when i try and short circuit my digitrax system by placing a metal object accross both rails i get sparking. the dcc system does shut down and then reactivite once the object is removed. but is it normal to see sparks? thank you! christian
Probably .... you are creating a dead short across anywhere from two to five amps. The sparking could be caused from your "metal object" not being perfectly clean. Remember how the old Athearn sintered iron wheels used to spark ?
Mark.
¡ uʍop ǝpısdn sı ǝɹnʇɐuƃıs ʎɯ 'dlǝɥ
There are sparks and then there are sparks.
Sparks like a train running on dirty track is one thing, not to be worries about, since the current is still being used by the train.
Arcs on the otherhand are caused by a dead short. One would think that the DCC power pack would shut down, but if it does not, then you will need more feeders because the resistance in the system, perhaps at the rail joiners, the current is not enough to trip the breakers.
LION has this issue on the railroad of him, since him uses imbedded resistors (in the track) to slow down trains as they approach the stations. Because of these resistors the current drawn only goes up to about 5 amps. (lion has meters on the circuits of him) the power pack will not notice it at all, since it is a 10 Amp power pack.
Resistors will catch fire before the power would trip.
LION uses truck taillights in series with the tracks of him, normaly the trains do not draw enough current to light the bulbs, but if there is a dead short, all of the current passes trought the lights and the light up to tell me that I have a problem.
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
If Lion actually read the opening post instead of rambling on about his DC system, him would have seen the system DOES shut down.
Over the weekend, I was trying to widen the gap on a Peco crossing to prevent wheels bridging the point where two rails of opposite polarity converge.
Uisng a metal needle file, I noticed a small spark each time the file made contact with both rails. Each time it sparked, the command station momentarily shut down. So, the sparking seems normal to me.
Rich
Alton Junction
Richho,
You could turn off the power while performing this track maintenance and thereby eliminate the possibility of shorting out the system. Ah Duh!
NP 2626 "Northern Pacific, really terrific"
Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association: http://www.nprha.org/
What did you expect? Shorting across the rails with power on is just an HO scale version of arc welding.
Charlie
Actually, using a metal file with the power on was helpful in pinpointing the source of the short. Tough to find on a crossing where there are a number of points of rail convergence of opposite polarity.
It is a crossing, no turnout capabilities.
Okay so the sparking seems normal. Thank you everyone.
Christian