When you loop around with a crossing like that, it's easy to get confused - the rail that was closest to the bottom of the drawing is now closest to the top. And vice-versa. That's why I suggested the finger trace, if you never lift your finger, you will be on the same rail the whole time.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Jim,
Randy gave Him a good suggestion to try and I would also...Even if he used colored coded wires,he could still have the rail feeders wrong,,it's just a dead short when that happens..LA LA LA LA LA LA,,,SAVING PRIVATE RYAN..
Cheers,
Frank
zstripe The trains are running,,,he just has a problem with the inner figure 8,,misplaced,insulated rail joiner,or crossed wire....It's not hard for anyone being new,to make a mistake,,,even experts,make them.. Cheers, Frank
The trains are running,,,he just has a problem with the inner figure 8,,misplaced,insulated rail joiner,or crossed wire....It's not hard for anyone being new,to make a mistake,,,even experts,make them..
Sounds like he crossed a feeder in the figure 8. If a outside rail is positive polarity on 1/2 of a figure 8, the other 1/2 will have outside rail negative polarity. I would start there.
And the saga continues..................................
Jim
zstripe The trains are running,,,he just has a problem with the inner figure 8,,misplaced,insulated rail joiner,or crossed wire....It's not hard for anyone being new,to make a mistake,,,even experts,make them..
That sounds to me like the trains are not running.
Newbie or not, how hard can this be? We are into the second month of this ongoing problem with a simple layout. I'm just saying that the OP is making this way too complicated, and that is the problem.
Rich
Alton Junction
richhotrain Wow, 1385 views and 48 replies to a "very basic wiring question".
Wow, 1385 views and 48 replies to a "very basic wiring question".
Just to update my previous comment, Wow, now 1,939 views and 62 replies to a "very basic wiring question".
This has been going on since August 28th, and trains are still not running?
Isn't this all we are talking about? How hard can this be?
My sense is that the OP is making this much to difficult in terms of wiring, switches, blocks, power packs, whatever.
Brad,
There is nothing,more that I can add,to what Randy said,,that would be my guess also..
Sounds like probably some gaps on the wrong side, and feeders on the wrong side, so it is shorting when the train runs into the inner part. Start at some part where it works, and put your finger on the rail with the insualted joiners in it, then trace around never lofting your finger with the switches set to make the train enter the inner part where it doesn't. If you start seeing the insulated joiners on the rail you AREN'T touching, there's the problem.
Hello All,
Well, we got it running.The outside circle and the yards run very good and powerful.However, not the inner figure 8.It's not working at all.And it seems to overload the controllers.I changed switches but that didn't help.So I figure that I need to rewire it, but maybe it needs more power?Or something seems to tell me that the insulators are not in the right locations?
We're getting there,Brad
richhotrain floridaflyer I was thinking the same thing RICH. My computer may not have enough memory should a complicated question arise Rich
floridaflyer I was thinking the same thing RICH. My computer may not have enough memory should a complicated question arise
I was thinking the same thing RICH. My computer may not have enough memory should a complicated question arise
Sounds to me that it is already running,,pretty slow....
Come to think of it,,We should have mentioned that to the OP,when he asked for a source for wire,,I got 6 conductor,18 gauge solid copper wire,from a telephone guy,,25 ft of it to be exact,,,for free,you surely,can't beat that price..
Yep, I use the 4 conductor type for switch machines.
Those telephone wire cables,do come in handy though,for Model Railroad use,,especially in interior lighting for buildings and such,,how about the ''Candy Cane'' colored ones?
Texas Zepher Soo Line fanThere are only so many colors that are used on wiring. No such thing as aqua and chartreuse. Really? Those colors, well similar non-prime, are available in 100 pair telephone cables.
Soo Line fanThere are only so many colors that are used on wiring. No such thing as aqua and chartreuse.
I thought we were discussing the under dash photo I posed, since you did inquire about service information. My example was in response to Franks complaint about all black OTR wiring with some examples of automotive wiring.
Since I do not work in the phone industry, will not comment on what they use.
50 pair phone cables actually have 2 of every color combination. When hooking them up you either use a tone generator or since many times the terminations are just crimps or punches, if it's the wrong pair you just redo it.
Yeah,,,We are just,passing time,,waiting for the OP,to respond,with his new wiring..Hopefully,,,the Thread won't be locked,,before we find out..
JIM,
Are you saying? I fell off a '' Turnip Truck ''?
Texas Zepher Soo Line fanThis is muddled Actually that doesn't look that bad. I'm guessing there is a service manual somewhere that says exactly what the each of those color/size wires is.
Soo Line fanThis is muddled
The manuals are all electronic, paper is virtually gone. If I write a procedure and a change is needed, it is easy to go and edit it. Once a paper book is printed, it will always be a problem, even with a update because half the time the update is lost or nobody is aware of it.
zstripe A lot of the Big semi tractors,IH, Peterbilt and Freightliner,that I have worked on,,had all black wires,,with little white tags attached to them,with black numbers,,,if you did not have a schematic,,good luck!! Cheers, Frank
A lot of the Big semi tractors,IH, Peterbilt and Freightliner,that I have worked on,,had all black wires,,with little white tags attached to them,with black numbers,,,if you did not have a schematic,,good luck!!
There are only so many colors that are used on wiring. No such thing as aqua and chartreuse. After the basic colors are used up, they can add a tracer. But again there are only so many combinations. But when you have a single control module with 100 to 200 wires. And maybe 20 other control modules of similar configuration, the wire colors have to be repeated.
So it is good service practice is to use different colors within a single connector. The connector number and terminal number is more important than the color. Color becomes important when opening up a harness and tracing a wire. Color is also a good sanity check when looking at a connector.
Thing is, those ARE color coded. The OP really only needs 2 colors of wire, one for the switched rail and oen for the common rail side.
Those are,,,,''Fruit Loops''...
zstripewhat I meant by,(muddled),,all different,kinds of wires and no color code,as to what they are for..It is easy for anyone,to make a wiring mistake that way.
This is muddled
RetGM Jim, I yield to your count of wires, but I meant the term "muddled" to indicate the maze of connected wireing...my bad. Thanks for correcting the track diagram. Respectfully, JWH
Jim, I yield to your count of wires, but I meant the term "muddled" to indicate the maze of connected wireing...my bad. Thanks for correcting the track diagram. Respectfully, JWH
Retgm,
JWH,,Go back at the beginning,of the OP's post,he sent some pics,,,,then maybe you will understand,,what I meant by,(muddled),,all different,kinds of wires and no color code,as to what they are for..It is easy for anyone,to make a wiring mistake that way..