Sent a question out yesterday on this issue, but unfortunately, my wording has caused a lot of confusion. So, let me state my issue differently.
I have a line of track that I'm adding an Atlas Super 83 turnout to (all-live with an insulated frog). One leg of the turnout goes to a side track which terminates a few feet down the line. The second leg of the turnout leads to another turnout after a few feet. That turnout works perfectly. Very simple configuration - NO reversing loops. The problem I have is with the turnout that I'm adding. It immediately shuts down my SuperChief (a short). I'm doing something wrong but can't figure it out. This turnout is attached to a tortoise. Wires are soldered to terminals #1 and #8 on the tortoise and go to the Digitrax DS64. The tortoise works perfectly, but when I attempt to power the track, the Superchief shorts out. Is there something I should be doing with the Atlas Super Turnout such as adding jumper wires between the straight stock/curved frog and the curved stock/straight frog rails? The only power going to the turnout track comes from an adjacent track conected to the bus - there's no bus feed going to any part of the turnout itself. I know this is probably very basic, but I'm missing something. Thanks.
Seems to me that one of the tracks coming into the turnout is of oppisite polarity thus causing a short.
Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running BearSpace Mouse for president!15 year veteran fire fighterCollector of Apple //e'sRunning Bear EnterprisesHistory Channel Club life member.beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam
If I understand what you have correctly, you basically just inserted a turnout into what was previously a straight section of track. Also, the branch coming off the turnout just runs to a dead end.
While I have my own opinions as to how to install insulated railjoiners in this situation, it is my understanding and belief that the Atlas code 83 turnout you are using requires no insulators because of the way it is internally wired (connected).
So, I guess that I have the following questions:
1. does the short occur if the turnout is set for the straight direction, or just for the siding?
2. did you install some sort of track bumper at the end of the siding that you are not telling us about?
3. you said that the only power going to the turnout track (I assume by this you mean the siding) comes from an adjacent track connected to the bus. As I understand the Atlas turnout you should be able to power the siding without any additional power connection to the siding track, assuming of course that all the railjoiner connections are tight. Did you try disconnecting that additional power feed from the bus? I think one of the comments someone made yesterday was that you could possibly have reversed the track polarity (phase).
4. the Tortise connection to the DS64 should not have anything to do with your problem, as far as I can tell. Unless you are trying to power the frog using the additional contacts on the Tortise machine. If you are doing this, it is again possible that you've got a polarity mixup.
just my penny's worth.