This is a video above is to give you the overall detail of my layout. The video below will show you that everytime I move the SEPTA AEM locomotive over the turnouts it stalls and causes a short circuit. Turn up your pc volume and you will hear a beep comming from my Digitrax DB150.
What should I do to eliminate this? Do I need an automatic reverser? Im troubleshooting this issue so far I see no obstacle in the wiring that would cause any short circuit.
The picture below is a normal diagram of my layout. Note that the red markings that you see in the middle and lower left of the diagram are not grade crossings but ate actually grade separated overpasses. They should not be mistaken for crossovers with wire feeders.
The diagram below shows the short circuit in detail and feeder wires in red.
Your opposing turnout in the crossover is set for the tangent and against the turnout approached by the AEM. Have you tried it set for the diverging route?
Dante
PS. It appears that one frog is insulated and the other is not.
What Should I do to remedy the issue regarding the opposing turnout? Do I need an autoreverser? In the meanwhile I will simply remove the turnout with only one insulated frog.
I believe the solution is to isolate the frog of the lower turnout by cutting gaps in the stock rails that diverge from that frog (use a Dremel or a saw). Make sure the turnouts are fed power from their point sides and not the frog sides.
Any time you have a “crossover or a run-around” with the frog ends facing each other, you are completing a reverse loop, that requires insulating the turnout with a AR1 Reverse module to prevent a short circuit. The use of “double slip switches” will prevent shorts. Bob Hahn
I don’t believe you need a reverse module. I have 3 crossover situations (with curved turnouts) that have one insulated frog opposing one non-insulated frog. I didn’t actually cut the gaps as I suggested above but used insulating joiners on those stock rails diverging from the non-insulated frogs. They work. Just make sure the points are set for the direction of travel.
The statement “any time” is not accurate. One often needs gaps when connecting turnouts frog-end to frog-end, but not a reverser unless the connection creates a reversing loop elsewhere in the plan. In many cases, it does not.
Again, not accurate all the time. One can create reversing loops and shorts by adding double slips, depending on the overall track arrangement.
Looking at one of your videos,what you have is a reverse loop. It looks like you have 2 reverse loops. So yes you need at least 2 auto reversers, or simplfy your track. It looks like you have Atlas track code 100. These are insulated frogs and you don’t to worry about insulating them. A reverse loop is when a train goes through a turn out one way, continues down the track and comes back the opposite way on the other track hooked up to the same turn out. Joe
You’ve actually got multiple reverse loops there, with all those crossovers. Your best bet to fix the right hand side would be to put gaps in both rails of both tracks of the right-hand loops. One set just ot the left of where the feeder somes in, the other set just to the right of the top right crossover. Both rails, of both tracks. You will need two autoreverses to feed that area, one for each loop.
Then there are 2 more loops on the bottom part, which when combined with the same set of crossovers in the ‘yard’ part make 2 more reverse loops. Gaps just to the right of where it says “undecided” at the bottom center, and the other set of gaps where the lines are goign strgith up on the far left should make a long enough reverseing section - that’s two MORE autoreversers. Or sicne a total of 4 - a single PM42 with all 4 sectiosn set up for autoreversing.
There are probably other ways to handle it, but this is the most obvious, even if not most economical. Yor layout is essentially a dogbone with crossovers in the shank portion, which form reverse loops out of the end loops.
