NEW CAPT FLYING AN ACFT FLEET WITH MULTIPLE CONFIGNS HAS MECHANICAL PROB THAT DISTRACTS HIM CAUSING INCORRECT SETTING OF MCP FOR NOISE ABATEMENT DEP. CTLR NOTICES DEV AND ISSUES NEW CLRNC.

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I WAS CAPT AND PF. DEPARTED DCA RWY 36 ON NW VFR NOISE ABATEMENT DEP. DURING ROTATION; GOT LEADING EDGE DEVICE IN TRANSIT LIGHT; ACCOMPANIED BY STICK SHAKER. LOWERED NOSE TO ELIMINATE STICK SHAKER AND CONTINUED DEP. DEP WAS NORMAL UNTIL 5 DME WHEN PROC CALLS FOR INTERCEPTING DCA 328 DEG RADIAL. I CHANGED MY EHSI DISPLAY TO INTERCEPT THE RADIAL AND TURNED TOWARD THE INDICATED COURSE. A SHORT TIME LATER (30 SECONDS); DEP ASKED IF WE WERE STILL OVER THE RIVER. WE WERE SEVERAL MI SW OF THE RIVER. WE WERE THEN GIVEN DIRECT PALEO INTXN AND WE PROCEEDED AS FILED. WE DID NOT PENETRATE ANY PROHIBITED AREAS AND NOTHING ELSE WAS SAID. AFTER; I DISCOVERED THAT I HAD SELECTED THE EHSI DISPLAY TO NAV INSTEAD OF VOR/LOC AND I WAS FLYING THE INCORRECT COURSE. I BELIEVE THIS OCCURRED FOR SEVERAL REASONS. I WAS DISTR BY THE LEADING EDGE DEVICE PROB. I AM ALSO BRAND NEW ON THE AIRPLANE AND SHOULD HAVE HAD MY DISPLAY CORRECTLY SET UP BEFORE DEP. UNDER PRESSURE INFLT IT IS EASY TO SELECT THE INCORRECT MODE. THE INST INDICATIONS ARE ALMOST IDENTICAL AND I DID NOT RECOGNIZE THE MISTAKE. FINALLY; OUR COMPANY OPERATES B737'S WITH 3 DIFFERENT COCKPIT CONFIGNS -- NON EFIS; EFIS; AND NEW GENERATION (ALL TV TUBES). THESE REQUIRE ENTIRELY DIFFERENT SCANS; COCKPIT PREPARATIONS; OPERATING PHILOSOPHIES; AS WELL AS HAVING DIFFERENT SWITCH LOCATIONS. THIS IS DIFFICULT FOR SEASONED B737 PLTS LET ALONE A BRAND NEW CAPT! I FEEL THIS IS A VERY UNCOMFORTABLE SIT. I ENDED UP SEVERAL MI OFF COURSE. I CAN IMAGINE MUCH WORSE PROBS.