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Ye olde track fault message

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  • Member since
    August 2013
  • 131 posts
Posted by chipset35 on Wednesday, December 7, 2022 9:12 AM

Hi Scott,

The DCC unit is a Zephyr I bought last winter.

Here is a BIG update.

I removed some track and now the loop is in two halves.

I installed curved track and thus created 2 seperate loops.

The left loop now works perfectly.

The right loop causes a fault.

So now I know, it has something to do with the track in that newly created right loop.

Once I get it working, I will then reconnect both loops and it should work.

Providing, I find the bad track....took hours to do this !

UPDATE:

Fixed, bad track found and loop now works as a whole

UPDATE 2:

Everythign was fine, when all of a sudden while running trains, every train slowed down and then eventually to a halt after crossing that same halfway point in the loop. Again, trying to add more feeders to that side results in faults as well, even before the fault returned.

Very perplexed.

 

UPDATE 3:

Removed all the track and replaced piece by piece until problem track found.

Working again, but worried if this is going to be a habit.

  • Member since
    March 2012
  • 219 posts
Posted by Lakeshore Sub on Wednesday, December 7, 2022 7:56 AM

Hi Chipset.

It would be helpfull to know which Digitrax unit you are referring to for the LCD but I have a feeling that it is a one of the later Zephys.   Is that correct?

After looking up the Kato extension cords to see what they were I have a couple of questions.  1.  how are the exension cords hooked up to your Zephyr?   2.  Are you getting the short circuits all of the time or just come of the time?

A little more information would help.

Thanks,

Scott Sonntag

 

  • Member since
    August 2013
  • 131 posts
Ye olde track fault message
Posted by chipset35 on Wednesday, December 7, 2022 7:31 AM

I keep getting track faults on my Digitrax LCD, despite only using 2 Kato three prong extention cords to give power to 6 Kato feeders (3 on each).

Simple loop, no reversing loop.

I do have a few turnouts that are just stubs which terminate.

When I just use the closest and original 3 prong extention all is fine but once the locos get halfway thru the loop they slow down and eventually stop from seemingly lack of power.

Adding that 2nd 3 prong extention with 3 more feeders to that part of the simple loop causes the fault.

Been struggling with this all week.

Any suggestions?

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