Electrical problem

Make sure all the trucks are aligned properly.  I had this problem & I kept missing the truck that wasn't siting on the track correctly.

Ken M

Does the transformer short out with nothing on the track? Is the loop's track connected to another loop via turnouts?

Nothing is on the track.  There are no turnouts, all loops are stand alone , no connections. I have tested each loop individually to see if there is a connection to another loop and found nothing.  I connected the power to a loop and checked all other loops to make sure other loops had zero power.

This problem will be so simple but today it  is a pain.

Thanks

Brent

Could the barrier strip I am using be the problem? Just noticed it is for 16 AWG and smaller, I use 14 AWG wire.

Brent

I suppose you may  have to  divide  the loop in half and see which 1/2 shorts out.  Maybe you  have  a reversed feeder on the barrier strip?

Does the transformer over load if nothing is connected to it?

How did the PH quit?  You may have an undetected short and that is causing your issue.  Disconnect transformer and test continuity between center and outer rails.  You might have a short some where.

I had a wire terminal break off one of my barrier strips and touch the other polarity wire causing a short on a layout that had operated without issue for over 10 years.  G

Brent, what kind of track is it? On 027 tubular track I have had the center rail short to the metal ties, i.e. center rail insulation failure. If your track can be bent or stepped on, look for this type of failure.

That's what I was thinking. The way you find it is Gregg's divide and conquer strategy. Break loop in half, check with meter. Break bad half again, repeat until found.

Thanks for the reply's, been unable to work on the layout for a few days, but will work tomorrow.

The transformer overloads with nothing on the track.

I am using Fastrack.

Plan is to remove all the track for the "bad" loop and be sure the red/black wires are correct, also to check the Terminal/barrier strips to be sure a red wire is not on the black side. 

I am sure this is operator error and will be a simple fix, at least I hope so.

Brent

Did you try the transformer by itself as GGG suggested above? That is, disconnect it from the track and see what happens?

With no track connection, just plugging in the transformer, it seems to work ok with zero connection to anything.  Got to be a problem with the track or a connection to it. I'm getting close.

Brent

This is just a long shot,if the things you are doing now don't solve the problem,try changing the barrier strips,just a thought,good luck & let us know if you solve the problem.

A tiny screw on the track can do the deed.

Gerald, you are reading my mind, all the track is clean, connections are correct, New barrier strips bought yesterday, just in case they were needed.

RoyBoy, you are right about the tiny screw , wish it were the case, one of the first things tried was vacuum and running a magnet. 

Following the advice of Greg and Elliot, the problem is with the elevated reversing loop, there is good power on one half of the loop, thanks guys. The hardest part of the layout to work on.

This will have to wait, leaving for Myrtle Beach tomorrow AM.

All help/advice is appreciated.

Brent

Still no luck.

The track has 17-18 amps with nothing on it complete loop. Connect the track wiring direct to the Z-1000 and all seems OK.

I wanted to use barrier strips to cut down on long pieces of wire. Connect the Z-1000 to the barrier strip (without track connections) and all seems OK. Connect the track wiring to the terminal strip (rated 22-10) and POP goes the transformer, two different transformers have been connected.

Looks like I need to run a lot of individual wires and connect to each other.

There are 5 loops (one transformer  per loop) with accessories all working great with barrier (terminal) strips, the difference may be the barrier strips, the other loops have a Miller Engineering#4805 Power Distribution Board, maybe I need another one of these. The 2 strips that are not working were from ACE hardware.

Thanks

Brent

BReec,

What type of track are you using? Tubular with metal ties?

Fastrack

Brent

What kind of terminal strips are you using. The Miller or MTH power distribution blocks are special type terminal strips and wire differently than a standard terminal strip such as the Euro style or Ace terminal strips. Wiring these others like the Miller or MTH strips will create a short.

Try eliminating the terminal, and apply power to track holding wires to outside and center rails respectively. If you don't short, then the track is not the issue. If it does short, then you can start looking for bad track sections. You can also check with a continuity setting on a meter if you have one. 

Don

Try eliminating the terminal, and apply power to track holding wires to outside and center rails respectively.    Did this -POWER WAS SOLID NO SHORT

continuity setting== No problem.

It has to be the strips, I am not using them correctly.   This problem will be fixed, I will not give up.

Brent

sounds like the terminal is a single line lug, where all connections are interconnected?

At least you know it's not the track.

Don

By your description, it sounds like you are connecting hot and ground to the same terminal block, you need another block for ground...

Marty

Originally Posted by rtr12:

What kind of terminal strips are you using. The Miller or MTH power distribution blocks are special type terminal strips and wire differently than a standard terminal strip such as the Euro style or Ace terminal strips. Wiring these others like the Miller or MTH strips will create a short.

 

 

GB Terminal Block
(GTB-408)

$9.99

Purchased at ACE Hardware.

Red wire on one side and the black wire opposite.      

 

Thanks

Brent

That is a good terminal strip, but can't you see that you are connecting the power directly across a metal strip? That strip has eight terminal pairs...turn it horizontal and attach the red wire to the left four terminal pairs (using jumpers) and the black wire to the remaining four rightmost terminal pairs (again jumpers). I common the pairs at the top of those pairs and that gives me four outputs for the red and four outputs for the right.

Chuck

The red wire from the track is now connected on the terminal strip directly across from the red wire fom the power strip, same for the black wire.

TRAIN RUNS THE COMPLETE LOOP , no shorting.

The loop is 30 feet  +/- with one half an elevated reversing loop. The engine will slow going up and around the elevated portion, my plan is to add a red/black from a point on the elevated portion , this should help in the speed of the engine.

This added wire. is this what you are referring to as a jumper.

Chuck, thank you for your comments.

Brent

This is what I meant...using the terminal strip as a distribution point for your power source.

Thanks again Chuck

This hobby is great fun, assuming you get around the simple things. you can see from this post that my knowledge is limited and this stumped me, my track is now very clean, all connections are as they should be.

 I am going to print this diaghram in case, something  is forgotten.

Again, thanks

Brent

Yes, great hobby, trains. Lots of different roads (��) to travel...keeps my interest. I do ham radio and BMW motorcycles too.

Originally Posted by rtr12:

What kind of terminal strips are you using. The Miller or MTH power distribution blocks are special type terminal strips and wire differently than a standard terminal strip such as the Euro style or Ace terminal strips. Wiring these others like the Miller or MTH strips will create a short.

 

 

GB Terminal Block
(GTB-408)

$9.99

Purchased at ACE Hardware.

Red wire on one side and the black wire opposite.      

 

Thanks

Brent

All part of the fun, glad you got it figured out. cjack's drawing shows the correct terminations for this type of strip.

The MTH and Miller terminal strips are completely different animals. Miniatronics also makes one of this type. The MTH 12 and 24 terminal strips are also very different from each other.

The drawing is great.

Just goes to show, if you don't know, someone on the forum will be glad to help.

as the saying goes, the only dumb question is the one not asked.

Again, thanks to all who offered advice/help.

This loop is "spotless" free of unneeded items like loose screws and parts. my train runs great.

Brent

You are absolutely right about the questions. Some folks won't ask questions because they feel like they are dumb. It's the best way to learn and I am sure these same questions would also be helping a lot of other folks. I just ask away myself, I'm way too old with not enough time left to worry about asking dumb questions.  

Glad all your trains are running great now, it's a good feeling.

A vast majority of what I learned was from asking questions. Occasionally, there are some smug know it all folks who will criticize what they perceive as a dumb question, but for the most part, 99.9 percent of the members here are glad to help. Many may have asked similar questions in the past. We are not born with knowledge, we must all be educated. 

Don