Loksound Equipped Engine Refuses To Move But Sound Is Fine Final Update 2025-04-17

This problem has plagued users for a long while now and is almost constantly an issue brought up on the LokSound groups.io forum. Guaranteed you'll see it brought up about every two or three days.

There are several reasons this could happen and the majority of them are easily remedied. There is a list of things that need to be checked and these are mentioned whenever the problem pops up. 

• Make sure Drive Hold is not on
• Ensure the Independent Brake is not on
• Ensure the Automatic (Train) Brake is not on
• To learn how to implement the Train brake read this
• Make sure CV19 is set to 0 (not in advanced consist)
• By default, the sound files have a 3 second delay before they allow the engine to move
• Allows the engine sound to spool up before moving (because that's how prototypes work, read this) 
• If you haven't turned off this delay, give it a little time to start moving
• A comment was left by a reader with a common sense check I should have mentioned. After checking the easy stuff, check the motor contacts (or wiring) make sure they are clean (in the case of contacts) or wired correctly (for wiring). Problems with wiring includes a wire where half or more of the individual threads of wiring have been cut through or broken or have a bad (cold) solder joint. Thanks to the reader whoever you are.

If group members think of other things that need to be checked, email the author and he'll add them to this list. 

Recently, the author came across this problem in a couple of his locomotives and it always occurred when initially programming the decoder. It didn't matter if the engine was programmed from scratch or was a copy of a previously programmed engine with just the engine number changed. It happened in both instances and was always for a v5 decoder (that's what the author has) so, both 21 pin and micro decoders developed the problem.

Definition of Terms

Just to be clear, the following was done with a LokProgrammer and not JMRI. Also, with a LokProgrammer there are some terms used in this discussion that may be confusing for those used to JMRI - Panes, Sheets and Driver's Cab. 

• Panes are the columnar selections on the left side of the LokProgrammer window. They start with Driver's Cab at the top and end with Sound at the bottom. Directly to the right of the Panes are the Sheets starting with Address. See figure 1. 
• Sheets give you access to the individual CV settings of the decoder but they can also give you access to other things such as the individual sound slots on the Sound Pane. It depends on which Pane you select. It  takes a little getting used to.
• Driver's Cab is a built in throttle which allows you to immediately test the changes you have made to CVs after Writing Decoder Data. It does not allow you to test any changes you have made to the Sound Pane though. Some changes there have to be burned to the decoder to hear them (the Simulator in the sound pane will allow hearing some changes but not all of them and that is beyond the scope of this discussion).
  
  
  

Fig 1 Panes, Sheets and CV access

Now For The Insidious One
Re-burning the unchanged original downloaded file from ESU (pure factory reset not a reset to previously programmed values) would clear up the problem so what did the author change that caused this? 

Today it was decided he was going to take the time and trace the cause. One sheet at a time utilizing the Driver's Cab to test if the engine is running or not after changes and then go changed setting by changed setting on the particular sheet if the problem occurred.

This took some time. Brake Settings, Driving Characteristics, the various Function Sheets, all were fine. Motor Settings, WAIT!!! the engine refused to move!!! Now change by change until the author got to Motor Overload Protection. Long story short finally, checking the Enable motor current limiter would prevent the engine from moving!  See figure 2.

 

Fig 2 Motor current limiter

Think! Why? This was an older HO KATO AC4400CW purchased at a swap meet and it had the same changes made as to a new one that was working. This makes perfect sense. The older motor needs more current than the new model and the protection wouldn't let it move because it was above the set limit.

Uncheck the Enable motor current limiter box, test, engine moves! Problem solved. Perhaps in the future (when there's time) some experimentation with this setting will show what's going on.

Don't forget this one after checking Drive Hold and all the different brakes don't fix the problem. Also remember that if after all of these checks are done and the engine still does not move, you probably have a blown drive circuit in the decoder and it requires a trip to Colorado for a fix. Remember that the ESU office has moved. It's no longer in Pennsylvania. 

I hope this helps and I know it demonstrates what lengths you sometimes have to go through to isolate problems. Good luck!

<Update 2025-02-19>
Interesting development concerning these settings happened today. The author obtained a brand new CSX GP38-2 Atlas Master (new old stock) with the the older DCC/DC mother board controlled by a slide switch. The motherboard was removed and replaced by the new Athearn G67140 Genesis DC-21 Pin Motherboard for LEDs. A new ESU 21 pin v5 decoder was added and programmed.

Now for the fun!  During the BEMF auto-calibrate (CV54=0, press F1) procedure, the author noticed that the engine was extremely sluggish although it did move. Testing the results, no matter how much the throttle speed was increased the engine refused to move at more than a crawl speedwise. The author went as far as re-burning the soundfile to the decoder, no joy. After some thought he remembered he had checked the Motor-overload-protection and also the Current-limiter-protection so, he unchecked them just to see if it had any effect and yes, you guessed it, the engine returned to normal running. 

This one is a stumper!! These settings seem to have a lot more to do with the running of an engine than would be expected from their names and the experience discussed from the beginning of this post.

<Final Update 2025-04-17>
The author was finally able to reach ESU tech support and talked to Lee about these problems caused by Enable motor overload protection and Enable motor current limiter. According to Lee these two settings should be ignored. They were originally put into the programmer to help Rapido with some decoders they thought were having problems. Turns out it was the wonderful Chinese motors that were put into the engines (yeah, wonderful). So, accordingly, these settings are no longer needed. Lee stated (and I quote), "Frankly, I don't understand why ESU just doesn't remove these settings from the software".

So there you have it, leave these settings alone!

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Microsoft Offering a Minimum 3 Year Windows 10 Extended Security Support

Microsoft is offering extended security support for Windows 10 computers. This programm will last for at least 3 years. You can read about it here.

If you think this is not a model railroading topic, talk to a person who is familiar with JMRI. 

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Tony's Train Exchange Response Concerning Tariffs

To all of our Tony's customers:

We hope you’re doing well. We wanted to take a moment to update you about some changes that will affect the pricing of our products & services in the near future. As you may know, recent changes in trade policy have resulted in increased tariffs (import taxes) on certain products and materials that are essential to our model train offerings. These changes are beyond our control, but we want to be upfront with you about what’s happening and how we’re handling it.

This is a dynamic and evolving situation. We're closely monitoring updates from our suppliers and adjusting accordingly to the most current information available. Our goal is to minimize the impact on you—our valued customers—while continuing to deliver the quality and craftsmanship you expect from us.

Why are prices increasing?

The increase in tariffs on materials and products imported to the USA has led to higher costs for us in manufacturing and importing. Unfortunately, these higher costs now need to be reflected in our pricing. This change will help us maintain the quality of our products and services, which we’ve always worked hard to deliver at the best value.

What are we doing to minimize the impact on you?

We understand that price increases can be challenging, and we’re committed to keeping our prices as fair as possible. Here’s what we’ve been doing to minimize the impact:

• We’ve been working closely with our suppliers to find cost-saving measures.
• We’ve reviewed our operations and made efficiency improvements where possible to offset some of the increased costs.
• We’ve done everything we can to keep our prices reasonable while ensuring the same high-quality products and services you’ve come to expect.

How will this affect you?

When necessary there will be a price adjustment noted on your invoice.  This will affect many imported model railroading items. Please know we are still committed to providing the best value and service. We remain focused on ensuring that you continue to receive the quality you expect.

Your Support Means the World

We deeply value your loyalty and trust in Tony's Train Exchange. We’re here to help answer any questions you may have about this change. If you have any concerns or would like more details, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We want to make this transition as smooth as possible for you.

Thank you for your understanding and continued support as we navigate these changes. We look forward to continuing to serve you.

Warm regards,

Erik Fiske

Owner

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Walthers Update Concerning Tariffs

Dear Valued Partner,

As you may be aware, ongoing tariff increases and fluctuations are impacting pricing across many product categories both inside and outside of our hobby. At Walthers, we are actively working with our industry partners—and the broader toy industry—to advocate for tariff relief (exclusion or reduction) on model trains. At the same time, we are collaborating closely with our suppliers to absorb as much of the added cost as possible.

The recent tariff changes scheduled to take effect have further impacted pricing on many products within our hobby. As a result, effective immediately, we will no longer be able to honor backorders and advanced reservations at their original pricing. This policy will apply to all products we distribute, including Walthers-branded items and those from our vendor partners. Updated pricing will be provided prior to shipping new products.  We will continue to monitor the situation and communicate actively with you should anything change.

Please rest assured that our commitment to delivering the highest quality and value remains unchanged. We are doing everything we can to minimize the impact on you, and we sincerely appreciate your understanding as we navigate these challenges. If you are concerned about the tariff situation and its impact on our hobby, consider communicating actively with your own elected representatives about your concerns so your voice can be heard.

Your continued support means the world to us and we remain proud to serve you as we have for almost 93 years. Thank you for your loyalty, patience, and partnership in supporting this wonderful hobby.

 

Warm regards,
The Walthers Team

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DC Engines on a DCS52 Controlled Track

In reply to a question on the Digitrax groups.io forum of whether or not a DC engine could run on a DCC track whose command station is a DCS52 Carl Hilinski said this...

"I have a couple of Marklin engines that  are DC. They can run on my DCS52 if I select 0 as the engine number.  ALL DC engines will be controlled by the 0 selection. The problem is that you shouldn't leave the engine on the track even if it's not controlled because it is still getting power and hums and vibrates. Also all DC locos on the track will run the same speed and direction just like a normal DC operation".

This was what the author knew on the subject because he does this all the time for testing and has never had a problem. The interesting reply to this statement was from the "Hostler" named Bob who said...

That's only part of the problem.  It turns out that SOME Digitrax LocoNet devices do not work well with "DC loco" operation,  They work so poorly that they will go to the effort of changing the Command Station's "Analog (DC) operation" OpSw to disable it!

So, if you happen to use any of those Digitrax devices (which ones were not mentioned), the "analog" operation feature may not be available to you.

Interesting, this is the first the author has heard of this.

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ESU Mobile Control Pro And Docking Station

ESU advertises their new Mobile Control Pro.

The Mobile Control Pro is ESU's latest answer to the question of how to combine the advantages of smartphone technology with the needs of model railway control. The Mobile Control Pro is essentially a compact Android-based tablet equipped with controls for controlling your locomotives and accessories. The connection to the digital command station is established exclusively wirelessly via Wi-Fi. A specially designed app by ESU can communicate directly with a variety of digital command stations. The Mobile Control Pro is therefore not limited to use with ESU command stations.

MC-Pro will not be available in the US until July. It replaces the MCII which is no longer in production. 

You can read about it here.

The Docking Station

The docking station is the perfect companion for your ESU Mobile Control II or Mobile Control Pro Wi-Fi radio throttle. The docking station fulfills two tasks: Firstly, it ensures safe storage of the throttle when it is not in use. Secondly, the controller can be charged directly in the docking station. No cables need to be connected: For charging, the docking station connects to the charging points provided on the underside of every Mobile Control II or Mobile Control Pro and charges the device.

The charging cradle does not have a US release date yet. 

Read about it here.

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