I am trying to sort out the wiring for a Llagas Creek Crossover. This is an ourdoor installation using track power.
Machcrow
Tom Trigg
Is the cross over a X or Z or what? Picture is good to place up.
Toad
The crossover is an "X". I am trying figure out the wiring so that I do not have short circuits and still provide continuity for the powered locomotives.
Will try to draw out something simple ASAP.
Ok I am not the best on computers and don't have drawing on it but this might work for you???
Actually the wiring of your cross-over will depend up on the actual direction that your trains will be pro ceeding through the cross-over, are you hand building this piece or what, they are usually pre-wired on factory built units, strait through wiring per each track...
Byron
The crossover is semi pre built (nickel silver cstings) by Llagas Creek. So far, if the locomotive has enough distance between the power pickups it will cross nicely. The only other solution is to cut the castings such that the tracks will be insulated from each other ( they are insulated now and do not short circuit but do not provide for power through the crossover). It's difficult to explain in words, when I get some time, I'll prepare a diagram.
Thanks - That is roughly what I have wired, however, as the crossover is from Llagas Creek, the castings used do not provide for sufficient insulation through the crossing itself. If the locomotive has sufficient distance between multiple power pickups, it passes through the crossover just fine. I may disassemble the crossing and rebuild it with a different insulation scheme.
machcrow
Actually, I use Colt, S&W, and Ruger as my Insurance Cos. Self insured. The real question is how to wire the crossing, to prevent short circuits and still allow power pickup for the locomotives. I may be able to provide a diagram soon.
machcrow The crossover is semi pre built (nickel silver cstings) by Llagas Creek. So far, if the locomotive has enough distance between the power pickups it will cross nicely. The only other solution is to cut the castings such that the tracks will be insulated from each other ( they are insulated now and do not short circuit but do not provide for power through the crossover). It's difficult to explain in words, when I get some time, I'll prepare a diagram.
OK, so you seem to indicate in this comment, that the power pick-ups are shorting/touching the cross over rails from the other track, as you go through the cross-over.......CORRECT ???
If that be the case, there are two simple fixes that you might try to alleviate the contact......First try taking a set of long needle nose pliers and angle/bend the pick-ups, up a bit, at the outer edge.
If that does not work I have heard of coating the edges of the opposing track rails on the cross-over track with clear nail polish, just enough to insulate the rails, to keep the shoes edges from making contact.
I've always been able to alleviate the contact point problem by just bending/angling the shoes up abit on the outer edges......it is a common problem on the Aristo 22.5 degree cross-overs, while running USA, shoe equipped engines.
Also you can't allow a deep wear grove to form in the shoes, change them regularly, excessive shoe wear, too, will allow the outer edges to contact the cross-over rails.
Even a third fix: I have had to do this in a rare case......Take your Dremel grinding wheel and grind the outer edge of the shoes off, just a bit now, so that they don't stick out as far, just enough, so that contact is no longer made with the cross-over rails.
Byron C.
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