I had a screwdriver fall across the track and short it out and the circuit breaker on the tiu tripped. Now the black side or common on the tiu will not feed any juice through so everything is dead. How do I reset the circuit breaker as I have waited for 1/2 hour with no power on to the tiu and it has not reset. thanks for any help in advance.
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What memes you think that there's ac circuit breaker in your TIU?
The original Rev. G (unmarked). TIUs had no circuit protection at all. All TIUs since then have internal fuses.
If you have a TIU that's newer than the original Rev. G, open ti upend change the blown 20 amp fuse.
If I recall correctly, you own a copy of The DCS O Gauge Companion 2nd Edition. Look on page 154 for instructions regarding opening the TIU and replacing fuses.
I just thought something as modern as a tiu would have circuit breakers. Thanks I found the page on how to replace the fuse, now I have to go get a fuse.
It should be mentioned that the 20 amp fuse is a very tiny one and not the normal one used in automobiles. The auto parts guy had me take one of each and if not for him, I would have had to run back to the store to get a small one. It is about 1/2 the size of the normal one.
Actually, it is, indeed, a standard auto blade fuse. There are large ones and small ones, and it's one of the small ones.
If it wasn't a standard size, the auto parts stores wouldn't carry them at all.
Ironlake, to avoid opening and closing the TIU, good practice is to put a 10-amp fuse or, preferably and cheaper over the long run, 10-amp breaker in each TIU red input circuit. If you don't run may trains on a circuit at the same time, ratings of less than 10 amps can be used; don't use larger than 10-amp.
The breakers or fuses go in the Hot wires between the transformer and the TIU channel inputs.
Barry is correct. I used the word "red" since there could be readers out there who don't know which it hot and which is cold----I mean hot and which is common.
I find it interesting that when the fuse blew it was on the black or ourside rail side that open up. The red input still had continuity from input to output after the fuse blew.
I now have a fast blow agc 15 amp fuse in the input hot lead and that goes super fast on a short. I have trouble with some mth cars with the tack on the bottom of the coupler shorting out rails on switches and the fuses in bulk from amazon are way cheaper than the 20 amp that I got for the tiu.
The TIU is rated for 12 amps, so I wouldn't use a 15 amp fuse.
A 10 amp should be plenty.
I agree with Joe. The smallest rating that will power your trains is the best selection, since fuses and breakers do not blow immediately upon overload. Blow time depends on the percent of overcurrent compared to rating. I use as small as 5 amp on some TIU outputs.
My understanding is that the TIU internal fuse is actually between the black input and output terminals.
IronLake2,
I recommend getting yourself some Scott Type 10 Amp breakers, install them between your transformers and your TIU, you will never blow another TIU fuse again. You will simply reset the breaker, after shutting down your transformers.
PCRR/Dave
The 20 amp fuses where added to the TIU to prevent the internal traces from being damaged from short with older PW ZW (the main transformer being uses as Command entered the market). It is not there to protect you train.
As other mentioned, you either need to use a transformer with quick acting fuses/breakers (Power House) or add some. Lionel had a harness for use with older ZW that incorporated a fuse in the leads. G
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