I need help . . . I know this sounds way dumb, but whenever I switch a Shinohara turnout on the main line to the diverging route, the whole main line goes dead and the short circuit light comes on.
What have I done?
did you make a gap in the rails just past the frog? was it doing this all along or did it just start? does the diverging route rejoin the main at any point?
grizlump
Check to see if there are little brass wipers that go under the stock rails as the points close. Sometimes they form a 'make before break' contact, AKA short circuit.
Since the short only exists for some fraction of a millisecond, analog DC systems would hardly notice. A DCC system, with its all-but-instantaneous short circuit detector/breaker, WILL notice it - every time.
Check your open points. If you see a little bit of gleaming copper where the throw bar crosses under the points or stock rail, you have found the problem. I leave determining how to amputate the offender as an exercise for the student.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in Septmeber, 1964 - with hand-laid specialwork)
Chuck is right.I've had the same problem but since it was only two turnouts I had on a test loop...I threw them away.My layout will be Peco....
All you have to do to eliminate this problem is put insulated rail joiners on both rails that diverge from the frog, and then attach separate power feeder wires beyond the frog. I even do this with Peco turnouts and have never had a problem.