Atlas 30-deg crossover short

[kasskaboose]

Thanks Mr. B for responding.  I was worried I had a similar issue.  Long after installing Atlas turnouts, I worried about whether they were "DCC-friendly". Prob should have considered that earlier, but glad that they support DCC.

It makes sense to add feeders to all the tracks between the crossover and the turnouts. Who ever said they have too many feeders?  I was worried there was a short but I think there's not enough power since there's only one pair of feeders for about 8+ feet of track (2 feet on each part of the crossing).

Best,

Lee

[rrinker]

 It's possible. The jumpers that carry the power int he Atlas crossings (and around the frogs in the turnouts) are embedded inthin layers of plastic so if the mod failed to properly fill there could be two wires (flat strips of metal actually) with no plastic between them. The rest of the structure would keep them from touch if you just look at the crossing and touch meter leads to the rails, but weight going over it would press the two pieces into contact. Probably something like an air bubble in the feed line for the molten plastic for that section of the mold allowed an air gap instead of plastic.

                       --Randy

 

[MisterBeasley]

kasskaboose

I don't know if this issue is similar to what Mr. B. experienced here: http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/11/t/178314.aspx

No, my problem was different.  In my case, the crossing worked normally and nothing seemed wrong if I put a meter on it to measure voltages.  What I had, I believe, was a defective crossing that would short when a locomotive went over.  I assume there was a defect inside and the weight of the loco was enough to cause an internal short.

I replaced the Atlas with a Walthers crossing and the problem went away.

[richhotrain]

kasskaboose

My DCC layout has a short with an Atlas 30 deg crossing connected to code 83 ME track. Some of the tracks linked to the crossing have power and others don't.  To visual the issue, consider a compass face: there's power on tracks going in the NW-SE direction but not SW-NE.  The tracks going in NW-SE have feeder wires but not the SW-NE ones.  Should I put feeder wires on all the tracks?  If not how to resolve the issue?

Yes, put feeders on all four ends of the crossing. That way, there will be uninterrupted power across the entire crossing. If you have a "short", as Mark indicated, that is different than no power".

Let us know if all four ends of the crossing have feeders and if a short occurs.

Rich

[Mark R.]

Adding more feeders won't eliminate a "short" .... if a short is what you actually have. Big difference between "no power" and a "short".

Mark.

[kasskaboose]

So is the issue not with the wiring?  If not, why no power from the SW-NE track?

[Mark R.]

The two crossing tracks are not all connected internally. Meaning, if you connect power to one leg, all four legs do not have power - just the leg continuing through where you connected the power.

For example - one line may be the main track and the crossing track could be part of a reversing section that requires the polarity to be different. Each of the two crossing tracks ARE electrically isolated from each other.

Mark.

[kasskaboose]

Thanks to everyone for helping me with the DCC issue earlier.  My mainline works and I programmed the locos!  On to today's problem with a crossing...

My DCC layout has a short with an Atlas 30 deg crossing connected to code 83 ME track. Some of the tracks linked to the crossing have power and others don't.  To visual the issue, consider a compass face: there's power on tracks going in the NW-SE direction but not SW-NE.  The tracks going in NW-SE have feeder wires but not the SW-NE ones.  Should I put feeder wires on all the tracks?  If not how to resolve the issue?

I don't know if this issue is similar to what Mr. B. experienced here: http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/11/t/178314.aspx

Thanks!