I HAVE A DC POWERPACK (MRC TECH 4 200) THAT I JUST CONNECTED TO MY LAYOUT TONIGHT. MY ENGINES CONSIST OF 2 DECODER EQUIPPED ATLAS GP-38’S AND A LIFELIKE PROTO GP-38 THAT IS NOT DECODER EQUIPPED. NONE OF THEM WILL RUN ON THE LAYOUT. I HAVE A SMALL N SCALE LAYOUT BUILT ON A 36" BY 80" DOOR THAT CONSISTS OF AN OVAL LOOP THAT HAS A SIDING THAT CONNECTS ONE SIDE OF THE LAYOUT TO THE OTHER, SIMILAR TO A FIGURE 8 BUT NOT A COMPLETE FIGURE 8. AS FAR AS I KNOW, DCC LOCO’S CAN STILL OPERATE ON A DC LAYOUT, CORRECT? COULD MY SWITCHES BE CAUSING A SHORT? PLEASE HELP. FRUSTRATED!
My Atlas GP-38 had a jumper that you swiched when you wanted to run DC.
I think it varies on the Protos. I think they would run on DC. I remember at least one of my Pk2’s that didn’t like DC much, though.
use a meter ot testlight to see if you have power to the rails. the dc loco should run if the powerpack is working. the decoder equiped locos should work on the dc as well. you say your layout looks almost like a figure eight? is the siding connected to a switch on the other side of the layout? if it is there will be a short circuit there and it must be removed to clear the short.
If I understand your description of your layout, then yes, the switches are creating a short. If you were to run a train through the siding, would it now be running in the opposite direction on th e loop? If so then you have a reversing section that will need to be electrically isolated.
What CSX Robert said is more than likely what is happening. You are getting a short where the siding is connecting the two sides of your oval. In order for you to get it to work right… if this is the case… would be to cut gaps in the rails at both ends of the track that is connecting the oval. You would then have to give that section of track its on set of feeder wires. This is were it get kinda complicated… You will need to find a Double Throw, Double Pole (DTDP) switch to use as an Auxiliary reverse switch. Here is a picture…warning I don’t use paint well.
While the train is in the middle you flip the switch that way when you exit the rails are the right polarity…I hope this helps.
Brad
I belive you have discribed your oval with an track conected to both sides, which will be an reversing section. and needs to be wired as a reversing section.