Need help with wiring problem


Taggart said:
To Mike: Okay, I'll try that test.
To fcwilt: Yes, one of the first things I did was to verify that the wiring was consistent on the main line and turnouts. But I'm going to run the test Mike suggested.
Now, on your suggestion, I'm using PECO insulfrog turnouts. I don't see any gaps in the ties, but a drop of solder would be easy to make the two connections. Will that suffice?
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Here is a picture of a new turnout and a turnout with "jumpers" added.

On my layout for a very specific reason all of my turnouts have their own power feeds which is why the "jumpers" look like feeders, because they are.
 

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Taggart said:
Nope, no luck. Just tried disconnecting all the other turnouts on the layout, but result is the same. But....to answer your earlier question, the layout works just fine as long as I don't power the turnouts. That is, locos run the main loop (and a couple of concentric loops) just fine. Then, when I put power to the ends of the turnouts, I get a short and nothing runs.
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Ok, please forgive me for taking this back track one step at a time, but with the main power connected (spurs not connected) such that trains are running - What happens when the turnout to the spurs is thrown toward the spurs? Will a locomotive run down into the spurs?
 
PROBLEM SOLVED!!! To quote Phil Mickelson after he blew the '06 US Open at Winged Foot, "I am such an idiot!". Yep, I pulled a Lefty. Take a look at either of those two schematics of my layout I posted and you'll see a little symbol at the end of each spur. That's a bumper. And I actually installed three bumpers. Two of them were just plastic place holders until I bought fancy bumpers. But one of them was a very nice quality Tomar bumper. Made of brass. Right. Solid brass. They ship with insulated rail joiners, but I was in a hurry so I just grabbed the nearest regular rail joiners and hooked it up. Might as well have just laid a quarter on the track :). It constituted a built-in, permanent short. Arrggghhhh. So this morning I ripped it out, and re-soldered all the wires to the rails, just like it shows in my schematic. And everything works exactly as it did on my test bed. I can run locos on all three loops, and simultaneously run switchers on all three spurs. I am such an idiot :). So thanks very much for all the help you provided, and I promise next time I post a need for help I'll double check for idiocies first. --Gary
 
Tomar bumpers are great...provided you use insulated rail joiners on at least one rail. (And I use them on both rails, and make sure the rails on the bumper are cut short enough so that a locomotive can inadvertantly bridge them with the spur rails.
 
How embarrassing! What were you thinking? If you had told us in the beginning that there was a short on the track we could have solved the problem much quicker. ;)
 
Don't sweat it. I think we've ALL had those moments. I finished a new track section and fired up my DCC to find it shorted. Started looking around trying to figure out where the heck I went wrong. Luckily it only took me 15 minutes or so to notice that I'd left a metal tape measure sitting on the rails in another section of the layout, but I was seconds away from starting to disconnect what I'd just connected so I could start troubleshooting in depth :rolleyes:
 
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