I can't answer why one locomotive worked and the other didnt. But what I can suggest is tinning wires where they enter a screw terminal, tinned wires dont have stray strands.
Last unanswered question... why did the steam loco (Par2) stop intermittenly and not the diesel (Par3)? Both BLI. For some reason the one loco caused the short to happen and not the other. At least until the entire layout shorted out. BTW they both run fine now.
Gary
Come to think of it I was doing some hammering
A single strnad of wire - temperature change, a stiff breeze even.
It's a subset of Muprhy's Law, if there is a single loose strand of wire not caught up in the joint, it WILL eventually make contact with the oppoosite terminal. Screw terminal, crimp connector, even soldered joint - doesn't matter, it WILL eventually find itself causing a short.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
gdelmoro I understand what y'all are saying but what I can't figure out is HOW wires connected to a stationary device suddenly move and cause a short.
I understand what y'all are saying but what I can't figure out is HOW wires connected to a stationary device suddenly move and cause a short.
Rich
Alton Junction
You do need to be careful with stranded wire, especially if sticking it into screw terminals. As you have seen, only 1 strand needs to be out of place to cause a very baffling problem. Once stripped, the end should be tightly twisted. For screw terminals it is actually not recommended to tin the ends, which would contain the individual strands, so you just have to be careful that all streands are inside the terminal. A magnifier like an Optivisor can help, especially with smaller wire. If there are 2 individual wires, or a 2 conductor wire is pulled apart an inch or so past the stripped part, sometimes it's helpful to sweep a small screwdriver through the space between the terminals to make sure there are no stray strands - though that doesn't mean that later movement of the wire couldn't cause a stray strand or two to short.
gdelmoro You can't make this stuff up. The other day the mainline EB1 was suddenly shorted. I took everything off the tracks. Still shorted. Everything was working fine (except for that P2 Steam Loco). I switched out the EB1 with a new one - Same Result, shorted. What's going on? Next I vacuumed the entire layout and checked for any visible short. finally, I disconnected the tracks - Still shorted. The other 3 EB1's (2 Yards and a Program Track) all working. Pulling the ONE hair I have left on my head out I disconnected the wires feeding the EB1 and replaced them. WA-LA. Apparently there was a STRAND of one loose and close enough to cause a short. WTH! How does something like this happen? It's not like they are moving parts!
You can't make this stuff up. The other day the mainline EB1 was suddenly shorted. I took everything off the tracks. Still shorted. Everything was working fine (except for that P2 Steam Loco). I switched out the EB1 with a new one - Same Result, shorted. What's going on? Next I vacuumed the entire layout and checked for any visible short. finally, I disconnected the tracks - Still shorted. The other 3 EB1's (2 Yards and a Program Track) all working. Pulling the ONE hair I have left on my head out I disconnected the wires feeding the EB1 and replaced them. WA-LA. Apparently there was a STRAND of one loose and close enough to cause a short. WTH! How does something like this happen? It's not like they are moving parts!
Going to test the steam loco today.
gdelmoro Regarding the decoder, what am I looking for? Disconnected wires?
Regarding the decoder, what am I looking for? Disconnected wires?
gdelmoro Yes it shorts on straight track too.
Yes it shorts on straight track too.
gdelmoro Are you thinking there is something wrong with the track/wiring/NCE?
Are you thinking there is something wrong with the track/wiring/NCE?
I ask that because one suggestion by Randy is that the pilot wheels may be touching the frame and shorting. That could be but if the shorts also occur on straight sections of track, that would sort of rule out a pilot wheel problem.
No there were 2 locos sent back, the SD7 had to go back 2x because after the decoder installation it came back damaged (handrails and front plow) the other was a P2 NW4 switcher that just stopped (they still have that one). There was a problem with a third Paragon 3 2-8-2 never shutting off and they sent me a new decoder which turned out not to be the problem. I shut the NCE power when I'm done and apparently depending on the condition when shut down the loco will come on when powered up. Got that solved now. This loco we are discussing has been running fine until now. Are you thinking there is something wrong with the track/wiring/NCE?
gdelmoro The previous problem was with a Paragon3 SD7 which BLI sent a new decoder. That loco now runs fine all over the layout.
The previous problem was with a Paragon3 SD7 which BLI sent a new decoder. That loco now runs fine all over the layout.
Back to your current problem. Does the loco short on straight sections of track as well as curves?
If it happens other than just on curves it's probably not a wheel/frame contact problem.
If it IS the decoder, glad I don't have any of those. Bunch of peopel at the club have the Paragon2 Reading T-1's and they get plenty fo run time and I haven't heard of any problems. I remember they day the shipment arrived, when we were set up for a show. Pre-orders plus stock for our store. Everyone of course wanted to run theirs, plus we test ran any that people bought, and I don't recall a single DOA. There were some programming issues because of the smoke unit but after turning that off, no real issues - just the usual finicky connection between the tender and loco.
Hey, wait, didn't this happen to you with a different loco(s) in April?
Does it short only on curves or also on straight track?
Hard to disagree with Randy, but I would be more inclined to question the decoder. Paragon 2 has had its share of problems.
Thanks Randy,
How do I repair the blackening?
When it's running it is smothe and quiet so probably not the gears??
Pilot or trailing truck making contact witht he frame on the curve? The blackening tends to act as an insulator but with repeated contact it eventually wears off.
Rods or gears binding up, causing excessive current draw?
Internal wire rubbing on some moving part, finally wore the insulation away?
On DCC layout - NCE Power-Pro w/Radio - running layout about 2 years. This loco was running fine. Now it randomly started to stop and then restart. I noticed that the Mainline EB-1 was tripped. If I moved the loco 5 - 10" it would come back on and run again. Sometimes it would run around the layout until I stopped it then if I tried to move it again the breaker would trip. Sometimes it shorted out on a curve so I checked the track, cleaned the track and loco wheels but same problem on this curve. Other locos run smooth over the layout and the curve.
Any ideas?