Loco Diagnostics 101

Dear Swan,

Diagnostics 101:

- Where was the loco stored?
(speaks to oxidisation or wheels and contacts?)

- Have the wheels gotten dirty/oxidised?
(cue basic wheelclean)

- Could the decoder have somehow have reset to "default"?
(try address #3) 

- Assuming the decoder is a socketted unit, remove it.
Jumper the Rail pins to the Motor pins on the 8-pin socket, and test with analog.
(Loco works OK on analog = defaulted or otherwise oddball decoder
Loco bad on analog = back to basic wheel/pickup oxidisation, and electrical path issue)

Hope this helps...

Happy Modelling,
Aim to Improve,
Prof Klyzlr
 

If it ran before putting it

If it ran before putting it away then I would reset the decoder using a programming rack feature of your throttle. NCE has a decoder reset in the programing track function that manually forces all the CV's back to factory. My decoders do this once in a great while.

apparently it was a loose connection

after i took the shell off, i noticed the plastic piece holding the brass contacts down was loose. i pushed it down and it got power back. the only problem is that the little plastic piece pops out occasionally so the brass contacts move. i'm new to dcc so thats about the extent of my knowledge.  thanks for the help everyone.

Solder the joint?

Dear Swan,

That you're comfy enough to take the shell off actually places you in an peer-judged "advanced" category of mech diagnosers/tweaker, many modeller are afraid to even do that. That it was a "simple fault" just makes Will Occum smile and nod...

If the connection is dubious, and the decoder is "the one" for this loco,
(IE not expected to be a "stand-in" decoder until something better comes along),
then it might be worth soldering those connections rather than relying on the known-dodgy joiners?

Glad to hear you got it sorted...

Happy Modelling,
Aim to Improve,
Prof Klyzlr