Worked yesterday but not today

Check the antenna feed between the command base and the outside rail.  All of you symptoms point a lack of track signal.

Are you powering up the legacy base first? Any delay in engines seeing the legacy signal puts the into conventional mode causing them to take off.

Powering the base first assures the legacy signal is already present when the loco receives power.

I used an Ohm meter and the antenna from the base to the ground rails is good. I think the problem is with the cab2. I can't get it to talk to the sc2. The command set is new.

I tried powering the base first. No change.

??????

There is no legacy signal at the track, that is why the trains take off, they don't "see" the signal present at automatically drop into conventional mode.

Where is the wire connection from the legacy base to the track connected, is either end possibly loose?

I'm not familiar with super o track but it is also recommended that the outer rails are "tied" for the best signal. Lionels newer fastrack comes from the factory with the outer rails "tied" on every piece. 

Its possible that the base could be defective but seeing as it did work might as well keep trying the easy stuff and see if you can find out what changed.

I'm sure others will have more ideas.

Is the three prong wall wart supply for command base plugged directly into a three prong outlet on the wall or is it being routed through a power strip.  That third prong is extremely important.  Some power strips do not have a good connection to ground, especially some of the cheaper allegedly surge protected ones.

I have it plugged in the wall outlet.

If the issue was with the cab-2 the trains would't move.  If the engines are firing off at warp speed it means ther is no 455 khz signal on the track.  Either the command base is not generating a track signal or something is damping it.

try connecting the legacy to a short piece of track to test the legacy system. 

I just hooked it up to a loop of track. I took the direct lockon out of the setup. I hooked the legacy up with the direct connection as shown on page 6 of the manual. It is still running the engine as though the legacy isn't there. I have tried all the recommendation from above and not working. 

I think there is a problem with the hardware. Has anyone else run into this?

Thanks 

Steve

Send Lionel an email, fill out the form after you click on "service/repair question" at this link.

http://www.lionel.com/ContactUs/

If theres something you can do they will let you know, if not, you will recieve an RA# to send it to them for repair.

last time I used the contactus site it took forever to get a response they told me to email them directly at TALKTOUS@LIONEL.COM much faster. 

I've always gotten same day or next day responses from the "service/ repair question" link, I posted, regarding repairs, service, parts etc. Sometimes multiple responses in one day.Its my impression that Lionels techs i.e." Mike and his crew" read the emails at this link. This has a form which you fill out so the techs have all the info to give an accurate diagnosis.

 In my experience the "talk to us" has always been about general product questions. I.E. will the new locomotive x have whistle steam etc.

Thanks for everyone’s advice. I was getting ready to send it back to Lionel and called Sidetrack Hobbies where I bought it. They said just bring it in to them and they would ship it back for repairs. When I got there they gave me a new one and said they would send the old one back for repair.

I just hooked it up on the main layout and then the small loop. It worked great on each one and only took 10 minutes instead of  messing around with it all weekend. It was obviously a problem with the base.

Thanks again

Steve