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"A MYSTERIOUS DCC PROBLEM "

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  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,281 posts
Posted by richhotrain on Sunday, August 13, 2017 5:01 AM

TrainsRMe1

Well, I wish I could post a trackplan, but I always have a problem in doing so,

I did however used the old method of marking one of my old box cars one side red the other side black, I ran it all around my layout to( get this) only find that every single feeder matched the side of the box car!!!

So I guess the only thing to do now is ( sigh) start all over, there must be a problem with the bus wire, I checked all of my turnouts, and none of them are causing the short,

UUUGGGHHH!!

 

I don't see how the bus wires are causing a problem, especially if you only have a single set of bus wires. If, indeed, each and every feeder is matched to the correct bus wire, red to red, black to black, and no feeders are crossed from rail to bus, then the cause of the short is something else. It could be a reversing section or some other wiring snafu.

If I send you a PM with my email address, can you email me with a copy of your track plan so I can post it for you?

Rich

Alton Junction

  • Member since
    December 2005
  • From: west of Portland Oreg.( the city of Roses
  • 599 posts
Posted by TrainsRMe1 on Sunday, August 13, 2017 2:38 AM

Well, I wish I could post a trackplan, but I always have a problem in doing so, I did however used the old method of marking one of my old box cars one side red the other side black, I ran it all around my layout to( get this) only find that every single feeder matched the side of the box car!!! So I guess the only thing to do now is ( sigh) start all over, there must be a problem with the bus wire, I checked all of my turnouts, and none of them are causing the short, UUUGGGHHH!!

  • Member since
    December 2015
  • From: Shenandoah Valley
  • 9,094 posts
Posted by BigDaddy on Thursday, August 10, 2017 7:28 PM

gdelmoro
Can you post a trak plan please?

Oh my! 

I used to think this was a good suggestion until every new pic of the track plan was a different track plan or it would change the orientation 180 degrees and then 90 degrees and upside down and backwards.   Be gentle with us. Smile

It still seems like a good idea to label tracks or turnouts so we don't have to refer to the turnout 1/3 of the way down on the left half of the pic.

 

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

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  • From: Dearborn Station
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Posted by richhotrain on Thursday, August 10, 2017 4:41 PM

gdelmoro

Well Rich, sometimes us DCC newbies can FIND ways to short things out.  

I had all my red feeders connected to red bus and black to black and had a short when I initially installed the system. Seems I had a red wire connected to what should have been a black rail and a black wire connected to what should have been a red rail 

Yep, that will do it.

Rich

Alton Junction

  • Member since
    January 2014
  • From: Moneta, VA USA
  • 1,175 posts
Posted by gdelmoro on Thursday, August 10, 2017 2:44 PM

Well Rich, sometimes us DCC newbies can FIND ways to short things out.  

I had all my red feeders connected to red bus and black to black and had a short when I initially installed the system. Seems I had a red wire connected to what should have been a black rail and a black wire connected to what should have been a red rail Indifferent  I found it using the MR trick of taking an old freight car and painting ome side red and the other black and when I ran it arround suddenly THERE it was! i kept that little car on the tracks as i continued to wire both loops. Also how I confirmed where reverse loops were.

Gary

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  • From: Dearborn Station
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Posted by richhotrain on Thursday, August 10, 2017 1:48 PM

TrainsRMe1

I had to mismatch my bus wire, which I should not have to Do, 

 

If your bus wires are red and black, and your feeders are also red and black, and red is connected to red and black to black , you absolutely should not have a short.....................

.....................unless....................

...........you connected a red or black feeder to the wrong rail.

That's probably what you did, or someone else suggested, you created a reversing section.

Rich

Alton Junction

  • Member since
    January 2009
  • From: Bakersfield, CA 93308
  • 6,526 posts
Posted by RR_Mel on Thursday, August 10, 2017 1:23 PM

You need to post a simple block schematic of your wiring.  Simply reversing the wires on the DCC controller will not make any difference.  If you have other things hooked up to the controller disconnect them and see if that clears the short.
 
 
Mel
 
Modeling the early to mid 1950s SP in HO scale since 1951
 
My Model Railroad   
 
Bakersfield, California
 
I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
  • Member since
    December 2005
  • From: west of Portland Oreg.( the city of Roses
  • 599 posts
Posted by TrainsRMe1 on Thursday, August 10, 2017 1:14 PM

I had to mismatch my bus wire, which I should not have to Do, 

  • Member since
    December 2005
  • From: west of Portland Oreg.( the city of Roses
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Posted by TrainsRMe1 on Thursday, August 10, 2017 1:12 PM

I'm at work now, but I  could do so tonight. 

  • Member since
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  • From: Dearborn Station
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Posted by richhotrain on Thursday, August 10, 2017 11:44 AM

TrainsRMe1

I  have checked every single feeder, they all match up, as soon as I  match up the bus wires the short starts. 

What do you mean by "as soon as I match up the bus wires"?

If you are certain that every single feeder is wired correctly, then something else is shorting the system. Had you ever had the layout running without a short?

Rich

Alton Junction

  • Member since
    January 2014
  • From: Moneta, VA USA
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Posted by gdelmoro on Thursday, August 10, 2017 6:31 AM

Can you post a trak plan please?

Gary

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Bradford, Ontario
  • 15,797 posts
Posted by hon30critter on Wednesday, August 9, 2017 9:56 PM

I suspect your crossover has created a reverse loop.

To find out, draw your track plan with both rails showing, one in red and one in black. If the red and black lines connect to each other at any point you have created a reverse loop which is causing your short.

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

  • Member since
    December 2005
  • From: west of Portland Oreg.( the city of Roses
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Posted by TrainsRMe1 on Wednesday, August 9, 2017 7:47 PM

Well, I  do have a crossover just beyond where my short happened  in my bus wire. Hmmmmm

  • Member since
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Posted by betamax on Wednesday, August 9, 2017 7:26 PM

Looks like you'll have to start disconnecting feeders until the short goes away. If you have a DMM with a continuity function you can just use the audible signal to tell when you find the culprit.

Check turnouts, as you might have a frog that is bridging A to B and needs to be isolated first.  Or you have a reverse loop that is bringing A to the B rail. Just do a visual inspection before you start cutting wires.  That way you might find a place to start disconnecting wires.

  • Member since
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  • From: lavale, md
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Posted by gregc on Wednesday, August 9, 2017 7:22 PM

undo the last thing(s) you did just before the problem occurred.

when desperate, divide and conquer.  break bus and track in half and repeat on the half with the short

best of luck

greg - Philadelphia & Reading / Reading

  • Member since
    December 2005
  • From: west of Portland Oreg.( the city of Roses
  • 599 posts
"A MYSTERIOUS DCC PROBLEM "
Posted by TrainsRMe1 on Wednesday, August 9, 2017 6:39 PM

Hi All,

I'll just get to the point, this problem is just crazy!!! I have a short ""somewhere" in my wiring ,  I had to cross my bus wires (black to red, red to black)my bus wires are Red for the A Track, Black for the B track,  my feeders are the same,  I  have checked every single feeder, they all match up, as soon as I  match up the bus wires the short starts. (???????) Help!

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