I am changing over to DCC, but I seam to have a lot of shorts. I've checked and re-checked the main line feeders. Could the problem be in my turnouts & Wye's?
Homer
"Atlas" Valley Railroad
Shorts are shorts. The same things that cause shorts in DC cause shorts in DCC.
I am assuming things were ok before? How did you make the transition?
Jeff But it's a dry heat!
If you are using Walthers or some other type of turnout with non-insulated frogs, it's possible you could have created a short if you connected a feeder wire to the diverging end of a turnout. Those turnouts are designed so that the diverging ends must be insulated from a power source. The can only receive power from the point end of of the turnout. I just went through this on my layout. I had just scenicked and wired my branchline junction and suddenly discovered I had a short circuit and couldn't figure out where it was coming from. I spent most of the day yesterday trying to figure it out. I powered down each of my districts one by one until I found the one with that was causing the problem. I then began disconnecting the feeder wires in that district until I discovered the one that was causing the short. I discovered I had wired a feeder inside of the the insulated rail joiners at the diverging end of a Walthers curved turnout. I removed that feeder and PRESTO!!! No more short. The reason I didn't suspect this newly wired section immediately was because I had wired it a week earlier and had no problem with a short. I'm guessing it is because it depends on which way the turnout is alligned whether or not a short is created.
I had thing working fairly well till, I added more turnouts and more feeders. Should the new turnouts be isolated?
The track and turnouts are "Atlas", the DCC is Digitrax, I have not even been able to run a single Loco.
The system shuts down as soon as it beeps 5 times, which in the manual means a short in the track.
Homer44,
Atlas Customline turnouts are DCC ready. The only issue(and this applies to DC as well) is if you have created a 'reverse loop' or 'wye' track arrangement. Then you will need insulated gaps to prevent the short circuit.
Jim
Modeling BNSF and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin
I believe all Atlas turnouts have insulated frogs although I believe they can be wired to power the frog in which case you could have the same problems as turnouts with non-insulated frogs. If it is not that then you might have a short in your wiring. If you have multiple power districts, I would start by shutting down each district until you locate the one with problem, then one by one, remove the feeder wires until you locate the problem area. That is how I discovered my problem which you can read about in the thread "I can't find the short". If it is not in your wiring than it could be the same kind of problem that has created shorts on layouts as long as we have had electric trains. One I've done frequently is lay a metal tool down across the tracks and then forgotten about it. A derailed car with metal wheels can create a short very easily. You might try removing them.
Having just been through this, I know how frustrating it can be but with perseverance, I'm sure you'll find it. Good luck.
Homer44 The track and turnouts are "Atlas", the DCC is Digitrax, I have not even been able to run a single Loco. The system shuts down as soon as it beeps 5 times, which in the manual means a short in the track.
If it does this when there are no locos or rolling stock on the layout, then clearly there is a fault somewhere in the wiring. Make sure you take everything off the track to eliminate the possibility that it is a rolling stock issue. Then you are going to have to disconnect one section at a time to try and isolate the problem, or problems. Until you fix the shorting problem the Digitrax DCC system will not let you operate anything.
Simon Modelling CB&Q and Wabash See my slowly evolving layout on my picturetrail site http://www.picturetrail.com/simontrains and our videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/MrCrispybake?feature=mhum
It sounds like the problem I am having. Today I am going to start over one feeder @ a time. I'll be back with or without good news should all turnouts be isolated? relaying on the switch to feed them. I have some that the loco's stall in the manual turnouts
I could be wrong but I don't think it matters whether you use a manual or powered switch machine. There is no electrical connection between the switch machine and the track. Short locos can stall on insulated frogs because there is not electrical pick up there and the loco isn't getting a good connection with the wheels that remain on the powered portion of the turnout. That is why many modelers stay away from Atlas turnouts or choose to power the frogs but that introduces electrical issues as you have found out.
If you are using insulated Atlas turnouts, I don't think it is necessary to have them isolated. None of mine are. It is only the Walthers turnouts that I need to isolate.
Homer,
One thing I did when wiring my layout was to make a very simple buzzer circuit from parts picked up at Radio Shack.
A pair of aligator clips to connect to the tacks and then a buzzer and battery in series. As soon as you wire something that makes a short, current flows and the buzzer goes off. It can save a lot of heartache!
I suspect that you got the wires reversed when connecting feeders to the new track you put in before connecting the DCC system. Start there with your troubleshooting by disconnecting all of the newly installed track and reconnecting wires one at a time. This is why I always use terminal blocks for all of my track wiring.
Hi Homer44,
A way to avoid shorts caused by turnouts I put insulating fishplates on all four exit rails and feed the outlet tracks with dropper wires just beyond the turnout, this way, if you are unsure of the turnout wiring, no short will occur. It has been stated many times, but as you are new to DCC put droppers on every piece of track between every set of fishplates.
Hope this helps.
cacole I suspect that you got the wires reversed when connecting feeders to the new track you put in before connecting the DCC system. Start there with your troubleshooting by disconnecting all of the newly installed track and reconnecting wires one at a time. This is why I always use terminal blocks for all of my track wiring.
Add another vote for this one.
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
Hi Thanks for all the help, I found that one of the newly installed turnout was the problem (non-insulated frog), I cut the track and filled the cut with hot glue no more short, took a long time to check all feeders and turnout, should have quest it was sometime simple like that.