My most memorable train experience was about 10 years ago when I was a member of the Indiana Transportation museum. At the end of the summer season we had a "members only" trip the full length of our line, plus some of the Indiana Railroad shortline. We were to have two streamlined passenger coaches, a caboose, and a loco at each end. But one of our locos, an ex-MILW F7 broke a leaf spring, so we were coupled on to the tail end of an IRR freight pulled by three SD-18s, and we were pulled backward (caboose, two coaches, and our FP-7 at the very end) to the end of the line, then our FP-7 pulled us back. The entire return leg of the trip (which lasted a total of about 5 hours), I stood on the rear platform of the caboose and got an awesome view of northern Indiana, including some street trackage in downtown Noblesville. Ah, good times!

Problem solved. It was operator error. When I programmed the decoder's address, I didn't realize that I had momentum on.

I'm experienced with model railroading, but fairly new to DCC. I just got a Spectrum 2-10-2 with decoder, and once the engine is moving, it won't stop! I have to hit the reset button to stop it. It's like the decoder loses the signal once the engine is moving. I'm using the old MRC Command 2000 unit. I don't have this problem with my other decoder equipped engines. Has this happened to anyone?

I'm actually glad the 2-8-0 is going to the standard line because now I will actually be able to afford one.

I was fiddling with it a little more, and it started running again, just as mysteriously as it stopped. It runs perfectly with no problems. I'm not going to risk damage by continuing to use my DCC unit to power it. I know it runs again, and that's all that matters right now, since I can only run it back and forth on a two foot test track. When I can build a new layout, all my locos will get decoders, and I'll probably update my ancient DCC unit as well. Thanks for all the advice.

I'm using the old MRC Command 2000. I did have a dc power pack, but It has gone missing since I had to dismantle my old layout, so I'm using the DCC unit for my test track. I've never had a problem with running any of my other non DCC units with the MRC system, including my dc Spectrum 4-6-0. I'm still nervous about taking the loco itself apart, because I don't want to damage the details.

Hi, I just received the HO three truck Shay, and it is a beautiful model, but it's not running. I'm using my old DCC system to power my test track (I don't have a functioning layout right now), but the locomotive is analog. I've never had a problem before with running analog engines with a DCC system. Anyhoo, I ran the Shay back and forth a few times on the test track, and suddenly the motor stops, and shorts out the system. Before it shorts, the lights are on, but the motor is dead. I took the tender shell of to access the circuit board, and everything looks ok, but I haven't taken the rest of the engine apart, so I don't know what the motor and the rest of the wiring looks like. Has anyone had this happen before? Even though I don't have a layout right now, I'd like to still have my engines functioning, in hopes that I will be able to build a layout once I have space for one.