Short cercuit

[Lester Perry]

I have a short somewhere and can't find it. Is there a trick that anyone knows to find a short?

[ezdays]

I have a short somewhere and can't find it. Is there a trick that anyone knows to find a short?

That's all going to depend on how you have your tracks wired. If you got one long bus, you can divide the bus and see which half it's on, then divide that half again until you isolate the short. If you're running DC and have blocks, the best way to do that is to start pulling the block wiring. If it's new wiring, you might find that you've created a reverse loop. Regardless, the best way I know how is to put an ohmmeter at the source and keep pulling wires or cutting the bus until the short goes away.

[Lester Perry]

Looks like that is the only way to do it. A lot of work. It was working fine Saturday night. Sunday afternoon iy was down. All I did was shut it down and restart it.

[santafewillie]

I only am familiar with DC and you didn't mention what you use. First, shorts in wiring just don't happen overnight without some outside force. If you haven't already done so, I would first start by removing all motive power and see if it still exists. If it's corrected, add them back one at a time until you identify the offender. I would also look at every inch of track to see if a stray screwdriver, paperclip, coin, or other metal object might have fallen across the rails. Next look for any rolling stock with metal wheels that might be derailed over a turnout. If you did any recent work under the layout ( I assume that's where your wiring is), look in the area you worked on to see if you might have accidentally bumped or otherwise dislodged some wires. Good luck.
willie

[Lester Perry]

. I am now narrowing it down. I think it will be short order tomorrow to finding it if I get to work on it. I will be going to some blocks when all is done.

[Lester Perry]

All locomotives are off of the troubled track. I am getting closer to finding it . I have a double track main. I have eliminated All yards and secondary tracks. It appears the problem is in the main.

[faraway]

Do you have electro frogs? A possible cause is a switch machine that is not proper operating the contacts.
My frogs have a central power line I can disconnect to test it in a minute.

[Lester Perry]

Don't have them

[torikoos]

Any luck yet Lester?

You could consider for the future to but bulbs in series with each power section you have. A dead short in one of these sections will make this lightbulb light up, making locating the problem area a lot quicker without having to disconnect a lot of stuff.

NCE makes a dedicated little circuit board for it: See: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.ncedcc.com/component/virtuemart/?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=9&category_id=1">http://www.ncedcc.com/component/virtuem ... egory_id=1</a><!-- m -->

Another thing you might want to do is take your shop vac to the layout and carefully vacuum your tracks. (alternatively, tie a pantyhose over the mouth piece so that nothing disappears of the layout into the vacuum, and you can recover it)
it could be something simple as a small piece of wire strand, or a spring of a Kadee coupler that's jumped and found itself in a bad place causing problems.
Has it been hot in your layout room? there could have been expansion of some track, and if no isolated rail joiners were used, two power sections, might now be touching ?

The above are just a few more tips you could try should you fail to locate it so far.
Good luck,

Koos

[Lester Perry]

I think I found it. I tracked it down to a feeder wire, cut it and the tester went quiet. Now to go back an redo some wiring. Wish me luck

[Lester Perry]

Up and running. Now cleaning up the mess.

[faraway]

Hurray, you got it!!!

Did you search the bug all night? Must be around 6am early morning at your home.

[Lester Perry]

No I found it a couple of days ago. Finished with rewiring last night.... I think.

[Steamtrains]

Any luck yet Lester?

You could consider for the future to but bulbs in series with each power section you have. A dead short in one of these sections will make this lightbulb light up, making locating the problem area a lot quicker without having to disconnect a lot of stuff.

Koos

Good idea..!! I'm starting an expansion on the layout which will have a separate power district(s). I'll implement this, and put the bulb(s) on the fascia..
I will then have to "back-wire" the existing portion....

[Lester Perry]

I had it divided before with DC so all I did was separate everything. Each main line is seperat east & west. Each yard and short line.