Short circuit

I have a short somewhere and can't find it. I was running trains Saturday evening. All was well. Sunday afternoon I went to run again and I have a short and can't find it. Is there a way to zero in on a short?

 

Hi,

Not knowing your layout/track plan I can only give suggestions.

1. Look over the complete layout for something metal that does not belong on the track.
2. Make sure that ALL locomotives have ALL their wheels where they should be.
3. Make sure that ALL cars with metal wheels have ALL their wheel where they should be.
4. Is there anything (locomotive, car) that is sitting on the frog of a switch?
5. Is there anything (locomotive, car) that is sitting on the gap of a reversing section?
6. If the layout has block switches (electrical type) turn the blocks off one at a time until the short goes away. That will be the area of the short.
7. Take all your locomotives (and any cars that draw power) off the layout one at a time. If the short goes away when removing a loco or car then something wrong with it. A DC loco on a DCC layout may have a bad motor.

Hope that this helps,

Gary

 

I have started to narrow it down now. It is something with my double track main line. Hopefully I will find it tomorrow if I get to work on it.

 

If you have a reversing loop connected to the double main check very carefully the gaps isolating the reversing section. Also check any turnouts associated to see if there is something shorting the points to the opposite main rail. (I've had a tiny bit of track cut off section lodge itself in the gap causing a short) Have you been fiddeling with any of the under track wiring before the short occured?

Brian

 

I thought I found it but as I found out later I was wrong. It turns out that it is in my DCC system. I contacted MRC they told me to send it to them with $75 and they would fix it. As I am unable to work I don't have $75 laying around I am returning to DC operations for a while

 

First test is to disconnect the track power wires from your DCC unit. power up the unit and see if the short is still there. If it is, contact MRC. If not, it's on the layout or in the wiring.
Best way to start looking for a sort on the layout is to divide it into two sections. Find which half has the short then continue to divide that half until you zero in on it.

Martin Myers