. I also have no idea what to get for the other bus runs (12 volt and Cbus).
Does anyone have any knowledge of where I can get the appropriate wire/cable and what I need here in Oz? I have looked at Bunnings and at Jaycar but have just confused myself.

Well guys, I have read everything that you have given me and most of it, I have tried and will keep trying. Those of you who have the Proto 2000 locomotives know about the heavy weight in them, know how much room there isn't to run wires. So my next step is to totally remove it from the equation and wire it again and see what the results will be. But first I'm going to wire it totally for DC, which I didn't have that problem with and see how it acts and that will be with the weight in place. If it works fine like it did originally I will wire it for DCC without the weight and see what the outcome will be. Never have I ever had this issue with any locomotive, be it Proto, Athearn, Atlas, AHM, Bachmann, Mehano, Model Power or Kato. Even the old clunky pancake motors that I experimented with just for fun. I've been in the hobby since 1974 off & on, so I'm just a bit frustrated about it. And then I have six acres to tend to, with trees down this past winter and attempting to get rid of things not needed anymore. So right now my Model Railroad time, unfortunately is a bit limited, but I will continue with this post till I either solve the problem or solve the problem, because I'm not letting it win.
Thanks for all your input as it keeps me focused on the issue at hand. Until next post.
JT

I forgot to put this in the last post, It acts like it just is not picking up power from the track and a slight nudge, not even moving it and it takes off, but not always. How dumb, right. I'm just going to have to do like in my last post and stick with it. Thanks.
JT

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Tom,

? A gap has either closed up or opened that you depend upon.? Your?
symptoms indicate that it is a closed gap.? Probably due to cleaning
track because we often press down too hard and move the track in
the ties one direction or the other.? Look near any turnouts or?
whereever you have 'district boundaries'.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?- Jim

Greetings everyone,

The Wiring for DCC is now secure.? You will notice that it is now .? You don't have to do anything special.? If you don't see the https in the URL, hit the refresh on your browser.

Allan Gartner
Wiring for DCC

Thanks everyone for the excellent feedback. This community is a great resource. I think the NCE mini panel will incorporate the various methods of switch control that I will need.

I appreciate the help.
Ryan?

Got it.

Thanks,
Tim

Hello All,

?

When I installed my ?NCE EB1’s I tested my trains all when well.

?

Today is the first day of running my trains after I changed all my Tortoise machines to use .037 wire.?? No electrical change was made

?

Train 1 runs fine.? ?District 1

?

Train 2 is my problem? District 2

?

Train 3? District 3 ran fine had to trim the .037 wire on one switch for the engine to drive over the switch.

?

Now for Train 2? when it hits a section of track the EB1 trips.? I lose power.

?

So I reset the EB1 moved the train past the area and it ran fine.

?

So I backed up the train and it tripped in another spot.

?

That was right at where I have feeder connected to the buss for this district.

?

Powered of the DCC system and removed the feeders from the buss.

?

I then started Train 2 again and now it moved thru that spot but trips and the same spot as it did the first time.

?

?

The spot in question is an Atlas switch.?? This is part of a double cross over with 4 Atlas switches.

?

Remember I said above the Train 3 worked fine well that train goes thru the same double cross over as train 2 does passes over two of the 4 atlas switches.

?

Now 2 of the 4 atlas switches have insulators on both rails. The plastic yellow ones.? Easier to see

?

Both Train2 and Train 3 ran over this double cross over with no issue prior to the EB1 setup which requires insulation.

?

?

So possible two problems here.

?

1.?????? How can a feeder go bad?? Same size wire used on all my feeders ?Buss wire is new this year.

?

2.?????? Train 2 trips circuit at a switch but goes over several over switches of the same make and model.? All Atlas?? which happen to be plastic frogs.?? And Train 2 has 6 wheels per truck.? ? ?I heard that smaller engines have issues on DCC? systems with switches that have plastic frogs.

?

?

When I put my volt meter on the section of track it read the same level of volts thru out the section

?

?

?

Any ideas or suggestions.

?

?

Thank you

?

Tom

?

?

?

?

--
Tom Grassi
trgrassijr@...