So here I was working on the layout in the basement. I finally had a chance to hook up my new PSX-AR for my reverse loop. Keep in mind this is the first layout I’ve ever made and I know next to nothing when it comes to electrical applications. I get everything hooked up based on the instructions. I put my train on the main track and start backing it into the reverse loop. All of a sudden the basement goes pitch black! I thought I just blew something, but I didn’t hear any breakers go off. I immediately unplug my Zephyr and feel my way up the steps and get the flashlight. I get upstairs and notice the entire house is without power. How could I have made the entire house go out?
I go back downstairs and start looking and smelling for smoke, thinking I fried something on the layout. Everything appears to be fine. I go to the circuit breaker box and everything is as it should be. Then I decide to take a look out the basement window and notice the entire block is without power. Whew! It wasn’t just me, at least I’m pretty sure I didn’t make the entire town lose power?!?!
A little over an hour later the power kicks back on and I go back downstairs. Everything seems to be running right. My train goes in and out of the reverse loop with little to no problems. I say little to no problems because I literally only have wires running to my track in two places, one from the Zephyr and the other for the PSX-AR. I’ve got about 90% of my track laid out directly on the foam. I figured it would be best to test everything out before really getting into it. Every now and then my train stops but if I give the track or a turnout a little nudge the train continues on it’s way. Do you guys think this is due to only have two places where power is connected? I’m running HO code 83 flex and peco insulfrogs. I’m aware of the Insulfrogs having a shorting problem that can be fixed with nail polish but the same thing happens on flex track too. I think that once I get the roadbed A
Well, If you blew the power on the entire block with the Digitrax, that would be pretty neat .
As for your intermittant stall problem, unless it’s happening when you cross the gaps into the reverse loop or over a turnout frog (meaning a short circuit is occuring), feeders would probably help. soldering the rail joiners might help as well. Sounds like you have one that isn’t making full contact with the rails.
Good luck…
BTW, Killing the neighborhood power has not happened to me. The intermittant stall has.
Based on posts I’ve read from other people on here I soldered the joints on curves only. The straight section joints are not soldered, which come to think of it, is where the train stops [:O]
That’s partially the right way: Now just leave an unsoldered pair of joints every 3-4 ft or so (to allow for rail expansion/contraction), solder the others and run feeder wires to each rail section between the unsoldered joints.
Sounds like a joiner is not fitting tight. I only solder on turns, and where I find a problem. Might double check to the engines wheels and clean the new section as well.
I had a friend who was working on some laboratory equipment on November 9, 1965. He finished his soldering, plugged the equipment in and power failed across the entire Northeast.
I remember reading a column in a newspaper years ago about this woman who plugged in her old broiler and then found out she had blacked-out the whole Northeast too. And I remember that blackout. It took about a week to get everything back on line. [swg]
I was watching Mothra on Channel 7 here in New York and the TV screen went off but everthing else stayed on so I thought it was my TV. Then everything else wnet off shortly after. We lived in Lindsay Park in Brooklyn at the time and I remeber the neighbors going from apartment to apartment to find out if anyone had power.
Note for constructio. Don’t solder everything until the track is set. If yourust testing, and will need to move track, leavbe yourself pieces you can move without breaking
Twice now, at work, I hit the enter key on my computer and the power went out in the whole building. I always have a bit of Pavlovian apprehension now when I hit the enter key.
Never had it happen on the layout though. Mine is pretty simple as far as wiring goes. DCC with no reversing loops …yet.
Here I’d always thought that the great 1965 Blackout was just a staged event so that the next Doris Day/Rock Hudson movie would have a good factually-based plot line.
