Crossing please help
- Thread starter kase
- Start date
Can you provide any more information about what is happening?
Try this for more troubleshooting tips: http://www.the-gauge.com/showthread.php?t=25008&highlight=derail
Welcome to The Gauge!
Andrew
Try this for more troubleshooting tips: http://www.the-gauge.com/showthread.php?t=25008&highlight=derail
Welcome to The Gauge!
Andrew
If you're using a short wheelbase loco, you're losing power in the middle of the crossing. A longer wheelbase loco with only 1 truck picking up power will have the same problem. I had a similar problem one time and solved it by installing metal wheels on the car coupled to the loco and ran wires from the cars axles to the motor in the loco. This allowed the loco to continue getting power even in the middle of the dead area.
What kind of engine is giving problems? Is it only that one (or that type)?
If you have a multi-meter, check that all rails are getting (the right kind of) power. If the entire crossing is dead, it would be far better to correct that than to permanently couple a car to the engine for extra pickups.
Andrew
If you have a multi-meter, check that all rails are getting (the right kind of) power. If the entire crossing is dead, it would be far better to correct that than to permanently couple a car to the engine for extra pickups.
Andrew
I've never tried adding jumper or feeder wires to a crossing but I wonder if you experiemented with a length of wire by touching one end to a powered track connected to the crossing and touching the other end of the wire to locations on the crossing itself to see if any of these tests manage to get the loco to cross successfully. If so, then solder them up!
Good luck!
Ralph
Good luck!
Ralph
The easiest way to get power to the rails in dead area is to run wires from the live rails to the dead rails. I've done this before. Being that the crossing was already in place and couldn't be easiely moved, I had to drill holes next to the rails and run jumpers to the dead rails. Note the illustration below.
kase: what are the rails in the middle of the crossing made of? If they're plastic, you can't do much with it. If they're metal, you can check that they're powered and wire them if they aren't (as j-w shows.)
If it's plastic, you may be able to add extra pickups to the loco.
If it's plastic, you may be able to add extra pickups to the loco.
It's quite simple really. Simply fit the car with metal wheels that have metal axles. The wheels will have the axle going directly into a wheel on one end and the other end will have an insulator where the axle meets the wheel. Install the wheels for the front truck so that the non-insulated wheels are on the right side. Now, install the wheels of the rear truck so that the non-insulated wheels are on the left side. Drill two small holes in the bottom of the car, one just back of each truck on the centerline of the car. Strip the end of a thin wire (22 gauge or thinner) about 2 1/2 inches back. run the wire down through one of the holes and wrap the stripped end around around the axles of that truck. Do the same with the other truck. Now run the wires from the car (in whatever fashion you choose) to the loco (again in whatever fashion you choose. I just drill a hole to run the wires through.) Attach the wire from the front truck to the right side feed wire in the loco. Likewise with the wire from the rear truck to the left feed wire of the loco. This should take care of your problem.kase said:
What is the locomotive that stalls on the crossing? If the locomotive is long enough to have wheels on either side of the crossing, you should be able to simply put in enough pick ups on the locomotive to pick up power on either side of the crossing, but we need to have you tell us what model is creating the problem. So far this thread has gone 2 pages and there still isn't any information from you on what locomotive is having the problem.