# Forgot Engine address



## medic35 (Feb 27, 2012)

Is there any way to reset a loco to factory without knowing the loco's address? I'm using MRC Prodigy and cannot read address from Spectrum loco. I really wasn't planning to buy a programming booster yet.


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## D&J Railroad (Oct 4, 2013)

The NMRA standard for resetting a decoder is CV8=8. I don't know what the MRC Prodigy may require though. Seems every once in a while, some manufacturers decide to go off on their own set of standards as though they know all about it and everyone else is messed up.


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## Brakeman Jake (Mar 8, 2009)

You need to know a loco's address to operate it but don't for programming,simply follow your system's instructions to re-program the decoder.


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## medic35 (Feb 27, 2012)

Thanx. I'll try that


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## morland (Sep 25, 2012)

On my NCE Powercab I used the programing track mode and it auto finds the decoder. I then could either set a CV to reset the decoder back to the factory default or I could set the loco address if that is all that was needed.


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## Cycleops (Dec 6, 2014)

If you reprogram your loco address it will be set to 3 by default. Most people set their address to the locos number so what happened that you can't find it? Most controllers let you scroll through stored loco numbers.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Which exactly Prodigy model do you have? All MRC units are called Prodigy something (Express, Advance2, Elite, Wireless, Explorer).

I'm also not sure what you mean by a programming booster. With the exception of the Explorer, with which I'm not familiar other than by name, all MRC sets allow you to program CV's and addresses. The Express requires a separate programming track, the others allow programming on the main. (although if you don't know the loco's address, make sure you remove ALL other locos or they will ALL be affected by whatever programming you do). All the more powerful sets allow the option of a programming track as well.

The Express does not readback CV's, all the others do. Instructions should be on the back of the handset.

And yes, setting CV8 to 8 will reset to factory default.

Sorry I didn't see this thread sooner -- it's always easier to get help from people who actually know the system.

Hope that helps.


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