I am in the process of building a modified version of MR's Virginian project railroad. I just laid out the main line and wanted to test it out. I hooked up my NCE Power Cab to one of the switches with a pair of alligator clips and the system powered on. I set my engine on the tracks and all the usually sounds started, but a few seconds later the Power Cab screen when blank and the red LED on the PCP panel went out. A second or two later it powered back up and it continued to do this. So I hook it up a single piece of flex track and everything worked great with no issues. Other than Atlas code 83 flex track on the main I have four switches 2 are Atlas 22" snap switches an Peco #5 Insulfrog and a Shinohara 6 1/2 curved turnout. I know the issue lays within one of the turnouts and I was under the impression that nothing had to be done to these switches to use them. I a bit of a novice to DCC and any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
John
John.
If I remember correctly the Shinohara turnout needs insulated joiners on the two rails coming off the frog.
http://www.wiringfordcc.com/switches.htm
Other than that look for something on the tracks, maybe a metal bumper at the end of a siding without insulating a rail stumps someone sometimes.
Pete
I pray every day I break even, Cause I can really use the money!
I started with nothing and still have most of it left!
locoi1sa John. If I remember correctly the Shinohara turnout needs insulated joiners on the two rails coming off the frog. http://www.wiringfordcc.com/switches.htm Other than that look for something on the tracks, maybe a metal bumper at the end of a siding without insulating a rail stumps someone sometimes. Pete
Pete, Thanks for the information, it's sad I was just looking at that site and completely missed the insulated joiners. I will try that tomorrow and hopefully everything will be peachy.
You need the insulating joiners only if the Walthers/Shinohara turnout is power-routing and whose frog "faces" another frog. No problem if the turnout simply leads to a stub track. And if it is DCC friendly, the frog is already insulated.
Dante
John,
The PowerCab symptoms you describe are the classic signs of a short. Although this could be in your turnouts, you might also check to see if you have a reversing section or loop. If your track plan is such that there is a place where a given locomotive may arrive facing one direction one time and the opposite direction the nest time? If so, you have a reversing section which will require either a DPDT switch to change the DCC phasing or, preferably, an auto reverser which will do that automatically.
Good luck hunting down the culprit!
If you have secured your track (caulk or nails) but have not soldered your joiners, can you create sections to test by sliding the joiners back and ensuring the rail ends do not touch (slide in a piece of paper). Many people trim back their ties a bit where the rails join so they can slide the joiners as they lay the track...don't know if you did this.Then test the sections to narrow down where the problem is. Encourage use of a multi-meter to check for shorts; just set to resistance mode and see if the rails are isolated (reads infinite resistance) or shorted (reads zero resistance like when you touch the meter probes together). You can get an adequate meter for these purposes at a box store for about $15.
Paul
Modeling HO with a transition era UP bent
Thanks for all the help I first removed the Shinohara switch and the Power Cab operated flawlessly. So I put insulated rail joiners coming off of the frogs and that cured my issues.