...also,
3. Any idea what's going on with the flashing light in one direction and solid on in the opposite?

Referring to Tony, Rogers and Rich's responses:
1. Can I safely apply test voltage to the motor if I first unsolder the top brush wire, which is accessible, then apply voltage to the brush and the point on the decoder where the wire from the bottom motor contact comes up and attaches to the decoder?
2. Can anyone direct me to something that either of you 3 guys or anyone else has written on how to test decoders, both in- and out-of-circuit?

I really want to learn how to do this, and though I've heard and read about how important it is to go back and test between each step of decoder hardwire installation, but I'm having an awfully hard time finding actual "how to" information.  Have any of you or other forum members written such documentation?  It would be a gold mine!

Thanks Mathi,

Think I have the decoder identified as a TCS M1.  Resetting CV8 to factory defaults didn't change anything.  Lights still respond to forward and reverse and off and on with function key "0", but engine will not respond on either address 3 or 0.  Wiring seems visually to be correct as far as I can see.

Can I apply 12 v. to the wires connecting the two motor brushes to the points where they are soldered to the decoder without risking damaging it in order to test the motor?

A friend gave me a Life-Like EMD SD7 to which a decoder had been unsuccessfully added.  My sole DCC conversion experience is limited to TCS K1D4-NC drop-in in a Kato GG1, so I could use some help at getting started with troubleshooting.

The installed decoder in the SD7 is programmed to address 03 - I can turn the lights on and off - and the lights, (yes, it has also had a rear light added), indicate forward and reverse - almost correctly.  Almost, because the thing wont run, and because on "reverse", the light on the long nose forward (F) end comes on and on "forward", the light on the short nose cab in flashes on and off at a steady, constant rate.

I'd appreciate any assistance anyone could offer to get me started.

Again, thanks.  Another good excuse to get another throttle.

Thanks again, Tony. I'm new at programming CVs and that will save me a lot of trouble when I get back to my Zephyr.

On the same layout, which has three separate and isolated busses, I'm also wondering if I can use the Zephyr's jump ports on to run DC locos on two different busses while at the same time using the main bus for DCC.  Would this work, or do the jump port transformers have to be on the same bus as the DCC?

Thanks for the fix, Tony.  That's exactly what I was looking for.  Someone at CS told me to try changing CV 8 to 8 and call back if that didn't work, but I doubt that that would change anything, especially on the new-out-of-the-box WM one.  I'll take your advice and save myself the call.

I just bought two N-scale RS3 locos, from different sources, one new and one used.  One is Southern and one Western Maryland, and both operate flawlessly, EXCEPT, both had the same wiring problem.  They both run BACKWARDS!  When the throttle says forward, the light on the the "short nose" cab end lights and the loco goes that way; when throttle says reverse, the light on the the "long nose" end (with the "F") lights and the loco goes that way. 

Has anyone else experienced or noticed this problem and what's the fix?

Thanks Bach-Man.  Found the screw and got a new tire on.  Next step - replace the tender Repedo with a MicroTrains.  Think it will take a 1023.  Is that right?

I learned how to change traction tires on one of my 4-4-0 Americans. I didn't know how deceptively easy the task was until a tire fell off of my third generation (circa 1985) 0-6-0. The 4-4-0 was easy - just remove a screw on either side of the push rods to enable working the new tires on. But how in the world do you get past all of the push rods on an 0-6-0 to replace the traction tires? Can anyone help?