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Track short circuit, would like assistance troubleshooting

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  • Member since
    August 2003
  • From: Collinwood, Ohio, USA
  • 16,222 posts
Posted by gmpullman on Sunday, August 25, 2019 11:49 PM

Reminds me of the club I was once involved in.

Guys were doing a "good deed" by picking up Peco turnouts at various hobby shops, flea markets and such. After a while there were insul- electro- frog turnouts mixed in everywhere.

The "track supervisor" said it was ok to use them but only use the electrofrog on stub-end tracks. Well, before long they were everywhere and a different bunch of guys were doing the wiring without regard to type of turnout.

A real mess...

Glad you got to your source of problems. Yes, use the meter often. The Electrofrogs will be fine on short stub sidings OR gap and feed per power-routing rules.

Good Luck, Ed

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: North Dakota
  • 9,592 posts
Posted by BroadwayLion on Monday, August 26, 2019 10:26 AM

LION has a big red lamp. A 12 volt automotive lamp. It is in series with the railroad.

 

If the light comes on there is a short (and the lamp is using the power and protecting the equipment.

 

When the lamp goes out there are no more shorts.

 

Either that or you just blew out the main circuit breaker at the power companies main generating plant.

 

ROARING

The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.

Here there be cats.                                LIONS with CAMERAS

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Bradford, Ontario
  • 15,574 posts
Posted by hon30critter on Monday, August 26, 2019 10:11 PM

basementdweller
Problem resolved!!!!

I'm glad you found the problem. I'm also glad that my first analysis was correct!!! (He says boastfully!!)Smile, Wink & GrinLaughLaughLaugh

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

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