# Multiple (two) consists with one NCE Power Cab



## 1943Mike (12 mo ago)

Since I'm relatively new to this hobby (started building my first layout in February and it's still not done) this question may be amusing to some of you simply because I don't yet have enough experience in the world of model trains. 

My layout is small - 3' x 5' but it fits into my dining area in my small condo. Essentially it's just two parallel oval tracks with a double crossover and a couple Kato #6 turnouts on the inside parallel track that go to two dead ends in the center section of the layout. I have wired it for both DC and DCC with a DPDT switch. However, I'm getting ready to operate on my only diesel DC locomotive and install a decoder in it. The only locomotives that I'll have left as DC will be my steamers - just too complicated for my pay grade to bother converting. Even my little diesel - an ancient Atlas/Kato RS1- will be a challenge for me. I do have two DCC equipped RS2's (Atlas) and two Kato EMD E7A's that I bought with the nine car New York Central, 20th Century Limited set. {I need a bigger layout }. As small as my layout is I still enjoy running the trains on the tracks. I'll like it even more when I get some scenery (buildings/vegetation) in it.

Getting to my question: I use an NCE Power Cab for my DCC operations. I've set up a consist with the two E7Als running back to back in the same direction using the old style consist. However I don't know if it's possible to run the E7A's consist on the outside track and run another consist on the inside track using my RS2's with just my one Power Cab. Any thoughts as to how I'd do that?


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## SF Gal (11 mo ago)

All your locomotives are addressed so you just have to switch back and forth on your powercab between addresses while running both loops...it's a matter of getting use to the controller, that's all. The faster you are on the keys of the controller, the more consists you can run on a single track, switching back and forth between addresses to control throttle.


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## 1943Mike (12 mo ago)

SF Gal, Thank you for chiming in

However, my pea brain doesn't understand what you mean by "switch back and forth on your powercab between addresses while running both loops." Does that mean that I can only run one of the consists at a time? What I want to do is run both consists at the same time - probably in opposite directions - one on the outer track, one on the inner. Are you suggesting that's not possible? Do you mean by "you just have to switch back and forth on your powercab between addresses..." that I'd be stopping one consist and switching over to the other and visa versa ad infinitum?

Sorry, I'm not the sharpest tack in the box but I thought I'd be able to have both trains running at the same time. Maybe that's what you meant and that the switching back and forth is only to control one or the other consist - for speed, etc.?

Mike


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

'Switching' back and forth between two 'consists' is just the
same as 'switching' back and forth between two single
locos. Each consist and each loco has an 'address' which
you 'punch in' on your controller. When you get the first
one going, 'punch in' the second and get it going. You can
then 'punch' back and forth between the two as you like...
or even add a 3rd and 4th loco. That's the marvel of
DCC. Reread your DCC manual that should show you
exactly how you do what I've described.

All of the above 'assumes' that you have given each
loco it's own 'address'...most of us use the loco road
number for that purpose. If you have not done this
again, reread your DCC manual for instructions.

Don


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## 1943Mike (12 mo ago)

DonR said:


> 'Switching' back and forth between two 'consists' is just the
> same as 'switching' back and forth between two single
> locos. Each consist and each loco has an 'address' which
> you 'punch in' on your controller. When you get the first
> ...


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## 1943Mike (12 mo ago)

Don, 

I know how to give each Loco its own address (I've made consists before on my layout) but I was using the "Old style Consists" (per the NCE manual) which doesn't use a consist address. Realizing that I now have to use the "Advanced consist" in order to have two consists going at once, and just having looked at that section in the manual, the advanced consists do have addresses. Now I am beginning to see the light - I hope. I guess one just goes back and forth between the two different consist addresses in order to change any inputs in either. 
I'll play around with that idea tomorrow. 

Thank you Don, and thank you SF Gal!

Mike


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## OilValleyRy (Oct 3, 2021)

Make up the RS consist just as you did the E units; same process. Each consist will have a consist address that the units both respond to. I.e. E8 #1013 and E8 1070 with both respond to consist #100 if I recall correctly. Or you choose one of the loco numbers to serve as the consist address. 
Either way….
Once both consists are set up, type in one of the addresses…. Turn the lights off/on to verify communication. 
Then enter the 2nd consist and do the same thing. 
Now… Note the RECALL button. Press it once and your power cab will jump back to the 1st consist address, press it again and it’ll jump to the 2nd consist. One touch, instead of having to press Select Loco, entering an address, etc etc.

From there it’s a cinch to throttle up your E8s, then “recall” your RS lashup and get them up to speed.

By the way, you started your layout in February and IT’S STILL NOT DONE???
Newsflash for ya… layouts are never “done.”


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

You can also store up to six locomotives or consists in the available memory. 

I believe the key sequence is press program six times to get to cab parameters, then press enter twice to get to memory slots. Enter 6. Or any number less than that. I think the default value is two.


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## SF Gal (11 mo ago)

Great explanations....switch back and forth and they continue to run on the commands they last recieved.
As the train is rolling, it will continue to roll, even when switching to a new loco...until you go back to that address and command it to stop. Youtube has some good videos on consists setup and DCC operation.


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## pmcgurin (Sep 7, 2010)

If you use a double crossover to move each train to the other track, they will continue to follow their last commands, won't they?


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

Yes.


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## 1943Mike (12 mo ago)

Thanks for the tip using the RECALL button. 

BTW, today I successfully ran two consists on my layout. Thanks to all you folks here who've helped me out. 

I am now contemplating an unrelated problem. When I received my NYC N scale set from Lombard Hobbies I noted (but did not bother telling them about it) that the headlights on both E7A's would only come on at certain speeds. Today, after successfully running them in a consist on the outer loop of my layout (and the RS2's on the inner track) I realized that the headlights of the E7A's were not on at any time or at any speed. Yes, I pressed the button on the Power Cab throttle for headlights - no joy. Tomorrow, Sunday, I'll call Lombard Hobbies (They installed the decoders into both E7A's to find out if they'll work on the headlight problem under warranty. 

Maybe there's something in the CV's that I could look at regarding the headlights?






OilValleyRy said:


> Make up the RS consist just as you did the E units; same process. Each consist will have a consist address that the units both respond to. I.e. E8 #1013 and E8 1070 with both respond to consist #100 if I recall correctly. Or you choose one of the loco numbers to serve as the consist address.
> Either way….
> Once both consists are set up, type in one of the addresses…. Turn the lights off/on to verify communication.
> Then enter the 2nd consist and do the same thing.
> ...


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## Steve Rothstein (Jan 1, 2021)

1943Mike said:


> Thanks for the tip using the RECALL button.
> 
> BTW, today I successfully ran two consists on my layout. Thanks to all you folks here who've helped me out.
> 
> ...


I don't know if what I am about to say is true for the NCE, but it is what I found on my Digitrax Zephyr. Be careful of which engine is marked first in the consist, because that is where any auxiliary commands like lights or sound will be sent. If you put the first loco in the consist as the rear loco (going backwards), the headlight would not normally come on and the headlight on the front loco will also stay off because it never got the signal. I set each cars sound and lights up how I will want them, before the train starts moving. I also make sure that I put the lead engine in and consist everything else to it. That way the bell and whistles come from it and if I want the light on or off, I can do it too.


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## 1943Mike (12 mo ago)

Thanks for that thought Steve. I'm not in the mood to troubleshoot this evening but tomorrow I'll cancel the consist with the two E7A's and redo it with the locos in the opposite position just to see if that gets the headlights to come on. I'll come back to this forum and thread and let you know if there was any change.

Mike


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## 1943Mike (12 mo ago)

Steve, I just couldn't wait until morning so I just switched the E7A's positions in the consist. Still no joy. I have no idea what brand of decoders Lombard Hobbies installed in these E7A's but I'll talk to them tomorrow if I can.
Again, Thanks for the suggestion.Unfortunately it didn't work. I think there's something screwy in the way the decoders were installed or perhaps wiring problems but ... as I said before, both locos had the same problem from the time I received them - headlight only coming on at certain speeds.

Mike


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