diff --git a/DCC.cpp b/DCC.cpp
index 975a483..a930a24 100644
--- a/DCC.cpp
+++ b/DCC.cpp
@@ -75,6 +75,10 @@ void DCC::begin() {
 int16_t DCC::defaultMomentum=0;
 
 void DCC::setThrottle( uint16_t cab, uint8_t tSpeed, bool tDirection)  {
+  if (cab==0) {
+    if (tSpeed==1) estopAll(); // ESTOP broadcast fix 
+    return;
+  } 
   byte speedCode = (tSpeed & 0x7F)  + tDirection * 128;
   int reg=lookupSpeedTable(cab);
   if (reg<0 || speedTable[reg].targetSpeed==speedCode) return; 
@@ -89,7 +93,6 @@ void DCC::setThrottle( uint16_t cab, uint8_t tSpeed, bool tDirection)  {
     speedTable[reg].speedCode = speedCode;
     setThrottle2(cab, speedCode);
     TrackManager::setDCSignal(cab,speedCode); // in case this is a dcc track on this addr
-    if ((speedCode & 0x7f)==1) updateLocoReminder(cab,speedCode); // ESTOP broadcast fix 
   }
   CommandDistributor::broadcastLoco(reg);
 }
@@ -152,14 +155,22 @@ void DCC::setFunctionInternal(int cab, byte byte1, byte byte2, byte count) {
 // returns speed steps 0 to 127 (1 == emergency stop)
 // or -1 on "loco not found"
 int8_t DCC::getThrottleSpeed(int cab) {
-  int reg=lookupSpeedTable(cab);
-  if (reg<0) return -1;
-  return speedTable[reg].speedCode & 0x7F;
+  return getThrottleSpeedByte(cab) & 0x7F;
 }
 
 // returns speed code byte
 // or 128 (speed 0, dir forward) on "loco not found".
+// This is the throttle set speed
 uint8_t DCC::getThrottleSpeedByte(int cab) {
+  int reg=lookupSpeedTable(cab);
+  if (reg<0)
+    return 128;
+  return speedTable[reg].targetSpeed;
+}
+// returns speed code byte for loco. 
+// This is the most recently send DCC speed packet byte
+// or 128 (speed 0, dir forward) on "loco not found".
+uint8_t DCC::getLocoSpeedByte(int cab) {
   int reg=lookupSpeedTable(cab);
   if (reg<0)
     return 128;
@@ -185,9 +196,7 @@ uint8_t DCC::getThrottleFrequency(int cab) {
 // returns direction on loco
 // or true/forward on "loco not found"
 bool DCC::getThrottleDirection(int cab) {
-  int reg=lookupSpeedTable(cab);
-  if (reg<0) return true;
-  return (speedTable[reg].speedCode & 0x80) !=0;
+  return getThrottleSpeedByte(cab) % 0x80;
 }
 
 // Set function to value on or off
@@ -754,7 +763,6 @@ void DCC::forgetLoco(int cab) {  // removes any speed reminders for this loco
   int reg=lookupSpeedTable(cab, false);
   if (reg>=0) {
     speedTable[reg].loco=0;
-    setThrottle2(cab,1); // ESTOP if this loco still on track
     CommandDistributor::broadcastForgetLoco(cab);
   }
 }
@@ -808,7 +816,7 @@ bool DCC::issueReminder(int reg) {
         case 0: {
          // calculate any momentum change going on
          auto sc=speedTable[reg].speedCode;
-         if (speedTable[reg].targetSpeed!=speedTable[reg].speedCode) {
+         if (speedTable[reg].targetSpeed!=sc) {
             // calculate new speed code 
             auto now=millis();
             int16_t delay=now-speedTable[reg].momentum_base;
@@ -942,22 +950,21 @@ bool DCC::setMomentum(int locoId,int16_t millis_per_notch) {
   return true; 
 }
  
-void  DCC::updateLocoReminder(int loco, byte speedCode) {
-
-  if (loco==0) {
-     // broadcast stop/estop but dont change direction
-     for (int reg = 0; reg <= highestUsedReg; reg++) {
-       if (speedTable[reg].loco==0) continue;
-       byte newspeed=(speedTable[reg].speedCode & 0x80) |  (speedCode & 0x7f);
-       if (speedTable[reg].speedCode != newspeed) {
-         speedTable[reg].speedCode = newspeed;
-         speedTable[reg].targetSpeed = newspeed;
-         CommandDistributor::broadcastLoco(reg);
-       }
-     }
+void  DCC::estopAll() {
+  setThrottle2(0,1); // estop all locos
+  TrackManager::setDCSignal(0,1); 
+    
+  // remind stop/estop but dont change direction
+  for (int reg = 0; reg <= highestUsedReg; reg++) {
+    if (speedTable[reg].loco==0) continue;
+    byte newspeed=(speedTable[reg].speedCode & 0x80) |  0x01;
+    speedTable[reg].speedCode = newspeed;
+    speedTable[reg].targetSpeed = newspeed;
+    CommandDistributor::broadcastLoco(reg);  
   }
 }
 
+
 DCC::LOCO DCC::speedTable[MAX_LOCOS];
 int DCC::lastLocoReminder = 0;
 int DCC::highestUsedReg = 0;
diff --git a/DCC.h b/DCC.h
index 7107a05..2ee66e0 100644
--- a/DCC.h
+++ b/DCC.h
@@ -59,8 +59,10 @@ public:
 
   // Public DCC API functions
   static void setThrottle(uint16_t cab, uint8_t tSpeed, bool tDirection);
+  static void estopAll();
   static int8_t getThrottleSpeed(int cab);
   static uint8_t getThrottleSpeedByte(int cab);
+  static uint8_t getLocoSpeedByte(int cab); // may lag throttle 
   static uint8_t getThrottleFrequency(int cab);
   static bool getThrottleDirection(int cab);
   static void writeCVByteMain(int cab, int cv, byte bValue);
@@ -117,7 +119,6 @@ private:
   static byte loopStatus;
   static int16_t defaultMomentum;  // Millis per speed step
   static void setThrottle2(uint16_t cab, uint8_t speedCode);
-  static void updateLocoReminder(int loco, byte speedCode);
   static void setFunctionInternal(int cab, byte fByte, byte eByte, byte count);
   static bool issueReminder(int reg);
   static int lastLocoReminder;
diff --git a/DCCEXParser.cpp b/DCCEXParser.cpp
index 0e45072..4fa9d86 100644
--- a/DCCEXParser.cpp
+++ b/DCCEXParser.cpp
@@ -586,7 +586,7 @@ void DCCEXParser::parseOne(Print *stream, byte *com, RingStream * ringStream)
 	}
 
     case '!': // ESTOP ALL  <!>
-        DCC::setThrottle(0,1,1); // this broadcasts speed 1(estop) and sets all reminders to speed 1.
+        DCC::estopAll(); // this broadcasts speed 1(estop) and sets all reminders to speed 1.
         return;
 
 #ifdef HAS_ENOUGH_MEMORY
diff --git a/EXRAIL2.cpp b/EXRAIL2.cpp
index d65aca4..965d0c4 100644
--- a/EXRAIL2.cpp
+++ b/EXRAIL2.cpp
@@ -683,7 +683,7 @@ void RMFT2::loop2() {
      break; 
 
   case OPCODE_PAUSE:
-    DCC::setThrottle(0,1,true);  // pause all locos on the track
+    DCC::estopAll();  // pause all locos on the track
     pausingTask=this;
     break;
 
diff --git a/EXRAIL2Parser.cpp b/EXRAIL2Parser.cpp
index 8c498ab..780c125 100644
--- a/EXRAIL2Parser.cpp
+++ b/EXRAIL2Parser.cpp
@@ -276,7 +276,7 @@ bool RMFT2::parseSlash(Print * stream, byte & paramCount, int16_t p[]) {
   switch (p[0]) {
   case "PAUSE"_hk: // </ PAUSE>
     if (paramCount!=1) return false;
-    DCC::setThrottle(0,1,true);  // pause all locos on the track
+    DCC::estopAll();  // pause all locos on the track
     pausingTask=(RMFT2 *)1; // Impossible task address
     return true;
     
diff --git a/TrackManager.cpp b/TrackManager.cpp
index 512452d..61cf7c8 100644
--- a/TrackManager.cpp
+++ b/TrackManager.cpp
@@ -358,7 +358,7 @@ bool TrackManager::setTrackMode(byte trackToSet, TRACK_MODE mode, int16_t dcAddr
 }
 
 void TrackManager::applyDCSpeed(byte t) {
-  track[t]->setDCSignal(DCC::getThrottleSpeedByte(trackDCAddr[t]),
+  track[t]->setDCSignal(DCC::getLocoSpeedByte(trackDCAddr[t]),
 			DCC::getThrottleFrequency(trackDCAddr[t]));
 }