I Am new to HO and I put a dh161ip Digitrax decoder in my Bachmann 2-8-0. When I put the decoder in the rear truck fell off. Naturally this is the one below the circuit board!! So I took the board loose so I could get a hold on the tiny nut and reattach the lead under the nut which was now loose. After some trouble job was finished. Plugged in decoder and then programmed Zephyr for address 03. Put train on track and got immediate flashing in LED. Changed back to Adress 00 and reinstalled old jumper. Zephyr flashes again showing short. Replaced Digtrax with old MRC transformer and fuse tripped in transformer. In both DC and DCC raising the tender stops the short curcuit. I guess there is a short from when I removed and reattached the circuit board. I dont see any broken wires. I dont see any crossed wires either. Did I damage something when I unplugged the loco from the tender? I'm beginning to regret I started out with DCC. I am a rookie and need any suggestions you may have. Gary Martin Peoria, Illinois

-- Gary Martin (iwasgr8@ameritech.net), December 23, 2003

Answers

Gary,

it sounds like you put the truck on the wrong way around. Try turning it around. The wheels only pick up from one rail so if you got it backward then you have the pickup wheels on the wrong rail causing the short.

Dale.

-- Dale Gloer (dale.gloer@telus.net), December 23, 2003.

Dale You nailed that one. If anyone had told me there was a left and right side to trucks I would have felt sure they were puting me on. Runs like a charm now.

Gary

-- Gary Martin (iwasgr8@ameritech.net), December 23, 2003.