One of my customers has just advised me that the twin-forked electrical connection on the draw bar of Hornby steam locos is a serious potential for DCC decoder failure caused by short-circuits if the forks become distorted.
Suggestion is to remove the draw bar electrical connectors and hard wire the loco to the tender.
John.
"John Turner" wrote
is a serious potential for DCC decoder failure caused by short-circuits if the forks become distorted.
Suggestion is to remove the draw bar electrical connectors and hard wire the loco to the tender.
John.
Good advice till you come to the 9F. 2 traction tyres and pickup off one side only? Nah....
However, not meaning to be to pedantic, this is a very good comment on the newer stuff like the Duchess where the motor is in the loco...
Andy
I don't agree. While the decoder is sensitive to shorts across its output or between output connections and a rail, it won't be damaged by shorts across the rails. Unless you take an unusual approach to fitting a decoder, the draw bar connections should just be carrying the rail power.
Mark Thornton
electrical
potential for
If this is the power connection from the track to the decoder then he is incorrect.
What can happen during shorts is that noise on the track can scramble a decoder or cause a runaway. This should be OK after a power down or reprogramming the decoder.
MBQ
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