# Atlas GP9



## GaryS (Aug 30, 2021)

Hello all, I'm new to this forum and fairly new to the hobby. I have a small N scale layout with three locomotives I operate with an NCE Power Cab. Two of my locos, a Rapido and an Atlas start moving at position one on the speed controller. The other an older Atlas GP9 with an NCE decoder won't start moving until position 10 or 11. Can I make this loco start moving at position 1 and how do I do it?


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Yes. That's one of the great things about DCC. Find the manual for your NCE decoder and determine which CV (configuration variable) determines the V-Low or Starting voltsge (most likely CV2). Read back the value it's set to now. I'd double it, for starters, then gradually increase or decrease it until the loco just creeps forward in speed step one. You may also need to change the values for V-mid and V-max (usually CV6 & 7) to get a good speed curve.

And welcome to the forums, by the way!


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## GaryS (Aug 30, 2021)

CTValleyRR said:


> Yes. That's one of the great things about DCC. Find the manual for your NCE decoder and determine which CV (configuration variable) determines the V-Low or Starting voltsge (most likely CV2). Read back the value it's set to now. I'd double it, for starters, then gradually increase or decrease it until the loco just creeps forward in speed step one. You may also need to change the values for V-mid and V-max (usually CV6 & 7) to get a good speed curve.
> 
> And welcome to the forums, by the way!


Thank you for the information and the welcome


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

You can also clean and lube the drive train and motor bearings. Sometimes these get a little sticky, requiring more "oomph" from the motor to get going.


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

CV2 should be the correct CV. This is a CV that is supposed to be standardized through NMRA and NEM for all manufacturers.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

MichaelE said:


> CV2 should be the correct CV. This is a CV that is supposed to be standardized through NMRA and NEM for all manufacturers.


Yeah, but with my luck, as soon as I told him to just change CV2, it would turn out that he had the one decoder that didn't conform to the standard and it would screw it up worse...


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## GaryS (Aug 30, 2021)

CTValleyRR said:


> Yeah, but with my luck, as soon as I told him to just change CV2, it would turn out that he had the one decoder that didn't conform to the standard and it would screw it up worse...


Ha Ha, if it can screw up worse it will happen to me. Thanks for the suggestion of lubricating the drive train. As this is a used loco I will do that.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

GaryS said:


> Ha Ha, if it can screw up worse it will happen to me. Thanks for the suggestion of lubricating the drive train. As this is a used loco I will do that.


Clean it first. Lubricants become hard over time and will actually bind the moving parts.


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

could you show a side view? there was an issue with them using an existing drive under a longer, more correct body shell. this gave it an almost cartoon like look. there was an after market frame that you could purchase to correct this. you then took the existing drive parts and swapped them over. the newer frame is about two ounces heavier. just a shot at a possible problem...😉👍


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