I have a dead spot on my railroad, and I am trying to find a way to get rid of it. I use Atlas code 100 track, and an MRC Prodigy Advance Squared wired directly to the track. The dead spot is where the yard (I have only built my first section for my railroad) meets the turnout from the main line/staging track. there is another one in a small siding, but I decided to leave that one there for now, as it won't normaly have a locomotive there.
It would help if you post a diagram showing all the track and all the wire connections.
But let me take a shot in the dark. Make sure you have power connections on both sides of the switches.
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
have you thought of running a power feed to the dead spot?
Springfield PA
Yes I have, and I am in the process of puting one in, but I don't want to mess up my layout any more. I already had to drill through the layout benchwork, and I don't have much access to the underside. In fact, I have yet to construct the benches that the layout will rest opon. It still only has the scenic base, and the layout itself
What type of turnouts are you using? Are they power-routing, and if so, they should power what lies beyond them if you are using metal joiners. If they don't route power past the frog, then yes, you will have to power them with their own pairs of feeders.
It's the way she goes. Too bad you have to mar your upper surface though. Most of us build the supports and framing, then layer on the top surface and get access for wiring from below.
1. I didn't chose the way I am building my layout for nothing, I chose it because I wanted to make a portable model railroad.
2. The dead spots are on single track pieces only.
3. I am using pass through/isolated rail/DCC compatable turnouts that route power through the frog, but keep the same polarity on all tracks.
4. If I run my locomotive over one at high speed, it keeps going like the pink rabbit with the drum and sunglasses.
5. Isn't the PA2 kind of overkill with the amps for now?
You're going to have to add more feeders, no real way around it. The "just two wires to the track" idea might apply to the simplest of simple layout, but when it getsmore complicated, especially when you add turnouts, extra feeders are just the way it goes. Rail joiners just are not reliable conductors of electricity, and the more joints you add, the worse it gets.
If the stailling is right ON the turnout, you might have to just wire some jumpers at that point, not feeders back to the DCC system - You didn't mention what brand turnout you are using, but the Walthers/Shinohara ones, for example, keep the polarity the same by using little tabs that touch the point rail to the stock rail. Not very reliable, especially after painting the rail and ballasting. A simple jumper wire soldered between the appropriate rails makes it perfectly reliable.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
You can determine if one or more of the joiners is not conducting electricity by a simple test. You let the engine go until it stalls, and then take a wooden dowel and press fairly firmly on the joints on either side of the engine. Where you get a restoration of power will be where your problem joiner is. You can replace it with a new one, which often yields no improvement, or you can try shimming under the area if a closer inspection suggests deficient support in the roadbed below the joint, or you can simply solder the joiner and call it a permanent joint....which will permanently work as a conductor of electricity for you.
My theory for number of feeders:
One feeder for every piece of rail that is not soldered to a rail that already has a feeder. That includes the little piece of track on crossovers, etc. Lot easier to put "too many" in while laying track.
Martin Myers
rrinker You're going to have to add more feeders, no real way around it. The "just two wires to the track" idea might apply to the simplest of simple layout, but when it getsmore complicated, especially when you add turnouts, extra feeders are just the way it goes. Rail joiners just are not reliable conductors of electricity, and the more joints you add, the worse it gets. If the stailling is right ON the turnout, you might have to just wire some jumpers at that point, not feeders back to the DCC system - You didn't mention what brand turnout you are using, but the Walthers/Shinohara ones, for example, keep the polarity the same by using little tabs that touch the point rail to the stock rail. Not very reliable, especially after painting the rail and ballasting. A simple jumper wire soldered between the appropriate rails makes it perfectly reliable. --Randy
I run Atlas Mark 3 Snap switches. I believe I did mention that before.
selector You can determine if one or more of the joiners is not conducting electricity by a simple test. You let the engine go until it stalls, and then take a wooden dowel and press fairly firmly on the joints on either side of the engine. Where you get a restoration of power will be where your problem joiner is. You can replace it with a new one, which often yields no improvement, or you can try shimming under the area if a closer inspection suggests deficient support in the roadbed below the joint, or you can simply solder the joiner and call it a permanent joint....which will permanently work as a conductor of electricity for you.
I am not using any roadbed at this time because I am making a yard. I will only use roadbed where there are few tracks (e.g. Scenic Main Line sections, Towns w/o industries, etc.)
I think I know what's happening.
Does anyone know if bachmann EZ command Locomotives are known for shorting out non bachmann track?
MRCProdigyrailroader I think I know what's happening. Does anyone know if bachmann EZ command Locomotives are known for shorting out non bachmann track?
I can't imagine how such a thing would even be possible. I have one that runs just fine on code 100 and code 83 Atlas switches, Atlas flex and Atlas sectional track.
The odd thing about this problem is that it only happens on certain rail joiners on the main line. Once I go over one, every thing seems fine.
Try soldering your track joints. Never depend on rail joiners to get power from one section to another.
Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running BearSpace Mouse for president!15 year veteran fire fighterCollector of Apple //e'sRunning Bear EnterprisesHistory Channel Club life member.beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam
I'm trying to model 1956, not live in it.
What he said. And since you are not using roadbed, I can almost guarantee that your track is not snug against and/or perfectly and evenly supported at all points by the surface you are mounting the track too. That tiny bit of vertical float in your track will cause the rail joiners to "work" as a train passes over. Eventually, electrical conductivity through the rail joiner "knife edge" becomes less than reliable. Transporting, moving, or carrying a portable layout is likely to add to the "working" of the rail joiners. As Selector said, you can troubleshoot by applying pressure to the joints nearest the loco when it is stalled to determine which joint/rail joiner is causing the problem.
There is no simple siver bullet for this problem, just like there is no simple single silver bullet for getting rid of all derailments. As previously stated, the bullet-proof way around the problem is to add feeders to every section of rail that is not soldered to a rail with a feeder. In the meantime, adding feeders to just the track sections where the dead spots are will temporarily solve the problem. Over the long term, I suspect you will see more of these issues. Another help in delaying the onset of dead spots is to use fresh, tight rail joiners every time you take apart or put track together again.
my thoughts, your choices
Fred W
I would need a cold heat because the track is on foam.
let me try a lighter. that might do it if it's hot enough.
A lighter would be among the last things I try on top of a layout whose surface you are trying to avoid marring even more. That's just me.
The plastic ties will take more of the beating from applying solder heat to the rails than will the foam. Also, soldering done properly, with proper equipment and materials, will result in no damage at all. For example, you can apply small paper clamps to the rails on either side of the join to act as heat sinks. A hot enough iron, and one with enough bulk, will allow you to solder the joint in under three seconds.
I'd be surprised that you can't solder the track without melting the foam - after all, the ties shouldn't melt.
If you can't test, I can tonight.
Whoops, Crandall beat me to the punch.
Cheers
Got an iron
davidmbedardWhat am I? Chopped liver?David B
What am I? Chopped liver?
David B
My bad! when I posted, I saw Crandall's post - didn't think to scroll up!
-S
I got it fixed. Now all I have to do is wait for that digitrax decoder to come in so I can install it in my Norfolk Southern SD40-2. I already have 1 locomotive running. Just got to get this one running.
David, you and I must have posted within a minute of each other...I suppose some duplication from post-to-post doesn't hurt.
Scarpia, I hope David will let you off the hook. Timing is everything in a busy forum. It happens.
To the originating poster, it is good that you have found a way through the problem. Happy rails.
-Crandell
I am about to give up on the hobby. The dead spot has come back, and it took the main line with it. Now I can't even access the staging area even if I power through it. I soldered the rail joiners, and I am installing jumpers at this point, all to no avail. I have reason to believe that my trackwork has a gremlin in it. (a.k.a. "The Model Railroad black hole of death" when it found in a hidden staging track.)
That's no reason to give up. Start testing the track from the point the power wires are connected to the point that the power stops. The problem is in the wiring somewhere.
I got it to work. Had to run feeder wires.
Yep. That means there's a bad connection in your original wiring. It's happened to me once in a while and I've been at this for 40+ years.
I have bad news. The main line's down again. I have tried everything, and have no choice but to scrap my layout unless someone could tell me what to do. HELP!!!
Your problem is completely electrical. You can remove the wiring and reinstall it carefully. Make sure to check every connection. Make sure all rail joints are tight. I solder all of mine, including the turnouts. You're not the only one who's had this happen. It's happened to me too and I haven't quit yet.