TRACK SWITCH PROBLEM

Could be a number of things, first off, I would check to make sure that maybe the hot/ common wires are in sync. on the inner and outer loops. I had that problem on a small layout once and found I accidently wired the hot wire to the outside rails instead of the middle rail, causing a short when the train crossed over.

 

the problem is happening on switch A. the engine doesnt even cross over to the other switch. also the hots and commons are in the correct places

Might even be the switch itself, do you have another switch to put in place of switch A to check?

i was gonna try that today

Is the single fiber pin on switch B in the right place?  I thought it was supposed to go on the short rail. Are the inner and outer loops connected to the same handle of the ZW? Any problems going from the inner loop to the outer loop?

Ed

From the diagram in the first post, looks like the pins are where they're supposed to be.

 

Badhorse, does this happen with other loco's too, or just one?

yes the pins are in the right place, and i have switched out the switches and it still stalls out on the transition,,,,,,,,phasing should be a none issue with my ZW, and the only difference was i cleaned the switches. also it doesnt matter what locomo0tive

 

"...switch A when the engine goes across has sparks from the wheel and it ****es off the E unit on the engine stopping the train. "

 

Since you removed then re-installed the switches, could the weight of the engine be pressing a rail down, making contact where it was insulated before, and causing the short circuit you describe? It may not be in the switches themselves, but in an adjacent piece of track.

 

If nothing else is wrong, at least change the insulating pin in the curved leg of switch "b". It's in the wrong leg.

according to this i have the pins in the right places, you are thinking O27

 

If I'm not mistaken, there are two versions of 022 switches, early and late. One uses a segment in the stock rail, the other uses the rail connected to the frog. You should verify which ones you have, and they could be different.

Are you using fixed voltage on the switches?

no im not using fixed voltage yet,,,,,,,,,,,

you would be wrong, i have 022's that were made over decades and they are the same

Two thoughts. One, the insulating pin on b should be on the lower rail in the picture but, not sure that is the issue. I had an engine once that had one pick up on the frog and one on the moving track part causing a short. When it happens, get a flashlight and try to slowly roll over the loco to see where the pickups are.

Also, forgot to mention getting your volt -ohm meter and checking all the combos. This might give you a clue.

One more thought here, maybe you could try pushing a piece of rolling stock through the transition slowly by hand, with full power on the tracks. See if and exactly where it still sparks. If it only happens with the locomotive, then it probably has something to do with the pick-up rollers as Hokie71 mentioned.

 

  Also check to make sure the weight of the locomotive isn't causing the center rail to touch the swivel rail when it passes through the transition, That does happen occasionally.

Hmmmm... interesting puzzle... I looked at the control rail fiber pins this way, inside of divergence and inside of thru 

 

when looking at it that way, excluding the center rail power division pin, the pin indicated is should be removed.

 

Inside, inside

 

 

Remove pin to correct

 

 

Try that.  Hopefully, you have only one common for all power supplies and they are phased properly.

phasing is a none issue, im using a single ZW transformer. but i will try removing the one pin, and double check my neutrals.

I just installed a post war manual switch on my small oval test track. When a train runs over the frog, it stops and reverses (E unit being cycled) so I know there should be a fiber pin somewhere but don't remember where it should go!

You should start a new post on your particular issue to get the best solution for your configuration. This post is about powered remote switches.

ok Moonman, thanks!

c. lee,

Just tryin' to be helpful, not a "Richard cranium". Describe your power setup and type of engine(s) track configuration, multiple power divisions and such.

The fiber pins on the 022 remote are for the non-derail feature, which uses the motor.