SG track pieces tripping the circuit breaker- what IS going ON (or rather, OFF)???

The problem is probably a short in the center rail. One of the cardboard insulating pieces has moved and a rail is shorting on a metal tie.

You need to check each piece of track and every tie to find the insulating piece or pieces that have moved.

This is a relatively common occurrence with tubular track.

Tubular track is different than Atlas O or G track in that the ties are metal, so you need to be aware of the possibility of a short between rail and tie. A loose center rail insulator will do it (as described) or most any small piece of metal lying on the track.

Good luck.

The short is most likely in the track. I'm guessing the track came with a set which would make it the new Lionel track.

Here are a couple of threads that talk about the short comings of the new production Lionel track.

https://ogrforum.com/t...88#38596413992607588

https://ogrforum.com/t...61#20858376897216561

Here is a picture of the center rail insulator that is the problem.

As you can see, the crimp punches thru the insulator thus eliminating the separation factor.

Overall, I would avoid this version of tinplate track. It is nothing but problems. And, if you don't have problems now, you will shortly (pun intended). Just ask hojack.

Hope this helps,

ARNO

ps- USA Track, LLC is the only way to go in tinplate rail.

Read the two other threads also, thank you everyone for the input! Troubleshooting this with every single piece is sooo not worth my frustration, and certainly not worth my fiance' Tom's trouble, time and the work involved he'd have to spend on reconciling each piece.

I bought track from four or five places- some evilBay, some direct. Going to try to send it all back- what a job that will be. I hope I can return all of it.

I just sent an emil to USA Track.

Build your loop with the good, bad and ugly track. Then split the loop in half and then half again until you find the problem or problems.

Make it work and then sell the crap. Then go out and buy track from kirk. Standardgaugetrack.com cheaper in cost and better in quality.

Can the MTH/Lionel new track connect to the USA track- and then work together??

yes provided you fix the track that is bad. There are adapter tracks to make the plastic track mate to tubular. BTW everything you know about tubular track applies to STD Gauge track. Same rails just a little wider in gauge.

Carey TeaRose posted:

Can the MTH/Lionel new track connect to the USA track- and then work together??

Yes, the tinplate track made by USA Track is the same as vintage Lionel, new MTH/Lionel tinplate and any tinplate track in between.

If you want to use the MTH/Lionel track (Fastrack) with roadbed, then you would need an adapter as stated by Jim above. Keep in mind that the Fastrack style of track does not like to be connected/disconnected too much.

ARNO

I did a comment in  your other post,  ,,now you need a VOM meter,  hf, has adds and you can get one free,,so to speak,  with purchase,

Can't remember what grade you teach,,,,but  that would be a good project for kids,  for the short,

Carey,

    Using old Tubular track can be a problem especially in STD Gauge, IMO if you want a STD Gauge Carpet Central, invest in a loop of new FasTrack, and get rid of your problem all together.  

Good luck Carey

PCRR/Dave

Carey TeaRose posted:

Read the two other threads also, thank you everyone for the input! Troubleshooting this with every single piece is sooo not worth my frustration, and certainly not worth my fiance' Tom's trouble, time and the work involved he'd have to spend on reconciling each piece.

I bought track from four or five places- some evilBay, some direct. Going to try to send it all back- what a job that will be. I hope I can return all of it.

I just sent an emil to USA Track.

 

Please take a deep breath before you ship it all back.  Considering the cost and hassle, it's probably not worth it.  Tracking down short circuits is a common occurrence with toy trains, and this is a basic introduction to the process.  Previous posts have offered a lot of good help. 

Dave, ARNO, Jim C, Carey,

Good Evening! I enjoy these overly simplistic threads as they overcharge my circuits. Hang in there gang, I'm not laughing at you. I need a good chuckle on the way home.

I'm learning a lot by reading everyone's replies. However, tracking down short circuits with Tom even on just a simple loop around the pool table ain't my idea of  fun. I don't want to see my fiance' at work  (even though he'd gladly do it) at 'fixing' my train track for me. Will send back what appears to be no good that I possibly can, keep what is (at present) working fine, and get USA Track to replace the rest.

Tom is willing to build me a wood roadbed I can screw down the USA track to, and then I put it down on the floor around the pool table. Or I may buy a 6x10 piece of a low pile looped carpet at my local home building center, get the edges bound, and put it under the pool table. The track can go on top of it. 

Did not this would be so much work to just have a little track to run this circus set on *whew*

I would start fresh,   all new track,

One of the forum sponsors is TinMan. What his company does is recondition track. They could polish the rails and clean inside the pins. They would replace insulators and pins as needed.

They do this for O-gauge so no reason they can not do it for STG.

Contact them for prices. 

send it to me I'll do it for shipping, I replace the insulators with auto rubberized gasket material,

I won't get Carey started on 5 rail track

Steve "Papa" Eastman posted:

I won't get Carey started on 5 rail track

Definitely not! Especially Gargraves. She'll take up stamp collecting after dealing with that track! 

riki posted:

send it to me I'll do it for shipping, I replace the insulators with auto rubberized gasket material,

That is truly a generous offer. For every person that makes this forum bad there are 10 people like you that make it good.

Steve,

   5 Rail track, now there is a great idea for her!  

PCRR/Dave

Yes, a very generous offer, Riki. Thank you. We may try to keep some that presently works.

send it,,

Carey TeaRose posted:

I'm learning a lot by reading everyone's replies. However, tracking down short circuits with Tom even on just a simple loop around the pool table ain't my idea of  fun. I don't want to see my fiance' at work  (even though he'd gladly do it) at 'fixing' my train track for me. Will send back what appears to be no good that I possibly can, keep what is (at present) working fine, and get USA Track to replace the rest.

Tom is willing to build me a wood roadbed I can screw down the USA track to, and then I put it down on the floor around the pool table. Or I may buy a 6x10 piece of a low pile looped carpet at my local home building center, get the edges bound, and put it under the pool table. The track can go on top of it. 

Did not this would be so much work to just have a little track to run this circus set on *whew*

Putting tubular track on top of carpet is a recipe for disaster.  No matter how tight the weave, you'll end up with little bits of fuzz in everything.  If you think short circuits are a pain, just wait...

hmmm...

Within  the last two years there was a bad batch of MTH/Lionel insulators on their standard gauge track. The cardboard insulators were too thin and they would cause the circuit breakers to pop. The new corrected track uses a new plastic insulator.

Buy from a dealer and if you get bad pieces let them correct or replace the bad track. The USA Track uses a thicker insulator and won't have this issue.

Scott Smith