03-14-2018, 09:40 AM
As mentioned elsewhere, I recently finished some ballasting work on the partial second level of my layout. I used real rock (limestone screenings), fixed in place with diluted white glue, the same as for the rest of the upper level.
Once the glue had dried, I cleaned the rails and decided to run a locomotive over the newly ballasted area in order to check for any problems with ballast in switch point or guard rails. When I turned on the power (MRC ControlMaster 20) and opened the thottle on the handheld walkaround, the locomotive moved, but very slowly and only after turning up the speed control to almost full. I noticed on the separate ammeter, that to achieve that very low speed, the current was at three amps (the maximum amount capable of showing on that meter). I removed the loco and tried a different one, with the same results. I also noticed that with no locomotive on the track, when the throttle knob was advanced, the current showing on the meter increased in the same manner.
The layout is DC-controlled, and I have the ability to use any one of several different throttles, depending on the position of several toggle switches on the layout fascia. The usual throttle is a pulse width modulation type from a local supplier. It's been very reliable, and gives very good speed control and offers the ability to run an almost unlimited number of locomotives at one time (useful for heavy trains on my layout, which has many grades, some up to 2.8% ). The PWM throttle uses AC current from the ControlMaster 20. Thinking that the issue might be with the throttle, I flipped the appropriate switches and instead, plugged-in the MRC throttle which came with the CM 20...it uses DC current from the CM 20. The results were exactly the same: no engine response until the throttle knob was well-past what usually represents running speed, and a maximum draw showing on the ammeter, whether or not the locomotive was on the tracks.
The layout is intended for a single operator, so there are no blocks as would be required for multiple operators. The trackplan is point-to-point (actually multiple points) with an ability for continuous running if lift-outs at the room's entrance are in place - they're usually not, and weren't when this occurred.
In each town through which the track passes, the mainline is doubled, and those tracks are controlled by toggle switches which can kill one or both tracks, as necessary, if I want to run one train past another. The power for dead-end tracks used for industries, in most cases, can also be killed, useful for parking a locomotive while another train runs by. All of the staging tracks have on/off switches, too, as ready-to-run trains are often stored there.
The tracks between towns are, when the power is on, always live, as there are wires under the layout connecting these sections which are otherwise separated by the kill-able double tracks within the towns.
I'm guessing that since the meter is showing a current draw, even when there's no locomotive on a live track, that the problem must be somewhere on those live sections. However, the ballasting work was done on a section of kill-able double track, with no changes elsewhere. There are no tools laying on the tracks anywhere, nothing partially derailed and causing an electrical issue, and no apparent cause for what's occurring - the trains ran perfectly-well immediately before ballasting, as I ran tests to ensure that all trackwork was physically and electrically sound. I also checked the ballast with a magnet, which showed no response - nothing at all within it magnetic, and the same stuff and same application method had already been used previously on other areas, without incident.
If anybody has thoughts on this, I'm eager to hear what you have to say, as I'm stumped.
Wayne
Once the glue had dried, I cleaned the rails and decided to run a locomotive over the newly ballasted area in order to check for any problems with ballast in switch point or guard rails. When I turned on the power (MRC ControlMaster 20) and opened the thottle on the handheld walkaround, the locomotive moved, but very slowly and only after turning up the speed control to almost full. I noticed on the separate ammeter, that to achieve that very low speed, the current was at three amps (the maximum amount capable of showing on that meter). I removed the loco and tried a different one, with the same results. I also noticed that with no locomotive on the track, when the throttle knob was advanced, the current showing on the meter increased in the same manner.
The layout is DC-controlled, and I have the ability to use any one of several different throttles, depending on the position of several toggle switches on the layout fascia. The usual throttle is a pulse width modulation type from a local supplier. It's been very reliable, and gives very good speed control and offers the ability to run an almost unlimited number of locomotives at one time (useful for heavy trains on my layout, which has many grades, some up to 2.8% ). The PWM throttle uses AC current from the ControlMaster 20. Thinking that the issue might be with the throttle, I flipped the appropriate switches and instead, plugged-in the MRC throttle which came with the CM 20...it uses DC current from the CM 20. The results were exactly the same: no engine response until the throttle knob was well-past what usually represents running speed, and a maximum draw showing on the ammeter, whether or not the locomotive was on the tracks.
The layout is intended for a single operator, so there are no blocks as would be required for multiple operators. The trackplan is point-to-point (actually multiple points) with an ability for continuous running if lift-outs at the room's entrance are in place - they're usually not, and weren't when this occurred.
In each town through which the track passes, the mainline is doubled, and those tracks are controlled by toggle switches which can kill one or both tracks, as necessary, if I want to run one train past another. The power for dead-end tracks used for industries, in most cases, can also be killed, useful for parking a locomotive while another train runs by. All of the staging tracks have on/off switches, too, as ready-to-run trains are often stored there.
The tracks between towns are, when the power is on, always live, as there are wires under the layout connecting these sections which are otherwise separated by the kill-able double tracks within the towns.
I'm guessing that since the meter is showing a current draw, even when there's no locomotive on a live track, that the problem must be somewhere on those live sections. However, the ballasting work was done on a section of kill-able double track, with no changes elsewhere. There are no tools laying on the tracks anywhere, nothing partially derailed and causing an electrical issue, and no apparent cause for what's occurring - the trains ran perfectly-well immediately before ballasting, as I ran tests to ensure that all trackwork was physically and electrically sound. I also checked the ballast with a magnet, which showed no response - nothing at all within it magnetic, and the same stuff and same application method had already been used previously on other areas, without incident.
If anybody has thoughts on this, I'm eager to hear what you have to say, as I'm stumped.
Wayne