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15.0 Advanced Operations Capabilities
15.1 Multiple Unit Operations
Digitrax command stations offers three methods of consist control:
1. Basic Consisting
2. Advanced Consisting
3. UniVersal Consisting (the Digitrax preferred method)
By definition, Digitrax always adds loco addresses to the “TOP” loco
address in a consist.
The “TOP” loco is special, in that it is the address that receives the speed
and direction commands for the entire consist.
All non TOP loco addresses added to the consist are controlled by com-
mands sent to the “TOP” loco.
The TOP locomotive does not have to be a physical loco on the track, it
can be a phantom.
Digitrax defines the TOP loco as the loco on the R Throttle Knob at the
time when the MU add is performed.
All loco addresses in a consist will have the same status as the TOP loco.
They will all be common, in-use or idle based on the state of the
TOP loco.
Each loco within a consist maintains its original advanced 28/128 or
standard 14 speed step mode setting.
A consist can be released by one throttle and then selected and run by
any other throttle.
A consist TOP address can be dispatched and acquired on another throttle
just like any other address.
See Section 11.0.
15.1.1 Adding a Locomotive To A Consist
DT402 and DT402R throttles must be plugged in to LocoNet to add loco
addresses to consists. DT402D may perform this without plugging in.
1. Select the loco address of the TOP loco on the
R
Throttle
knob.
2. Select the address of the loco you want to consist to the TOP loco on the
L
Throttle
knob.
3. Move the two locomotives into position. The locomotives can be headed
in either direction. They can be adjacent to each other in the train or one
unit can be the mid train helper or a pusher on the end of the train.
4. Before consisting the locos, make sure that both are traveling in the SAME
PHYSICAL DIRECTION ON THE TRACK. (The direction indicators
may or may not match, the important thing is that the locomotives are set
up to move in the same direction and are not pulling against each other.)