Help ! I'm new to all this...I have a modest N scale layout with PECO electrofrogs. I've insulated in all the right places but I intermittently blow the 1 amp fuse on my controller, especially when I run my Atlas U25B backwards. Any cles..?
Welcome to the Trainboard Forum, SteveR! It's really hard to diagnose your problem without seeing a track plan or diagram. I can suspect many problems and suggest many solutions, but they all will be just guessing. To post a track plan, why don't you visit www.railimages.com? It's part of the Trainboard site, and there are many helpful aids for posting images. If I, or others, could see where the problem is, we could probably solve it in a jiffy.
Pete, thanks for the welcome. I'll try and get a plan posted. Phill, I can't open the diagram attached...any chance you could re-attach ? Thanks.
Thanks, Charlie. Yes, I have insulated both sets of rails at the back end of the frogs with plastic joiners. This event only occurs on one switch on the layout and I find that the fuse blows when the loco is moving towards the frog (but only long hood first). The layout has six blocks and this is the only troublesome area. Regards, Steve
Steve, I run all Peco Electrfrog points correctly isolated and have never had such a problem. You indicate it is one loco that seems to cause the problem and then when running one way. If you haven't already I would check the back to back of all the wheels in case one is catching a rail and causiong the short. Also check the trip pin if using MT couplers as I have known that create a short. It is a pretty feaarsome problem to blow the fuse rather than just trip the overload setting. Suggest you try other locos and see if this is the only one. Regards, Dave
Welcome aboard Steve - Good to see another Brit here As David has suggested, you should take a good look at the locomotive, as this is the one causing the problem, and only in one direction, so could have a fault on one truck. You are a bit too far away from David or myself for us to pop over and check it out Let us know what you find and how you get on with solving the problem.
I'll have to agree with those who've suggested checking the engine itself. Seems as though this is a good possibility for locating the problem. Boxcab E50
Thanks for the tips and advice ; I think I need to go away and do some serious investigation over the Christmas break ! I'll keep you posted. I've been really encouraged by the replies and support, and the welcome. Cheers, Steve
I was having problems w/ an Electrofrog on my layout (the only one - all the rest are Atlas). Mine wouldn't blow a fuse, but would short circuit the layout every time I threw the switch. The advice I got here on the forum was to insulate BOTH rails of each track on the exit side of the switch. Once I did that, my problems were solved. Do you have just one rail insulated or both?
I always isolate both rails where two points face each other. However, if this was the problem it should short out whether the loco was there or not and not just as it approached. I still suspect the loco is the problem here. 'Regards Dave
I also insulate both rails. But, I once had a problem because of a long wheel base that spanned an insulated section that I thought it had cleared. In other words, check to see if it is the locomotive. Just one other time I had the problem with an unlighted passenger (Kato-wired for lights) car that shorted across an insulated section. I was watching the engines and the short was occurring at the rear of the train! Thought I would mention it just in case. This one took about two days to figure out. The unknown reversing loop took about two weeks!
Every so often I get a bad Peco turnout. If you look below the frog, those wires that connect them "properly" aren't separated by much. Its possible they are touching. I have also once soldered other rail joints, and dropped a blob of solder between rails, thus making an inadvertant connection. However, if its just one loco, in one direction, it probably is the loco. However, it could also be the turnout. Merry Christmas.
