Possible issue with locomotives causing power drops on my layout - 2 questions

@JEFFREY RUCKGABER 050219 posted:

Hey Guys,

I wasn't really sure how to phrase this subject, but I've recently completed my track layout and am in the process of ballasting and adding scenery. As a test run the other day, I ran a locomotive on one of my tracks and it stalled at a certain place. I have Atlas O track and ended up "jiggling" the ground track joiner - and then the power was fine. Perhaps when I was ballasting, some of the ballast power got between the rail and the track joiner. Wondering if anyone has also experienced that issue.

My other question is whether a not perfectly seated locomotive on a track can affect the voltage going to the track? I have 2 parallel set of tracks all on the same power source. I had a Legacy locomotive on each track. I recently had lifted them from where they were and put them in a different places on the track. When I powered things back up, they were not working properly. I checked with a voltmeter, and the power had definitely dropped. When I reseated the other locomotive, things went back to normal. Common experience?

Thanks,

Jeff

Sounds as if you have some loose connections. Run the engine and when it has issues quickly check voltage at that location than start checking forward and backwards till you find the high resistance. A simple way also would be to install a few extra power supple connections, then check if the engines run fine you bridged the gap.

Yes - I've done that and have found some gaps and have cleaned up the rail joiners. Interesting that I have at least 10 places on each track that has power leads going to the track. I run everything off of a single bus line. I don't recall having these issue before I started the ballasting effort. I guess that may have introduced some drops along the track.

@JEFFREY RUCKGABER 050219 posted:

Yes - I've done that and have found some gaps and have cleaned up the rail joiners. Interesting that I have at least 10 places on each track that has power leads going to the track. I run everything off of a single bus line. I don't recall having these issue before I started the ballasting effort. I guess that may have introduced some drops along the track.

Try cleaning track in dead area?

Are both outside rails connected to your ground buss ?

@JEFFREY RUCKGABER 050219 posted:

Yes - I've done that and have found some gaps and have cleaned up the rail joiners. Interesting that I have at least 10 places on each track that has power leads going to the track. I run everything off of a single bus line. I don't recall having these issue before I started the ballasting effort. I guess that may have introduced some drops along the track.

The ballasting may have "locked" certain sections of track into slightly varying positions from where they were originally and created some connectivity issues that were not present before. It doesn't take much to lose a connection.   

Adding ballast probably means  you used some sort of glue.   The typical way is watered down white glue after spraying or dripping on "wet water".    Wet water is just water with a few drops of liquid soap of some kind added to all it to flow easier and wet everything.

But the jist of it is that the glue may have gotten into the rail joiner.    I have had this happen a few times when ballasting.   

@prrjim posted:

Adding ballast probably means  you used some sort of glue.   The typical way is watered down white glue after spraying or dripping on "wet water".    Wet water is just water with a few drops of liquid soap of some kind added to all it to flow easier and wet everything.

But the jist of it is that the glue may have gotten into the rail joiner.    I have had this happen a few times when ballasting.  

good suggestion, never thought of that !

Thanks Guys for all of the suggestions. I will check that no glue is in between the rail joiners and the rails. The connectivity is mostly solved at this point, but I should just check them all to make sure. I'll go down the track with a voltmeter and an exacto knife, and scrape where I need to scrape.

In Dave C's reply, I wasn't sure what he meant by "both outside rails connected to the ground bus" wire. Can Dave C explain please?

Thanks

On Atlas O and Gargraves track the outside rails are not connected electrically. Many leave them this way for running signals or grade crossings. Certain locos with traction tires and blind wheels I believe benefit from having the rails connected to give the engine more of a ground path.

You mentioned you ran your tracks off a single buss line. I’m assuming you wired it using the common ground method.

Sorry Dave, I may be a bit dense, but the outside or inside rail is the ground rail. Yes? The center rail is the power rail. And I have 2 tracks on the single bus line - as you said. A single power bus line and a single ground bus line.

I hope I'm doing this correctly.

Thanks,

Jeff

Jeff, I’m sure he means no “electrical” connection on Gargraves track between the outside rails as there is with FasTrack and tubular track for example. I think you were aware of this fact.

you can also have track voltage drop issues due to corrosion or loose track pins in the track connection ! if you have a fully detailed layout already completed a way around these issued is to solder a jumper wire between the track connections and your problem will go away ! and you won't have to tear apart your layout ! best way to trouble this is put engines or lighted cars on track and using a VOM meter check voltage between the track sections that are dead no voltage or low voltage due to track problems as listed above ! Good luck!

Alan

I’m glad I’m not the only one having this issue.  Just finished ballasting a bunch of track and having some new issues to work through.  Cleaning track helped a great deal.