Greetings oh knowledgable tracksters -
I have a crossing that provides the opportunity for my locomotives to hesitate or even stop if they are going slow enough. I’m guessing there is a wiring solution for this but am hoping to hear the best from the collective group.
Any assistance is much appreciated! Happy Friday! And hooray for a long 3-day weekend of layout building! [:)]
Brad
What brand is the crossing? DC or DCC? Code 83? Code 100?
It could be a momentary short where the rails of opposite polarity converge.
Rich
Just so we’re on the same ‘track’…[:$]…you mean a level crossing, where two lines cross each other at like a 90-degree or 45-degree angle, and not a ‘crossover’ where a train uses two switches to move from one track to a parallel second track, right?
Sorry I took so long to answer…was away from the computer doing trains. I’m sure no one else here has had that issue…again, apologies! [:)]
It is Atlas 83 track, DCC, level 45 degree crossing tracks (actually 2 in parallel, I posted a photo in the original post but it seems to have been trimmed out).
Here it is again…maybe it’ll stay this time:
Oh, and I should add that it is usually the two tracks going parallel, rather than the crossing track going from lower right to upper left.
Brad
Go to the Model Railroader General Discussion forum and look for the message on posting photos. Really easy.
Rich
Looks like plastic frogs to me, but photos can be deceiving. My linked picture might not pass muster with management but this is the link to Atlas pic of a Code 83 45 degree crossing. http://www.trainsetsonly.com/page/TSO/PROD/150-575?gclid=CjwKEAjwja_JBRD8idHpxaz0t3wSJAB4rXW5H64JOcov88mzXDhYAlHhe99qgF1diSQpYWSZ3HqDLxoC3JHw_wcB
How do the ends of each track get their power? Rail joiners, rail joiners with jumpers, soldered rail joiners.
Maybe others know, but I do not. Do the center bits, the diamond pieces get power from internal jumpers? It would be easy enough to check with a meter to make sure those are hot.
You could have this problem on your hands
That looks like Atlas. The center pieces of rail are fed via metal embedded in the plastic, just like the power is carried to the frog rails in Atlas turnouts. The frogs are all plastic.
To make it dead nuts reliable - feed power to both rails on all 4 sides. The only thing that should stall on those frogs might be something small like the Roundhouse EMD Model 40 which only has 4 wheels total. Any 8 wheel or 12 wheel pickup diesel, or any of the modern steam locos that picks up on both sides of the loco AND both sides of the tender (the BLI ones are all like this) should NOT have a problem. If it does, the it’s probably not the crossing at fault.
–Randy
The OP is more than likely relying on rail joiners to carry current. DC or DCC it doesn’t matter. Should be wired as Randy suggested for the most reliability.
I used those crossings yrs. ago and never had a problem with them.
Take Care![:D]
Frank
Actually the rails are soldered and there is feeder wires on the entry and exit sides. The loco(s) having problems are both DC To DCC conversions, and one of them also exhibits the symptoms that lead to frog juicing. I’ll run a meter check on both sides and see if there is a problem, as well as checking the inside rails to see if they have juice.
Is it ALL your engines, or just some of them ? When it stalls, are both trucks on the two plastic portions of the crossing (one truck on one and the other truck on the other)? If it’s not all your engines, check wheel continuity on the offending engine to make sure ALL wheels are in fact picking up power.
Mark.
When Brad first posted, I was thinking a momentary short where the rails converge until he identified the type and brand of crossing.
But now the question is, short or stall?
Since all four ends of the crossing are wired, it seems like a stall. In that case, it is likely that one of the internal jumpers has failed.
Rich
Internal jumpers would be moot if he has feeders on all four legs …
Mark.
Dunno about that, Mark. When I look at the photo of the crossing, I see rail segments. Something needs to connect them inside the crossing.
Rich
Very rare to have problems with those jumpers…unless there was a problem with the mold, not filling up between the jumpers. They are actually a solid piece of rail with notches cut out and slimmed out to stack one above the other in the mold. Then liquid plastic is injected into the mold under pressure. I have seen them made. They have changed some of the design of the crossings, but are still made the same way.
I believe the OP may have pick-up problems on some of His engines…not unusual. I had a couple of 0-4-0’s that had problems with them until I added pick-ups on both the tender and engine.
Crossing also may be out of plumb…causing a lift, disrupting rail contact. He does say they hesitate…not stall.
Take Care! [:D]
Frank
Actually, he says “hesitate or even stop”. So, it’s not clear whether his locos are experiencing a lack of power or a short. If the loco stops for lack of power, hasn’t it stalled? If it hesitates, it could be the result of a momentary short.
Rich
Ok, more details make it more complex, but here goes:
I have a DCC / Sound loco that came that way, and it runs fine probably 95% of the time. If anything it may stutter briefly as it crosses, even at slow speeds.
I have a DC converted to DCC that will stutter more often, but usually not stall unless speeds are pretty slow.
I have a DC to DCC unit that generally will always stall, or at higher speeds at least stutter badly.
I’m running an NCE Cab…usually if there’s any sort of short it resets (as I believe it is designed to do). I have those mostly worked out or at least ID’d to specific spots (minimal, and I’m planning on tuning the rails in those particular areas).
It sounds as though (from the replies of the group, thanks!) that there is possibly an issue with the crossings themselves, though I still need to check voltage on each side. However, unless the actual soldered connections are bad, there really shouldn’t be any other issues, as this area of track is within a foot of the actual NCE hub. I don’t have any boosters set up as yet, but probably will.
I’ll try to be clever and get some video of it perhaps this evening…and thanks for the “hints” on how to get photos (and hopefully video) linked for sharing. Sorry I didn’t do more photos and video before, but I was focused on doing actual terrain construction over the long weekend and didn’t run trains a lot…(collective is heard from the group, I’m sure [;)]).
Again, thanks for the collective comments…and thanks for helping the noob! 
No such thing as too much information for this group. For instance how many axles are on your locos.
I recall seeing a video of a 44 or 45 tonner that stalled at the crossings. So far all we know is 3 unknown locos.
If you upload a video to Youtube you can use the icon in the Post that looks like a film strip with an arrow to directly put it in the forum by using the share link [not the html address] Youtube provides
Crossings? I thought that you were having issues with one crossing. Can you clarify this?
When you check a crossing, don’t measure voltage. Turn off power and use an ohmmeter to check for continuity by placing a probe on each end of one of the four rails that comprise the crossing. Do this for each of the four rails.
Rich