How do i get smooth performance out of a 44 tonner?

green_elite_cab

Keep It Moving!
My 44 tonner is one of the more important locomotives on my layout. unlike the others, which get switched out occaisionally, it is ALWAYS on the layout, because its the only one that fits in the space its assigned to.

it was already loud, but i haven't run it much until just yesterday, when I installed a DZ123 decoder into it. It runs, but its will not creep at all, and even at speed step 1 (on 128 speed steps) it moves faster then i'd like it to. I know this engine can creep on DC, but on the DCC it seems faster.

could i possibly find a way to lower the speeds involved via the decoder? Or do you think a little extra cleaning and work will do the trick for it?
 

cnw1961

Member
If it could creep on DC, then I think the main problem is the decoder. Did you try to change the start-up voltage (CV 2)? I used a DZ 123 for my Stewart DS4-4-1000, a light engine, and it always made jump starts (I didn’t have this problem when I used this decoder for heavier engines). It got better when I increased the start-up voltage (I used a value of 25 for CV 2), but even then I wasn’t really satisfied. I replaced the decoder in the end. I am using an ESU LokPilot Basic decoder for this engine now and the slow speed performance of the engine is absolutely awesome.
 

green_elite_cab

Keep It Moving!
nope, didn't poke around with anything other than setting the long adress (which i finally figured out how to do). what number should i set it to?
 

cnw1961

Member
To enhance the slow speed performance, you could change CV5 (maximum speed). Start by using a value of 80 for CV5. Just try some values and see if it makes any difference. If this does not work (or even if it does) or if you don’t want to reduce the maximum speed of your engine, you could activate the switching speed feature of your decoder. You have to change CV54. CV54 controls the torque compensation and the switching speed feature. The default value for CV54 is 00 (torque compensation= on, switching speed = off) If you change the value to 01, torque compensation AND switching speed are on. The switching speed feature reduces the throttle’s target speed by about 50% when you activate this mode by turning on F6.
 
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