Quote from: Len on November 20, 2025, 04:29:45 PMIf it's used, have you tried a factory reset to clear any previous programing, such as an address change?

Len

At this point in time, they are all used unless you somehow luck into one that was never sold and has never been unwrapped.

That's a beautiful engine. I'm glad you got yours working.  I've lost count, but I must have eight or nine of those in all of the deep-fried Dixie Southern road names they offered at one time.  With a little CV adjustment they run like clocks and crawl like ants.  The only real flaw they have is that the sound volume turned all the way up is still extremely low, especially the whistle which in real life was overpowering.

And expanding upon the learned Mr. Ward's statement, it should be said that both the Santa Fe and the Union Pacific are not purely West Coast railroads, but rather both have extensive Midwest and Great Plains trackage on their way to the West Coast.

That's because Model railroads are mostly concentrated on the east coast and the West Coast. The great middle of the country is mostly a model desert with a few exceptions around some cities.

Years ago, I ordered four or five pilots for the decapod that also work on the 63 inch driver ten Wheeler.  Never been sorry I did.

Why didn't you get 2 while you could?  They're going to go out of stock and you're going to wish you had.

We knew you'd figure it out!  That's the best education!  😂😎

A steam locomotive "consist" would be a "doubleheader."  with a separate crew!  Operating quite independently of each other, but very dependent on each other's moves to not break the couplers or defeat each other's tractive effort.

I've done doubleheaders on DCC layouts a few times with two separate engineers.  Or having the helper at the rear of the train with a separate engineer.  Now THAT'S fun!  With a capital F! If you want to be prototypical, the engineers communicate with each other what they going to do only with Whistle signals!  Then, you start beginning to understand how rugged railroading was in the past.

I agree about a dirty spot on the track, but also one of the trucks might not be picking up.  That happens some with my engines if one tender truck isn't picking up for some reason or another.  It gets on an insulated switch frog, the pick up driver on the same rail hits someplace where gnat deposited on the track, and it stalls at slow speed. But apparently if you run fast enoigh, there's sufficient momentum to push it over that spot and it keeps going.

I have a secondhand Bachmann ten wheeler that came with a small lead weight on the pony truck instead of the spring and it tracks just fine.

DC or DCC?

I think it was in this case the OP was asking more of the EZ command than it is intended to do.  I would call that a move into more complex model operation. Some might call it advanced.  I don't see any disrespect in that. 

I have nickel silver EZ track on parts of an interior layout, the main line has been down almost 20 years now.  The other day I happened to look at the rail in the right light and saw that the rail was turning very dark with oxidation. The funny thing was, the trains still ran fine.  I cleaned the railhead with a Cratex block, looks shiny now,  but it really didn't improve operation that much.

I don't think you'll get those results with  your steel rail track.

I was wondering if you still had that grain elevator that was disguised to look like a white blue bottle!

😂😂🤣🤣

And maybe it's time to move out of the beginners world of the EZ command and get a more advanced DCC system intended for more serious Model Railroad, which "consisting" locomotives is a part of.

Back in my day in the Jurassic a contest was the cars in a train. At some point it changed to mean a bunch of connected diesel locomotives.  If it means a bunch of connected diesel locomotives, what do you call the cars in the train today?

As bad as that problem was with so many of those Shays with so many of those split gears, it's almost certain that someone is 3-D printing replacement gears.  Google is your friend.

Isn't there a rumor that these Shays are going to be offered again?