New to the forum,
Have a new code 100 turnout in a layout with eight. This one turnout just buzzes. Any ideas as to why this is occurring? My power pack goes up to 20 volts as an FYI.
1) What scale (I'm guessing HO)
2) What brand of turnout
3) How do you throw the switch points? Manually or by an electric motor?
If electrical, what kind of switch machines? what are you using to to throw the switch machine? Toggle switch, Atlas push buttons, etc?
4) Is your layout DC or DCC?
5) What brand and model of controller?
The more information you provide, the quicker the correct answer will come.
"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination."-Albert Einstein
http://gearedsteam.blogspot.com/
Welcome aboard!
I suspect the control button that you're using to power it. It's supposed to be a single-pole, double-throw momentary contact toggle. If it's not momentary contact, or if it is but the toggle gets stuck in the ON position, you will be powering the machine constantly, and it won't last long. As a side note, the little blue-on-black buttons that Atlas provides with these turnouts have historically had a high rate of failure.
Or, does the turnout only buzz when the button is pressed, but it doesn't throw the points? That's usually a symptom that you're not getting enough power to the machine. You may have too long a wire run, which reduces available power at the end of the wire. One solution is to get or build a capacitive discharge circuit, which will not only give you more power, but will also protect your turnouts from burnout if a toggle sticks.
A third possibility is that you got glue on the throwbar when installing the turnout or ballasting. If the points don't move freely, this could be the problem. The switch machines, even with a CD circuit, can only apply so much force. If the throwbar is glued in place, or if it's sticky and hard to move, you'll also get a buzz but no motion.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
My guess is that you are supplying continuous AC to the turnout motor. Twin coil switch machines require momentary contact power.
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
Geared Steam 1) What scale (I'm guessing HO) 2) What brand of turnout 3) How do you throw the switch points? Manually or by an electric motor? If electrical, what kind of switch machines? what are you using to to throw the switch machine? Toggle switch, Atlas push buttons, etc? 4) Is your layout DC or DCC? 5) What brand and model of controller? The more information you provide, the quicker the correct answer will come.
DITTO
Give us more info
Turnouts don't buzz. It has to be something wrong with the power source.
Rich
Alton Junction
Thanks for the info guys, It is an Atlas switch, which is powered by an old Tyco power pack up to 20 volts. There are eight switches on the layout and seven work fine. THe run from this switch to the power pack or rather the Atlas switch itself is about 2 feet. It is my first layout and this switch is wired the same as the other seven.
Thanks.
Bennett
Sorry, it is HO scale with Atlas track and turnouts. Electric motor turnouts. The controller is an old Tyco from the 1970's, because it has up to 20 volts and has not trouble powering the switches.
One more thing. The power source is a Tyco 899B and I noticed in the normal or N mode, when you press the button on the switch machine it will cut the power to a moving locomotive.
Sounds like maybe you have the wires connected to the controller button in the wrong order. Or just a bad controller button - they DO fail with alarming regularity as they are fairly cheap plastic pushbuttons.
Somethign that will help protect agains damage, and also keep from slowing down the trains, is a capacitor discharge power supply. Sounds complicated and technical but it's not. Two wires hook to the power pack where you currently connect the pushbuttons, and the pushbuttons connect to two wires on the capcitor discharge unit. Circuitron makes one called the Snapper. Inexepsnive and they will make the turnouts snap into position reliably, and also limit the current if a button gets stuck or you hold it down too long, which can burn out the coils. Particularly if you have one wired wrong nad it buzzes when the power is turned out - it's goign to get hot and burn out, if it hasn;t already. They can;t take continuous power.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Hi,
Like others said, it boils down to the turnout controller switch (either a defective or miswired) or a defective or miswired turnout motor. My first try would be to check all the wiring, and then replace the turnout controller.
Hope you get it resolved, and spend a whole lot of years to come "playing with trains"...............
ENJOY !
Mobilman44
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
Thank you for the advice. I will check my wiring and then the control button unit. Where would this snapper mount. On my control board or under the layout?
Dunn, NC
Mobil,
If the wiring is ok and replacing the controller switch does not work, then a new turnout unit will be in order? Thanks.
Bennett One more thing. The power source is a Tyco 899B and I noticed in the normal or N mode, when you press the button on the switch machine it will cut the power to a moving locomotive.
Is this the case with all of your turnouts, or just the one that's giving you trouble?
In general, it's not a good idea to power your trains and your turnouts from the same source. The turnouts will draw a big chunk of power when energized, and that will drop the voltage to your locomotives and you'll see them slow or stall.
To diagnose your problem, try swapping the wires between two of the control buttons. When you push them, either the problem will "move" to a different switch machine, indicating the button is bad, or stay on the same one, which will tell you the problam is at the turnout.
Thanks again. Actually, there are two cabs for this layout. The Tyco power source is the cab wired for the turnouts, which is by the Atlas plans for the trunk line layout. The other cab runs another line of track.