Rich,
You are right on the money! When I disconnected the rail joiners fron the other end of this section (from a turnout), no short. This morning I scraped up all the track, reconnecting and resoldering as I went. The minute I connected to the other end, a short ensued. Does that mean this is some sort of reversing section? Like I stated previously, it’s a long section of track (approx. 20 feet) between two turnouts.
That would be my guess. It is probably a reversing section.
Any chance that you could email a track diagram that I could post?
Rich
Not necessarily a reversing section, although that could be a possibility. Is this a simple passing siding? What type/brand of turnouts are you using?
The OP mentioned earlier that he uses Atlas turnouts on the layout and they are not power routing.
Rich
Could the OP follow the inside rail, the one that shows the short, around the layout and see if, after going around the layout, that the rail he follows ends up on the inside at the point he started. I would also follow any divergent tracks coming off the inside rail and see where that leads. If everything ends up at the inside rail no reversing section exists, if not then a reversing section exists. this may be a little time consuming but without a picture of the track plan we really don’t know what may be happening.
Like most shorts and reverse polarity problems, they could be quickly identified and resolved if a track diagram would be provided.
Rich
I just finished a rough (very rough) freehand sketch of the layout. Now that I put it down on paper, I think I can see a big problem, but I’m not sure about the solution. How do I go about emailing it to someone who can post it for me?
If you can get it in the computer to email, just go to Photobucket and sign up for a free account and upload it there. Or send it to me, I can put it in my account.
–Randy
Check your Messages, I just sent you my email address.
Rich
Here is the OP’s track diagram.
This is a classic reverse loop where the track folds back onto itself. That divergent leg of the right hand turnout is the trouble spot where there is a reverse polarity issue.
The solution is to isolate that “short circuit section” by placing gaps in the rails in two spots. The divergent leg of that right hand turnout needs to be gapped. Then, the other end of the short circuit section needs to be gapped. I would recommend that the resulting “reversing section” be long enough to accommodate your longest train. The easiest way to do this is to gap the rails of the straight section of the left hand turnout at the other end of the “short circuit section”. That way, the entire section of track between the two turnouts becomes the reversing section.
There are a couple of ways to power the reversing section.
Since the section is isolated from the rest of the layout due to the rail gaps, you could install an auto-reverser which is powered on the input side from the main bus, with power provided to the reversing section of track from the output side of the auto-reverser. I use a Digitrax AR-1 for this purpose, and it costs around $25 for the unit. The auto-reverser corrects the reverse polarity issue automatically as the loco crosses into the reversing section and again as it exits the reversing section.
The other way to do it is to install a double pole double throw (DPDT) toggle switch which works somewhat like an auto-reverser except that you reverse the polarity manually by throwing the switch just before the loco enters the reversing section. Once the entire train is inside the reversing section, you throw the DPDT switch once again. The DPDT switch only cos
A picture is worth a thousand words.
OK what we are looking at is a layout, but where is the problem. The problem is not really in the loop, as that is actually the main line. Apply you main power to the loop and not to the yard on the left.
You make your gaps on all four rails to the right of that switch. Allow the position of the switch to select where that part of the railroad gets its power from.
It is really no different from my layout.
ROAR
LION, that is the problem.
Without the gaps that you mentioned, the loco will cause a short as it completes the loop due to reverse polarity.
Rich
He might be indicating to make the reversing section the yard. The polarity would be reversed as the loco hit the switch. I was confused at first also, but although i would wire the main, Lions suggestion would work
I guess many of us figured that when the OP stated the problem section was running diagonal.
What happened to or OP anyway? Has this problem been solved.
Hi TZ.
Yeah, the problem has been solved and the OP has ordered a DIgitrax AR-1. Once he mailed the track diagram off line to me, we exchanged emails discussing the problem and resolved it in that manner. With the OP’s permission, I posted the track diagram for others to see.
Rich
Rich
Received the AR-1 today, and hooked it up. Success! Thanks to all for their thoughts and advice.
Congrats!
Rich