I had one Exactly Like this that was baffling not to long ago. I definatley agree with the process of Elimination. The problem I had was one of the throws; the metal piece by the points was a little bent and caused the short as it touched to many rails.
Before you start tearing things apart Double check in this order.
1. remove all engines and rolling stock from the layout.
2. Check that there is not metal crossing the rails. Screwdrivers, boxknives, nails, screws, putty knives etc.
3. Be sure all lead and bus wires are not bare and touching.
If these are all cleared I suggest the 1/2 method suggested by one of the readers. Isolate half of the layout. If that clears, Isolate half of the affected one so on an so forth. You could save yourself a lot of time.
Once again before tearing it all out, if you can get some pics of it maybe it's something obvious that someone here will pick out.
Springfield PA
If you assembled it from premade sections that used to work OK before I agree that the first thing to do is isolate the sections and test them individually. It's possible that you connected them together wrong. If not, at least you will know in which section the problem exists.
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
Thanks for al your help, my neighbor and I are going to start going over it this weekend. We'll start by disconnecting the 4' addition, and work at isolating areas from there, if that fails we will start over with a rewire, hope it doesn't come to that. Have copied all your replies and will go step by step. It's great to have a forum such as this when you get into trouble. Thank you, Richard
gregc Phoebe Vet: I would start over. Disconnect all the track leads and connect them one at a time, testing after each connection. don't know if this is obvious, but if you can simply break one connection so that half the layout is disconnected, you can isolate the problem to one half or the other. if the short disappears, then it in the half that was disconnected. so reconnect the wires, and break another connection to disconnect the last quarter of the layout. similarly, if the short didn't go away, break another connection to split the half still connected, and so on.
Phoebe Vet: I would start over. Disconnect all the track leads and connect them one at a time, testing after each connection.
don't know if this is obvious, but if you can simply break one connection so that half the layout is disconnected, you can isolate the problem to one half or the other. if the short disappears, then it in the half that was disconnected. so reconnect the wires, and break another connection to disconnect the last quarter of the layout. similarly, if the short didn't go away, break another connection to split the half still connected, and so on.
Greg, I agree with you. The process of elimination can go a long way toward speeding up finding the problem with the wiring.
Rich
Alton Junction
Phoebe Vet I would start over. Disconnect all the track leads and connect them one at a time, testing after each connection.
greg - Philadelphia & Reading / Reading
Since it worked before you moved it, I'm guessing that during the move two uninsulated wire joints ended up in contact with each other. Hopefully, the wiring was done in a reasonably systematic way, so you can trace through it, because I'm afraid you're going to have to.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Before you do a complete rewire, do as others have suggested and disconnect as many feeder wires as you can till the short disappears. Then, you have found your problem.
I haven't been able to run the layout because the Digitrax cintroller is showing a short, and the engine I try wont work, As a last resort my intention is to do a complete rewire,
thanks I'll start that tonight
If, as it sounds, you have never run the layout I would start over. Disconnect all the track leads and connect them one at a time, testing after each connection.
A track diagram would help us look for any accidental reverse loops or something similar.
Welcome to the Forums
Can you post a pic of the layout?
I would start backing off the iinstallation and test as you do so. Just undo it in reverse order until the short clears. Before doing so though find the feeder wires which go to the rails. All of the rails that are on the left side of a train as it travels should connect together. Same thing for the right. You might have accidentally crossed the bus if you have one.
I've been a couch modeller for many years, just bought a friends railroad, and moved it 500km, put as much back together as I had room for, all continuous loops, checked every thing and have a short, it's DCC, have gone over every thing and stilll a short, it has a turn table but its not installed, it worked when disassembled, there's about a dozen turnouts, and presently measures about 4x 12 any suggestions where to look before I flip it on its side and start going over every wire, Rick