PS-2 Engine Catching Up to PS-3 Engine

There is no "fix" aside from manually adjusting the speed differential with the remote. The tolerance on the tach reader is something like 7%, so if you get a fast one and a slow one, the differential is so great that they're essentially incompatible. Also, the different electronics generations all act a bit differently (I've found that each generation of PS electronics runs a little slower than the previous, at the same speed on the remote display).

 

Thanks Biolermaker1 for the RSVP.

 

Interestingly, in my case the PS-2 operates faster that the PS-3 unit.

 

I am using the Commander Box (the thing that is rally designed for DCS HO, but can work just as fine for O).  I suspect I will become very familiar with the emergency stop button!

 

I am a conventional runner.  I suppose my expectations were a bit unrealistic - although I thought that I heard some folks from the manufacturer say, in effect, you could run these PS-Xs until the cows come home and they would keep their distance.  Perhaps just me wanting to believe that is what I heard.

 

So, I have 6 loops of trains, but just one is DCS.  Just confirms my believe in conventional operations.

 

Now for the young child who might be interested, or could be enticed with trains, yes DCS, DCS Lite and/or Lion Chief Plus are very good products for that purpose.  If it get s them interested, then by all means, go for it. 

 

But I think I hit my limit with the digital command stuff.  Already tossed all my switches a few months ago.  I will have no problems to post.      I think my biggest issue going forward will be keeping the track clean.  But I have every track cleaning car that is out there AND I know not to use Simple Green**.     ** = Some may recall that thread from about 1 year ago...   

 

If anyone else has thoughts on my original post, please respond here.  Thanks.

 

I have been able to run multiple engines at same speed. It is possible that the tach reader needs to be adjusted. Trickypart is fuguring out which one.

Do you have other engines? If so see which run consistently with either engine.

Another thing to try is set up a latch up with the engines sepaerated and see if they stay equidistant from one another. If they do then something is going with signal.

Btw. What is your curve radius?

John,

 

Do you have a copy of The DCS O Gauge Companion 2nd Edition? If so, refer to:

 

Part IX - Troubleshooting Problems, 5. PS2 Engine Control Problems, Speed Control Problems

 

on pages 170-171.

 

This and a whole lot more is all in MTH’s “The DCS O Gauge Companion 2nd Edition", available for purchase as an eBook or a printed book at MTH's web store!

I looked at Barry's referenced pages, he has an excellent rundown of all the possibilities I can think of.

 

BTW, your figure of 1.75" in 22 feet is 0.6%, that's well within Barry's experimental results and is probably normal.  You can have that much slippage just going around curves, remember with hard axles one wheel slips, if it's different for different locomotives, one will gain or lose a bit of distance each turn.

 

Barry and John

 

Thanks for your inputs. 

 

Barry - I am pretty sure I have the current edition.  If not, I will contact you off line.  I looked and looked and probably just missed it.  Thank you for the direction.

 

John - I know it's not alot of difference, but like I noted, I guess I was expecting something that I should nto have- that they ran perfectly in synchronous alignment - Blue Angels-like.  It's OK, just means I have to watch them  a little more closely.  I have been running them together to see what I can do by individually controlling speed.  No FRA moments.  Close, but not yet.  It is allowing me to better learn what I know (and mostly, what I don't know!).

 

Appreciate both of your responses.

 

As a command operator with DCS or Legacy, I can exercise control that conventional operators only dream of, so what's your point.  My trains always start and stop when I like, and exactly where I want them as long as I'm on the ball.

I was asking about radius because the tighter radi will tend to cause these kind of scenarios. I had two 2-8-0 on track at same time last night and noticed they would seperate over time. But when I am on the club layout with no smaller than O-90 curves they will run around the track all day without ever catching up to each other.  It would be interesting to see what you find out with your scenario.