I’m building my first home layout since high school, controlled by Digitrax DCC. I only have one locomotive right now, a Rivarossi C-420 that I converted from DC to DCC, adding a Tsunami decoder with sound. I have sub-districts on the layout with light bulbs wired in underneath that indicate a short circuit and help to isolate what “region” of the layout the short is in. With only one locomotive, it’s pretty easy to figure out right now!
After completing quite a bit of track laying, it was time for a test run. So far, so good, almost. I should add that all turnouts are insulfrog, from Peco, Walthers, and I think I might have a couple Shinohara (can’t remember, been building a while). I have several that seem to short out as the locomotive wheels cross the frog. Best I can tell, the flange is touching the guide rails (judging from the little arc when I nudge the locomotive. This only happens at a few of the turnouts.
I am not sure what to do exactly. I might add that the same locomotive on the club layout will sometimes short it out on one or 2 turnouts. Any ideas to try to start with?
Try putting a little clear nail polish on the point of the frog. This has been a known problem with some Peco turnouts due to the very narrow insulated section at the point of the frog allowing locomotives with wide wheel treads to touch both rails at the same time.
That is assuming, of course, that you do not have a stelth reverse loop in there somewhere. Test things out with a test lamp to get a picture of ehat is happening. Remove rail joiners to isolate a switch to see if the problem is in the switch. Sometimes a poorly formed plastic base will allow an internal short within the track itself.
Also check for stray debris that may be causing the short. Sometimes a Kay Dee coupler gauge is the culprit. Just gotta keep looking, isolating and checking.
I’m going to start with the nail polish trick. I’m almost certain that there are no reverse loops yet due to my current arrangement, but will keep your idea in mind if the nail polish trick doesn’t do it so I don’t tear out what’s left of my hair trying to figure it out.
The short is always at a few particular switches exactly when the wheels cross the frog. My layout room lighting is a future project, which makes it real easy to see the arc when I nudge the locomotive! I was thinking a touch of paint on the point of the short might do the trick, but wanted to get some more opinions before I tried that approach.
Between my daughter and wife, I have my pick of colors!
As stated, the closeness of the rails at the frog is usually the culprit, also check and make sure the wheels are in gauge. Too much slack/slop/play in the wheels allows them to shift and move, bridging that short gap at the frog.