Keep getting a short circuit error

[jammin.madrid]

I am operating my HO layout with a EZ DCC comand system from bachmann. It is a beginning layout so the section of track is 8 feet. Right now I am searching for my soldering tin so the wires are not soldered yet. I figured that I could just ensure that the wires were touching the rail. However when I power up the command station I get a short ciruit error. I checked and and there is nothing across the rails. Does anyone know why I am getting this error? Or do I need to solder the rails to the wires? Or is there something else that I am missing?

[selector]

It is something else.  I have forgotten nearly everything about this system.  Are you talking about the EZ-Command from Bachmann?  I don't recall how the wires get connected to the EZ-Command, but is it possible you have them on the wrong posts?  Do you have turnouts that might be on a siding?  It could be that they are causing a short if they are of the power routing kind.  If you do have a siding, try separating a pair of joiners between the two turnouts and see if the short indication goes away.  If it does, one or both turnouts is where you have the trouble.

-Crandell

[richg1998]

 Take your multimeter and use the ohms scale to check and see if there really is a short.

Also could be a defective controller.

Is there a short with the two wires disconnected from the track?

Rich

[cacole]

Disconnect one of the wires from the track and see if you still get a short.  If not, reconnect it and disconnect the other wire.  If still no short, then the problem is definitely somewhere in the track when both are connected. 

When you say the section of track is 8 feet, does it have any turnouts, crossovers, or a turn-around loop in it?  If it's only 8 feet of track and not a loop, there should be no short in it anywhere.  How are you fastening the wire to the track? 

[jammin.madrid]

Crandell - It is the EZ-Command system, however, I am not using the EZ-track from bachmann. I believe that they are flextrack from Atlas. I do have one turnout right now, but the track is suppose to represent recently abandoned track. Do you think that I should try and insulate that track since it will be unused? And yes, the turnout just ends in a stub, it doesn't go anywhere. Rich - There is no short when one or both of the wires are disconnected from the track. Cacole - I have disconnected one wire, no short. Reconnected, then disconnected the other wire, still no short. Like I said before I only have one turnout, and it is recently abandoned track and it ends in a stub. As for the wires, until I find the soldering tin, I am using a metal rail joiner to pin the wire against the rail, originally, When I was testing the short circuit theory, I was holding both of the wires and letting the copper touch the top of the rail, which I had just cleaned with some goof off. Could my using of goof off caused some problem?

[Hamltnblue]

 Goof off isn't the issue.  Do you have any turnouts?  Also do you have the ability to take a pic of the layout and post it?  Also make sure there are no loco's or rolling stock and see if you still have a short.

 

[cacole]

Try sliding the rail joiners off the end of the turnout nearest the power supply connections and see if the short goes away.  If so, then the problem is a short in the turnout and you'll have to replace it or remove it and find out where the problem is.

[jammin.madrid]

 I will try to take a picture of it, the problem is is that the turnout is in the middle of the layout and from what I have gathered form everyone, I have stupidly gone ahead and ballasted the track...  All well I guess there is no harm in reballasting...

[MisterBeasley]

First, just to cover all the bases, make sure that one wire goes to each rail.  Connecting both wires to the same rail will give you a short every time.  If this turns out to be your problem, you probably need to get a basic book on layout wiring.  I'm assuming that you're already beyond this, but you never know.

Next - are there any locomotives or rolling stock on the track?  Take them all off and try again.

Do you have a Kadee coupler gauge?  If not, get one because it's a great tool, but that's not your problem here.  But, if you have a Kadee coupler gauge on the track, it's a dead short across the rails.  It's not meant to be used on powered track.

Do you have track bumpers on the ends of your sidings?  Who made them?  There are some of these (Tomar comes to mind) which are dead shorts.  The instructions say not to connect them to the track at the end (they're very short) but rather to mount them with a small gap so there is no short to the tracks.

What brand of turnout do you have?  They have different electrical properties, and knowing what you have might help if none of my offbeat suggestions pans out.

[jammin.madrid]

I cleared the short error.  For some reason the "abandoned" track was causing the short.  Fortunately I had not ballasted that part yet.  I diconnected the track from the turnout and that cleared it right up.  Now can anyone explain why this track that I wasn't even planning on using caused a short?  I do plan to reconnect the track, but I will get some insulated connectors.  Thank you everyone for your time.

[MisterBeasley]

What kind of track and what kind of turnout?

Were there any wires at all going to the track?

[selector]

There must be a metal/conductive bridge of some kind between the rails.  Maybe a thin strand of wire inadvertently left nearby that got snagged.  If all there are is two rails on plastic ties, then there should be no manufacturing problem, but some other artifact.  Weird, but what other logical explanation is there?

-Crandell

[jeffrey-wimberly]

 

jammin.madrid

I cleared the short error.  For some reason the "abandoned" track was causing the short.  Fortunately I had not ballasted that part yet.  I diconnected the track from the turnout and that cleared it right up.  Now can anyone explain why this track that I wasn't even planning on using caused a short?  I do plan to reconnect the track, but I will get some insulated connectors.  Thank you everyone for your time.

The only thing I can think of is that when the spur track was connected it pushed one of the rails of the turnout and caused it to come in contact with a rail of opposite polarity causing a short. When the track was disconnected the offending piece of rail was pulled back slightly. I've had this happen a few times in the past with an Atlas turnout. A close examination of the turnout is in order.

[jammin.madrid]

I just think that I am going have to get back there and investigate.  Thanks everyone for your help!

[Hamltnblue]

 Someone noted it earlier but there wasn't a metal bumper at the end of the track was there?