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Turnout or Loco Problem?
Caleb who is new to the hobby posted this question:
“What brand manufacturer and type of turnout is best to stop shorting out when my train passes over? I have a Walthers code 83 turnout. Can I do something to the turnout or train to fix this?”
Add your comment below if you would like to assist Caleb.
5 Responses to Turnout or Loco Problem?
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Not all switches are dcc friendly. There are videos on iTunes that show how to make them so. Is the track shorting out or is the locomotive loosing power? Do the switches have powered frogs? Some switches ,like shinohara are not doc friendly and need to be insulated to run without problems. Use a meter and check for shorts with the switch points turned in each direction.
If this is DC and not DCC then the problem could be a loco one. Check the wheel spacing is correct as there could be a wheel flange contacting the other point rail near the frog as it passes over.
If the picture is your turnout it appears as if it has a live frog (the frog and point rails are all electrically one piece). If this is so you need to put isolated rail joiners on both of the inside rails. Another thing to check is that the wheel gauge (back to back spacing on the wheels) on your locomotive is correct, if the gauge is too tight the wheels will be able to simultaneously contact both the straight and diverging rails at the points, causing a short.
Caleb,
Walthers track work is actually Shinohara of Japan track marketed by Walthers. A high quality product. You don’t say if you are running DCC or not. If you are and you are using older Walthers track/turnouts they are not DCC Friendly. To make them so I suggest you look at the following web site.
https://dccwiki.com/DCC_Friendly_Turnout
Your problem is most likely a combination of the turnouts and the wheel gauge. Both can be fixed with a bit of patience once you understand what is required. Go to the website mentioned above.
ok will investigate. grate feedback 😉