Need Some Help

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

I have completed my layout and I have connected all of my track and I cannot get my layout to work. The power pack that I am using says overload. I cannot find the source of the overload or a cause for the overload. I used Code 100 track and it just seems that the track is not getting the juice. The locomotives do not even move but yet sometimes the will move about 2 inches and quit and then the overload light comes on. I have tried taking everything off but only one locomotive and that does not work. Please from all you experienced model railroaders please help.

I am using Code 100 track, both flextrack and snap track. I have placed it on a cork roadbed, I have insulated my connectors, I have tried all different types of wires. Please help

2

possibly a faulty powerpack? maybe your putting too much power into your tracks ?what kind of power pack do you have?

3

maybe a faulty powerpack or maybe your giving your track too much juice? what kind of pack are you using?

4

I wouldn’t think it was the power pack as a first cause. You may have the feeders installed in the wrong locations. Do you have any turnouts in the plan? Are your feeders on the split end of a turnout rather than the single end? Do you have any reversing loops without insulated rail joiners? How many blocks did you make your railroad. I would pull out the railjoiners on either end of where you feed power and see if the engine runs on that piece. Then start extending the run until you find the short circuit. You should be able to test the power pack by taking the leads and holding them against the wheels of your engine - one to each side if it spins the wheels you have a track problem if it shorts out you have an engine or power pack problem.

5

Most likely you have a short, but first check the power pack.

Get out your multi-meter (if you don’t have one, get one, they are less than $10 at Sears, Radio Shack, Home Depot, etc…)

Disconnect the power pack from the track, put the mutli-meter leads on the power pack connectors, and measure the voltage as you increase the throttle. If it is a transistorized pack, the voltage should gradually increase.

Next take one of your locomotives, put it in a cradel (box with paper towels, or similar) upside down so that you can access the wheels. Attach wires to your power pack output and carefully touch the ends to the wheels of your locomotive. It should run with the power pack half way up, and no overload should occur.

If your power pack passes, it is good, if not get a replacement.

Now for the layout. attach the multimeter to the wires that were attached to the pack, put the meter on ohms. The reading should be infinity. If it isn’t, you have a short somewhere. First thing to check for is reverse loops.

Put your finger on one rail, follow that rail all over the layout with your finger, if there is anyway that it can end up on the other rail at your starting point, you have a reverse loop. Without special wiring, you can not do this.

At this point, it is time to get a book on wiring model railroads, both Kalmbach and Atlas have good books, and possibly others.

6

Nigel has given you a definitive answer. Follow it step by step. The most important practice in electrical problems is SYSTEMATIC proceedure in trouble-shooting.

Good Luck

Randy

7

This is not likely or, I don’t think, even possible.

“Overload” almost always means “short circuit.”

8

It is really frustrating to have got that far and have a problem! When I build, I like to test as I go for continuity,shorts,clearances etc.so that if there is a problem,I can react to it where it seems to occur, when it occurs.Savour the building moment…stretch it out and enjoy the building experience, and remember, what you do whilst you build will live on in the operation of your layout…so do it good ! Nigels advice is excellent…hope you get it running really soon

9

The advice you’ve got should solve the problem if followed. (That mulimeter is going to pay for itself in no time flat, by the way) When you’ve got things running, consider making your layout into separate electrical blocks, even if you don’t think it necessary. The advantage is that trouble can be isolated much more easily. That’s what ndbprr was getting at in the advice to find a bit of track where the loco would run, and then extend the section by trial and error.