I have my track layed and it is a double track operation.I’m hoping I will be able to run the trains on it,LOL.I put a LOCOMOTIVE on the track to see if it would at least move.I have a double controller power pack.The light in the middle says OVER LOAD. I checked the track over and over, unless I’m missing something.I was using T pins to hold the track while the glue dried. I found all of them. I know the over load means something is grounding out both tracks.I am stumped as to what could be wrong. Any one have any ideas?[banghead] The locomotives do work and I was just touching the wires to the track to test it and then I was going to wire the whole layout.
Do you have a reverse loop of any kind? That’s a path through your layout where a train can end up going the opposite direction on the same track after passing through it. Such sections require special wiring, whether you’re in DC or DCC. Otherwise, they will short out.
A diagram of your layout would help.
I need to mention, I have a few switches and two cross overs.Other than those it is a double track layout. I am setting the locomotive on straight track and touching wires on the track in front of it and the over load light is on.
This is why a good multimeter is a indispensable model railroad tool. One with a built in continuity tester. You put one lead on one rail, and one lead on the other and see if current flows. If you have any sort of sectionalization in your track you would at least be able to narrow down the problem to one particular block.
Also, when performing this test disconnect the power leads and test them also. There is always the possibility that the short isn’t in the track at all, but in the one of the feeders.
Who is the MFG of the switches? It might be possible that you have electrofrogs and are getting a short at the frogs…
David B
I am using Atlas manual switches. How could a switch short the track out?
If you take the locomotive (and any rolling stock) off the track and then touch the wires to the rails, does the Overload light still come on? That would say it’s the track. If this only happens with the engine on the tracks, then the problem is with the engine.
Now, about these crossovers…think of your layout as one oval inside another oval. Does either of the crossovers go diagonally across the ovals, like from upper right to lower left? That would likely be a reversing section.
How about bumpers at the end of sidings? Someone makes bumpers that are not supposed to be connected to the tracks - they’re all-metal and a dead short.
Do you by any chance have a Kadee coupler gauge sitting anywhere on your track? That would be a short, too.
I have two cross overs that are diagonaly crossing. My bumper blocks on the end of sidings look like plastic from Atlas. I touch the wires to the locomotive and they do run.When I touch them to the track with no locomotive, I get the over load light.Could you explain in simple terms what I need to do to this?
Froggy,
You say you have a double track operation. It sounds like you have a reverse loop section turning back on it’s self. That will create a short. A simple way to check is to take a piece of rolling stock. A box car works well.
Put a piece of tape on one side of the boxcar, that will represent the positive rail.
Sit the boxcar on the track so that the tape is to the outside of the circle of track.
Push the car around the track. The tape should always be on the outside of the oval.
Now push it through the switch or switches to the other track or tracks. If the tape turns to the inside of the oval you have found the reverse loop. That will be the place where the short is occurring.
Once found you must insulate it from the rest of the track and power it separately.
Someone else can explain how to wire the reverse loop. But at least you will be able to find it using the method I’ve mentioned.
Bill
Can you draw us your track plan?
David B
I don’t know how to draw n the forum, but if you can tell me how to post a picture, I can do that.My daughter took a good clear pic of it the other night with just the track.
I found this by doing a forum search:
Here’s a very complete post on posting photos on this site. I found it by using the “Advanced Search” form on this list. Too bad this cannot be a “sticky post” so it is always on top for the monthly question that always appears.
Bob Boudreau
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Trainnut1250 Posted: 27 Jan 2005, 00:25:41 Quote
I have posted thie before. Thought if you haven’t seen already seen it, maybe it could be be of help.
I decided to give a try at an explanation of web photo posting for other forum members who are interested in posting and haven’t had any experience with photos on the web. There are many points of view on this and I am trying to present a simple, straight-ahead explanation that is general enough to be understood and specific enough to be helpful.
First, a simple explanation of what happens when a photo is posted to the forum. Contrary to popular belief the photo is never actually stored on the forum. When a person views a photo in an online forum, the photo is sent from another web location (other than the forum) to the viewer’s computer. This means that in order to post photos in a forum they must be stored at another web site first. When pictures are stored at an online site, they are given a specific address. When a person posts the picture on the forum for others to view, he is actually giving the forum an address to the photo. The viewer’s computer uses this address to go out and get the photo.
The process of posting photos can be broken down into several categories:
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Taking and editing the photo
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setting up a web site to store photos and uploading them to the site
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linking to your photos by using the correct codes and language to have your pictures appear in a forum.
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Taking and editing the photo.
We will presume that you have taken photos
I just put tape on a box car and I think I screwed up.My intentions we’re to have two different tracks to run two trains.It looks like with the crossovers and switches, It is a good layout for a single locomotive.All the tracks lead to the same place.That’s okay, but I still am getting that over load light.I am just testing it with small wire, so Later I will wire it with heavier guage and do you think that will work?
No, the wire gauge isn’t the problem.
Can you disconnect the crossovers completely from the rest of the layout? My guess is that it will work if you do that.
my thinking is you have a reverse loop with the crossovers. My layout is a folded dog-bone. I have switches so I can cross from one track to the other, thereby reversing directions of the train. I had to put insulating joiners at the diverging route of the switches. I will be getting some auto reversers soon to correct the problem, but for now I only run the train in one direction, and do not use those switches yet. Am still in the process of wiring the layout, so will work on that when I get there.
If you take a red pencil, pen or whatever and draw the outside rail with it, all the way around the track. Then use a different color to draw the other track, somewhere you will probably find the red and other color meet. That is your reverse loop. Hope this makes sense to you. Not good at explaining things.
Just a guess, but if Froggy has multiple feeders dropped, he might have the left rail hooked to the right rail feeder?
A track plan drawing or pic would be helpful.
Rotor
I have been doing a lot of searching on the internet and alot of you guys think I have a reverse loop.The more I look at it I think I really do.Has anyone heard of a Lenz LK100 Reverse Loop Module? They sell for around $42.00.Is this the way to go?
Let’s make sure that’s the problem first!
Once you know that, there are several possible solutions, depending on how you plan to operate. Getting a diagram of the plan, or a pick of the layout, posted would help a lot!
Instead of just “looking at it” to determine if you have a reversing loop - try it !
Take a boxcar and push it all over your track taking every route imaginable. If you find at some point you are now going the opposite direction on the same track you previously went, you obviously have a reversing section somewhere.
An auto-reversing module would be the answer (IF you are operating DCC) but you still need to know WHERE the revesing section is to install it. If you are running DC, you will need to install a DPDT switch to change the polarity … again, when you find where the reversing section is.
Threads like these are almost impossible to answer without a diagram - everyone is just going to be making stabs in the dark and not really giving you any definitive answers. I’ve seen threads like these go on for two or three pages until we finally get a diagram, to which the question is positively answered.
Mark.
I will try my hardest to post a pic of my layout.This topic will not die untill you can see my layout and we can all figure this out.It’s a real nice layout and I wasn’t thinking of such things like reverse loops or any other complications. This is intended for DCC.