Blown fusses

Rick,

    Where exactly did you place your 10 Amp Breakers, they should be between your Transformer and your TIU, on every Red (mid Rail) Line.  I use 10 Amp resettable breakers and have had absolutely no problems with TIU blown fuses.  It sounds like you are not set up correctly, sounds like you have no Breakers or fuses between your Transformer (Brick) and the TIU.  Install them and you will eliminate your problem.

PCRR/Dave

I do not have breakers between the power supply and DCS system. The Lionel bricks have fast acting breakers on them. Did not see a reason to add a second set. 

The Lionel Bricks are super fast... The tiu  fuses are suppose to be 20 amp. One on each channel..

I'm not sure why the tiu fuses are blowing, you do have each brick  powering  2 different separate  channels and not supping power to one channel? The 2  power districts  should separate the tiu channels with a center rail insulating pin.  Maybe it let go? 

I only have one power district set up right now as the other main is not finished. I have tried both bricks with the same results. And yes there are 20 amp fusses. 

Rick,

   Add the Breakers, they will eliminate your problem with your TIU fuses, I have seen the Bricks do this before.  Lionel Bricks are 90% fail proof, however they do malfunction also.  MTH that is a different story.

I would take a close look at your layout wiring also.   Some how your Brick is not tripping it's internal light breaker, and letting your TIU fuse blow.

Are you using the MTH Bricks & not Lionel 180's.  If so this is the problem, insert the 10 Amp Breakers for sure.

PCRR/Dave

Something's not quite right. The fuses shouldn't be blowing before the brick.... Passive mode may be an option.  When does it blow?  how many engines lighted cars etc.

Gregg,

   It should not matter, if he is actually using the Lionel Bricks, unless the Brick has a faulty breaker or he is really using MTH Breakers.  All this if he is wired correctly and in Phase.  Insert the 10 Amp breakers and see what happens, I even use them in front of my Z4K's now.

PCRR/Dave

They do not go for no appear ant reason just when I have had a derailment or put a piece of equipment on the track and manage to short things out. Only on loco and train on now for testing so I know the load is small

Well I don't know why... However you sure don't want to have to  open up the tiu every time a fuse lets go.... Maybe Try passive mode.... Hook brick directly up the track, and 2 leads from track to fixed 1 out.  See what happens???   With   Passive  mode the emergency stop doesn't work and the brick's circuit breaker is all you have for track & engine protection.

As Dave mentioned  adding  an additional  circuit breaker (or fuses) is a good idea.

Rick,

   Your Lionel Brick may have a faulty internal breaker.  The other option is that the TIU has a problem of it's own.

PCRR/Dave

Do you have accessories sharing a ground with the trains?  If so, their ground power may be trying to get through the TIU.

You say you have 2 bricks.  Have you checked them for proper phasing?   Do you get the problem if only one brick is turned on?

Are you sure that red outputs from all channels go to center rail and blacks to outside, and that black inputs came from same output pole of the bricks?

All.  Found the problem. I switched Lionel bricks and it works fine tested the original one on the bench and the breaker does not work.  Thanks for the input. 

Pine Creek Railroad posted:

Rick,

   Your Lionel Brick may have a faulty internal breaker.  The other option is that the TIU has a problem of it's own.

PCRR/Dave

good one  Dave.

Rick,

   Glad you were able to test and find the problem, many people like the Bricks, and the 180 has about the best, fast action internal breaker I know of, however I like my Z4K's and ZW's much better.  IMO I would still use another set of high quality Breakers between the Brick and the TIU the same way I do with all my different Transformers.  Some call it over kill, but I have never damaged anything on my layout and never blow TIU fuses, which to me are a pain to change.

Glad I could help.

PCRR/Dave

Dave has a good point.  Components fail.  Redundancy is good.  One way tol achieve redundancy cheaply is to have a fuse in the line, with a rating higher than that of the breaker. 

I wonder how long a TIU could withstand a 19-amp load flowing through one channel???????????????