Dear tj,

Scroll down about half-way through this thread for my reply on track joint troubleshooting:

http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,26055.0.html

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

Dear b44,

You may have to lengthen some N straights slightly (i.e., add fitter straights),

as the track dimensions of the two scales (HO and N) aren't perfectly proportional with each other.

The turnouts between the two scales may not be perfectly proportional, either.

Also, there is not as large a selection of pieces in N as in HO. 

Just get on the AnyRail CAD program with the N scale track library and see what you can do.

http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,17037.0.html

http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,27046.0.html 

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

working link for CME:

http://cumberlandmodelengineering.com/

Dear All,

Just thinking about the best location for the Insulating Rail Connectors (both rails) and DCC auto-reverser input and output for the added wye.

How about IRCs on the main and divergent routes of the (presently not shown) southern most turnout of the wye?

DCC controller output (also DCC auto-reverser input) connected to the south of that turnout,

DCC auto-reverser output connected to the north of that turnout (powering the loop).

Other thoughts, please?

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

Dear Jeff,

http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,24242.0.html (4-Pin connectors)

http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,22612.0.html  (Wiring color code about 2/3 of the way down)

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

Hi, djp.

Check to see if the problem follows the decoder by plugging it back in, or plugging it into another loco. 

It's a possibility that a short was cleared by moving stuff around in original loco,

e.g., 2 bare wires touching (shorting), jostled into not touching.

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

Sounds like it could be on the motor side of the decoder.

Can you easily unplug the decoder?

Is there a dummy plug available to troubleshoot the motor and chassis with a  DC powerpack?

Possiblities, not in order:

1. Short in output of decoder.

2. Short in wiring from decoder to motor.

3. Bad brushes, dirty commutator or shorted motor windings.

4. Motor wiring not isolated from chassis or wheel pickups.

5. Mechanical binding in chassis, either driver wheels out of quarter,

driveline out of alignment, wheels or wheel bearings dragging, etc.

Hope this helps.

Joe

Dear djp,

Great question.

There is some kind of (abnormally high?) resistance between your controller and your track. 

Could be loose or dirty connections, or a cable that has been flexed to the point of breaking nearly all its internal copper strands.

As you command your loco to take (draw) more amperage from the controller, it passes through some kind of high resistance which drops the voltage.

Current x Resistance = Voltage  (IR=V)  a.k.a. "Ohm's Law".

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

Dear All,

Having all your DCC locos parked on live track is not the best idea.  

Problem 1. Noise

Problem 2. Power Drain.  Idling trains and their lights rob power from running trains, their lights, and stationary decoders (turnouts, e.g.).  

It's hard to run more than 2 or 3 locos at once without running them into each other, anyway.

If the rest are off, you may not have to buy a power booster.

My advice? Park 'em on a switched off siding.

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik  

Bigger Hammer solution:

Park the offending loco on a power routed turnout, or on a stretch of track with one rail isolated and powered with an electrical switch.

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

Edit: Signature

Dear All,

You could use the same bridge rectifier to feed both end loops. 

I am going to modify my design on the voltage drop for the main above,

eliminating the bridge and using 4 individual diodes not in a bridge configuration.

This will make the voltages match on each side of the insulators. (Main and Loops)

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

jward,

1. Sounds like a great place for a spring loaded turnout.

2. Don't know if the 2 diode voltage drop from the bridge makes much difference in speed between the loop and the main,

but if it does, you could match the drops by adding 4 diodes to the wires to the main.  

Main traveling left to right, loop on right:  

Your bridge (as I understand):

PowerPackT1 ---->----Bridge1~

PowerPackT2 ----->---Bridge1 other~

Bridge1+ ---------->---Loop outside rail

Bridge1 -  ----------->--Loop inside rail


My added voltage equalizing diodes (4 needed):

PowerPackT1 ---->----Diode1Cathode

PowerPackT1 ---->----Diode2Anode

PowerPackT2 ---->----Diode3Cathode

PowerPackT2----->----Diode4Anode

Diode1Anode----->----Main South Rail

Diode2Cathode--->----Main South Rail

Diode3Anode--->----Main North Rail

Doide4Cathode ---->----Main North Rail


Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

Edit: Italics - change voltage equalizing design from diode bridge to 4 individual diodes

Comfortable (human) reach is 24", 30" is stretching it.

Long grabbers or pop-up hatches needed for further away.

Hope this helps.

Joe

Great Photos.

Ken Patterson strikes again !!

Found them in the "Scene Scapes" section (Pg. 200) of the 2015 download-able product catalog.

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

Doug,

Great job learning to use AnyRail.

I wonder if the " @ " symbol in the photo link might be causing the problem.

Anyone else have experience with Flicker?

I have no problems with Photobucket.  Add img tags and away you go.

You may have noticed that N Scale has fewer track choices than HO.

N Scale's (proportionately) shorter 30 degree crossings allow for more compact layout designs,

but then you have to figure out the lengths of the 4 straight legs...  

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

Edit: Added Bold