Trains.com

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Cant run train on DC layout

1163 views
5 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: Whydoyouwanttoknow, USA
  • 4 posts
Cant run train on DC layout
Posted by NSES40DC on Saturday, November 28, 2009 9:31 AM

I recently made an N scale and I am having some problems with the wiring.

The layout is DC and the track and switches are bachmann ez track (The switches are not wired yet, manual).

 The layout has a small siding and and intermodal yard.

 The train will not go past the siding and intermodal yard switch.

 

Heres the track plan:

*The red is where the train can go

 

 

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Westchester NY
  • 1,747 posts
Posted by retsignalmtr on Saturday, November 28, 2009 10:31 AM

Put in another track feeder on the left side of the loop on your track plan.

  • Member since
    February 2005
  • From: Vancouver Island, BC
  • 23,330 posts
Posted by selector on Saturday, November 28, 2009 11:11 AM

You have a couple of options.  One is to figure out why your turnouts are not routing power, or providing power through the frog and beyond to the next set of tracks.  It may be that the rail sides are dirty and need polishing between the sharp points rails that swing and the stock rails against which they are meant to snug up.  In other words, it may be a problem of good contact.  It turns out that the EZ-Track turnouts are historically problematic, and this is one area where they don't do well...contact and lying snugly against their stock counterparts.

It would be a good idea to test your rail power throughout your turnouts with a meter....do you have a digital volt/ohm meter?  It is almost essential in our hobby.  You may find that the points don't seem to have any power, but when you press them against the stock rails, the volt meter indicates new voltage!

An easy fix is probably to connect wire feeders to each of the rails in your yard.  Just keep each wire oriented to the correct rails...you don't want shorts.

-Crandell

  • Member since
    October 2006
  • From: Western, MA
  • 8,571 posts
Posted by richg1998 on Saturday, November 28, 2009 6:23 PM

 Get a couple of the below meters. I have three of them. Get some double clip leads from Radio Shack also.

Some old timers use to use a ice pick type probe with a light bulb in the clear plastic handle and hook the power pack to the good track and probe for where the voltage is lost. Those can be found in auto parts stores.

http://search.harborfreight.com/cpisearch/web/search.do?keyword=digital+meter&Submit=Go

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062622

Rich

 

If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.

  • Member since
    February 2004
  • 394 posts
Posted by ham99 on Saturday, November 28, 2009 6:43 PM

 

Looking at your track plan, I would have 12 sets of feeder wires attached to the track -- maybe more if you have it divided into blocks.  I always put feeders on all tracks connecting to turnouts.  This insure good contact, even if the movable rails don't make contact.
  • Member since
    May 2009
  • 72 posts
Posted by Archer1 on Sunday, November 29, 2009 7:58 AM

 N -

I've had problems with Bachmann "N" pre-EZ track turnouts as well, pretty much requiring a change to Atlas. Other than confirming it's the turnout itself and a loose joiner, you might try cleaning them as selector suggested, but the solution may have to be directly feeding both sides of each rail with terminal rail joiners or soldered feeds.

 Archer.

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Users Online

There are no community member online

Search the Community

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Model Railroader Newsletter See all
Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox!