Crossover Short Circuits

[OldStone]

Good Evening All:
Finally got the O & W Rwy to the point I can use it.  NCE PowerCab, 250 feet of track, 41 Peco Insulfrog ("dead" frog) turnouts and 3 Insulfrog crossovers.  No problems with the turnouts at all....but the crossovers were causing my three-color LED on the NCE Smart Booster and the #1156 taillight bulb on that power district to wink and sometimes light up.  When the #1156 lit up the train stopped - the booster had obviously tripped its breaker.  In 2 or 3 seconds when the booster restarted, the train took off as if nothing had happened.  It occurred going South but not when going North.

I finally determined that a couple boxcars were the culprits.  Further checking determined that their wheels would not quite fall into the notches on my NMRA HO Standards Gauge.  Close, but no cigar.  A few thousandths, maybe.  Once I had twisted, pushed and pulled to get them perfectly in gauge....no more shorts....none, zip, nada!  I was amazed (still am) that so small a change could have such a significant effect.  Henceforth, all new cars will have their gauge checked before being allowed on O & W rails.  I suppose a lot of modelers have been doing this for decades...but I'm new at it.  Incidentally, my new "hunkerdown" high-side gondola came with its wheels nicely "in gauge"....a good omen?

[Hunt]

Thanks for sharing your Now I Know experience.