problem with super empire bulder

[emt49]

My friend got a super empire bulder used from a famley member of his.
When he go's to program the decoder on his locos and hits the system button the whole unit turns off . The system is programing because when he turns it back on the loco works as he programed it to . is this shut down normal or not i don't have dd so i could not help him


thanks for any help you could give

 

[grande man]

Is he using a dedicated program track?


Also, you might try posting here http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Digitrax/ if you can't come up with something quick. You'll have to join, but it's THE place for Digitrax info online.

 

[emt49]

No programing track. it's just a trial for him to see if he likes dcc. it's a 4x8 layout with dreams of being bigger some day.


thanks for the reply i'll take look at the yahoo group

 

[grumpybob]

Systems shut down to prevent programming other engines on the layout at the same time. Usually, there are two set of track feeder wires leading from the system, one is for the main railroad, the other is the programming track, He should set up a separate piece of track on the table not attached to the rest of the railroad and use it for a programming track. then just run the programming wires to it. If you have a siding near the end of the table, then just double insulate it, and use it.

 

[emt49]

Systems shut down to prevent programming other engines on the layout at the same time. Usually, there are two set of track feeder wires leading from the system, one is for the main railroad, the other is the programming track, He should set up a separate piece of track on the table not attached to the rest of the railroad and use it for a programming track. then just run the programming wires to it. If you have a siding near the end of the table, then just double insulate it, and use it.

thank you
i'll tell him that and have him give it a try

 

[TEFFY]

The empire builder uses a DB150 as a command station. The wireing diagram shows you that in the program mode it uses the layout as a program track. The only way to stop that is to put a DPDT switch in the circut and leave the wire to the program track hooked up. As long as he only has one loco he wont have any trouble with the programming but when the second loco comes along - that's when it gets sticky.

Bob