If you operate conventional WIlliams locos, they start, or at least used to, in forward as soon as power is applied to the track. Same will happen with a PS3 that, for some unexplainable reason, has become locked in forward or reverse. Same also can happen if a flywheel kicks loose or a Ps-2 5-volt board has an intermittent problem. Don't ask me how I know about these four possibilities.
Originally Posted by RJR:
If you operate conventional WIlliams locos, they start, or at least used to, in forward as soon as power is applied to the track. Same will happen with a PS3 that, for some unexplainable reason, has become locked in forward or reverse. Same also can happen if a flywheel kicks loose or a Ps-2 5-volt board has an intermittent problem. Don't ask me how I know about these four possibilities.
I don't need to ask 
I almost put a Williams E-7 through a wall "back in the day"....
RJR,
What you say is definitely true, however using the DCS with the Var Channels set to Fixed, the only way that Williams Engine can start up is in the TR modes, after you pick the track, and then you use the Hand Held Remote Control (HHRC) wheel, to scroll up the track voltage, starting the engine FWD. It is your responsibility to use the HHRC wheel and scroll the voltage down to zero, each time you stop your Williams engine. The same goes for any of your other engines, used in the Conventional TR modes, that are on those tracks. Using this discipline you can leave your ZW's with their handles 3/4's up all the time, and have no fear of any run away engines. No matter if they start up in neutral or FWD, there is no voltage to the track till you use the HHRC Wheel to scroll it up, starting the engines. Control your P2 engines thru the Green Engine key on your DCS HHRC in the same manner, via the start up & shut down soft keys. When you are using the Z4K to power any of your tracks, I do suggest you lower the handles and turn off the power switch, to be ready for the next start up. You then simply use the Etekcity remote control, to power down or up, your complete layout, transformers and all. In this manner you have complete control of your full layout, at all times.
PCRR/Dave
the only way that Williams Engine can start up is in the TR modes, after you pick the track, and then you use the Hand Held Remote Control (HHRC) wheel, to scroll up the track voltage, starting the engine FWD.
Not correct. I have ZWs feeding variable channels set to fixed. After I power up the entire, with a single 120-volt switch, after a few seconds power comes on to these tracks, at a voltage equal tthe ZW setting.
If I had been running a conventional loco when I shut the layout down, I would of course have been controlling the loco with the TRK function, but it would automatically and temporarily switched to variable as soon as I moved the thumbwheel. The variable channels would automatically revert to fixed when the TIUs shut down. It would not matter if I had scrolled the voltage to 0 before shutting down the layout.
RJR,
You have something wrong with your TIU if that is happening, or you could be mismatched with your HHRC. It should not happen.
Once you program your Var Channel to fixed, it should stay that way until you change it. Are your HHRC and your TIU matched to each other correctly.
PCRR/Dave
Dave,
You have something wrong with your TIU if that is happening, or you could be mismatched with your HHRC. It should not happen.
Once you program your Var Channel to fixed, it should stay that way until you change it.
Actually, that's not correct.
When a TIU channel is placed into Fixed Mode, it stays that way unless one of two things occurs:
- It is placed back into Variable Mode via the DCS Setup menu
- It is selected using the TRK screen and the thumbwheel is used to adjust the voltage. In this case, it is changed back into Variable Mode temporarily until power to the remote is turned off and then back on, at which time it is back in Fixed Mode.
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!
Barry,
I never have a problem with my engines moving at 18 volts when this reboot takes place, I simply push the direction button and conventional operation is restored. RJR should not have his engines blast off at 18 volts, unless he does not have the HHRC in his hand, when initiating power to his tracks, he has a point about the Williams engines however, that I automatically counter act at start up, guess I did not even realize I was doing it. With the Lionel, K-Line, MTH engine the start up in neutral eliminates this any way. At any rate I will now keep the handles lowered on the track, where my Williams engine sits. Thanks for bringing this to my attention. I did miss that blip in your book!
PCRR/Dave
I wasn't talking about "my" engines. I was speaking of Williams under conventional control, or PS3 if locked in one direction and requring a "conventional reset.". As Barry has pointed out, there is nothing wrong with my system. His second bullet is exactly what I said above.
There are no conventional locos sitting on my layout; they're on shelves and get run annually to stir up the grease. Every MTH, Weaver, Williams, and Lionel ex-Pulmor I have runs under DCS.
RJR,
Right now there is an original Lionel 264 Tin Plate engine and a consist sitting on mine. It gets run quite a bit!
PCRR/Dave
The Williams PRR GG1 pulling a 2600 Tin Plate Consist, a few Christmas's ago. With the P2 263E coming around the bend on the outside track.
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