I have recently purchased and istalled a Walthers Double Crossover on my layout… These are advirtized as DCC friendly with the approriate isolated frogs etc. After istalling and running I cannot go from track to track but can continue straight through the cross over. I am confused what else needs to be donew to the device to get the crossover to work. Any and all suggestis would be appreciated. GENE
Check the polarity of the two tracks.
As Dave Noted check that the wires on the inside track are hooked up the same polarity as the outside loop. The rail towards the outside of the inside should have the same wire hooked up to it as the outside rail of the other track
Is the DCC system shorting or is the train just stopping? If it is just stopping then you need feeders on all 4 legs of the crossover. If it is shorting then swap polarity of one loop like the other posters have suggested.
Pete
I have received the notes and thank you all for the advice. I do believe after seeing the note from PETE the issue is I need to have power on both ends. The engine stops half way through the crossover. I am electrical challenged and shoul have realized that. Its cost me a lot of time but I will certainly try the simple solution first. Will be out of town for a few days but once back will try the fix and will report back. Thank you all again GENE
I have made the hook up and I now have a fault. I checkked and re checked the wires and they are the same as the other end which worked. Now I am really confused. Any next step help would be appreciated thank you
Is the system shorting out? Make darn sure the polarity is correct from one track to the next. Could you post a picture or drawing of the track plan?
Pete
I have three of the Walthers Shinohara #6 double crossovers on my layout.
As you have already been told, they need to be powered by feeders on each of the four sets of rails at the ends of the double crossover. And, the polarities must be in phase.
If you have done both of these things and you still have problems, you may have a reversing section involved, in which case the reverse polarities need to be dealt with. As Pete requested, a track diagram would be helpful.
Is the engine “stalling”, that is, losing power? Or, is it a “short”, that is, the system is shutting down?
Rich
I am working on a picture. But let me assure you I have two completely seperate dog bones for a layout. This is theonly place things touch each other. The operation was absolutely fine until I connected the other end of the cross over this past weekend. I could run trains on both dog bones but just couldn’t cross over. Now I can do nothing at all. Again thanks for all the help and suggestions. One question I do have. I use rail joiner with wires attached to get power to th etrack. Do they need to be attached directly to the Crossover system or can there be another piece of track in between the connection and the crossover. Just a question thank you GENE
The picture will definitely help. Even a sketch of the track layout should help.
Gene,
For some reason, the double crossover is finicky, more so than most turnouts or other track sections. I would add power feeders directly to each of the end rails of the double crossover, all 8 of them.
Rich
Is the engine “stalling”, that is, losing power? Or, is it a “short”, that is, the system is shutting down?
GENE
I am afraid you have a reverse loop going on. Without seeing a track plan is hard to picture. Try to follow one rail around your layout and see if it gets mixed up with the other rail. Going through the crossover is the most likely spot. You can split your layout at the crossover and put a DPDT switch or auto reverser in it.
Pete
Edited Reply
Edit Note: Diagram deleted
Rich, surely your diagram is wrong? Follow a wheel set pair in your mind as you traverse the crossover, and the way you have it drawn the wheels have to flip. Drawn correctly and there is an obvious reverse loop in both directions
Simon,
It surely is wrong. I got up too early and drew that diagram too quick. Thanks for catching that error. I removed the diagram from the earlier post so as not to confuse people.
Obviously, there is a reverse polarity issue here. I prepared a revised diagram that shows the reverse polarity in the upper track plan. The mismatch is clear as you see the different colored rails joined together as you indicated.
In the lower track plan on the diagram, I have boxed in the reversing section, essentially the lower half of the double crossover and the left dogbone. The circled areas are the required rail gaps to isolate the reversing section. The lower track plan shows the result of a toggle switch or auto-reverse unit flipping the polarities in the reversing section.
That is why the OP was able to run engines straight through the double crossover but not on the divergent routes.
Thanks again for catching that mistake.
Rich
If that’s how the OP has it set-up he’ll be needing a couple of reversers, not just one.
You may be right but I don’t see the need for two reversers. How so?
Rich
To clarify this issue. When I installed the double crossover I had put power on only one end of the device. I could run trains on either track across the unit but not through the crossover. When I tried to do the crossover from either side the train stopped. I have now put power to the other end of the device so there is power to both end so to speak Now I cannot run trains anywhere on the layout. I certainly appreciate all the comments but am growing quite frustrated as nohting seems to work. and now I have no power to the anything as there is a fault. How do I check polarity as has been suggested by several of you good people. Also this reverse thing has come up and that I am not sure about either.
Thank you thus far and I will do whatever is suggested to try and right the wrong Hopefully this clarifies the issues.