WILLIAM ADDISON

Thank you Brian, I appreciate your answer.

Following the usual superb advice from experienced forum members I created a wired points system from a Guagemater Controller accessory section at 16V AC (the rest of my layout is DCC but I did not want the expense of decoders in every point motor). Because the layout is reasonable sizeable at 12' x 14.5' I followed advice and used a heavier gauge wire from my Seep PM1 Points to the on off on toggle switches pin the layout board diagram I created to house the switches - this was 24.02 gauge wire . And everything has worked out fine after learning the critical need to slacken off the PM1s slightly and to use a CDU to give the extra oomph needed to power the points . However I want to tidy up the wiring behind the board and my question is do I need a wire (I use red) as heavy as 24/0.2 connected to the CDU and the central section of each on/off/on toggle switches given that we are talking about only short distances here. Of course the outer connections of each Seep connecting to the board do use this wire as I have stated. Certainly a thinner wire would allow me to neaten things up. I must confess to be very much an electrical ignoramus and have usual gotten things right through the kindness of forum members. Any advice would be most graciously welcomed. William

I quite agree Kevin I was glad the problem was resolved without any drastic action. William/Mick

Nothing to apologise for Dave - as I said I'm quite a dullard at times. Really appreciated your help.

Good News, Good News as Roscoe P. Coltrane would say. Firstly, I haven't blown the chip. Secondly I had adjusted the horizontal and vertical "tongues" as instructed above and no shorting as the loco is working fine once more. So as the kind posters above suggested that was the case of the shorting. I detached the wire which I thought may have caused the shorting and may reconnect it so the tender pickups also kick in but I'm in no hurry when the loco is working so well. Once more I am so grateful to all the posters for their advice. I have learnt a lot over the past few years via you tube and trial and error in making quite extensive layout with fully electrically controlled Seep Points (38 of them) and now 90% ballasted into an industrial type steam layout (express and good/coal) of the late 50's early 60's based on Sunderland and Newcastle but I will always keep running into problems and that's where the experience and kindness of other posters far more skilled than me is so helpful. Once more chaps, thank you so much. William/Mick

In that case Kevin would I just be better off disconnecting the whole loco to tender electrical attachment as in the Forum discussion above (which I refer to) some posters say that the loco alone has enough pickups? But you are right I need to find the base fault before putting another chip in. Thank you Mick

Firstly, thank you so much for the replies above for which I am very grateful. Just before bed last night I found this older post and replies on the forum: Dave, I misinterpreted which tongues you meant and will now follow your advice on what to do with these horizontal tongues. Dominion you also make this very clear and thank you to you. I have not tried the loco on its own assuming, as the dullard I am, it needed the tender to power up as it were. From the discussion above I realise that a more drastic solution is to cut all of the wires and just run a "dead" tender behind. But I will follow your advice to narrow things down RHF9019 when I looked underneath I could only see one unattached wire and assumed it went on to the female brass connector - I need to have a good look at the under and loco to see if any other wires are loose too. I need to get a bit of shopping with my wife this morning and then I will go up into the loft where my layout is to try these solutions. But I have one fear in that my last try which shorted once more may have blown the chip as a little smoke came out. If so, I will get a new chip from my local railway shop today if I get no feedback from my Guagemaster Prodigy controller. For the moment let me thank you all again for your very kind and constructive replies. I will keep you all posted for sure. William/Mick

Dave, I bent the brass "tongues" away from the pin or Tender post but it is still shorting. For the life of me I cannot fathom why as it wires up the same as Wild Swan and the A3 with the same tender loco connector. But thanks for your help anyway I do appreciate it. William/Mick

Thank you Dave I will try this and let you know how I get on. By the "pin" I assume you mean the "male" end of the tender's connecting "post." Mick

Hi folks, I'm not sure if I have this question in the right place but here goes. After ballasting my layout I have been enjoying playing trains again. However, yesterday Hornby 60039 "Sandwich" just stopped running. I looked underneath the loco to see that a wire coming from under the cab had come away from the "female) brass connector which to the "male" metal pole in the tender. So I soldered it back on today expecting everything to be hunky dory but it just keeps shorting. I have two other Hornby locos with the same tender/loco arrangement: 60021 (A4) and 60047 (A3) and in checking these I have simply soldered the wire back to where it was originally as there is a small solder blob there and replicating exactly where the wire is connected on the other two locos. They work perfectly (as did Sandwich - all excellent runners) but Sandwich is suggesting I've done something wrong by shorting every time I put it on the line. I'm not very tech savvy and my electrics knowledge is very basic but for the life of me I cannot see what I have done wrong. I even soldered it to the outside of the brass "female" attachment and cleaned the brass to ensure a good contact but still I get shorts. How can this be when 60021 and 60047 have this wire soldered in just this very place - to the right of the female brass connector when looking at the loco on the foam maintenance cradle/upside down. The short occurs when I create a circuit by attaching loco to tender. Anyone with these older Hornby Pacifics will understand what I am trying to explain (I hope!) I would be extremely grateful for any suggestions as to what I have done wrong please. All three locos are DCC as is everything else on my DCC layout. William Addison

Thank you so much for the replies. Of course some of the terms used in your answers are 'Greek' to me but the links you all provide are very helpful. William BTW following the excellent analysis of what is likely the problem with this loco from the members who replied to me I found this on eBay: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/334101664693?mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=710-53481-19255-0&campid=5338364430&customid=334101664693_1&toolid=11000 William

Thank you so much for the replies. Of course some of the terms used in your answers are 'Greek' to me but the links you all provide are very helpful. William

Hello there, Having found the kindness and skill of forum members so helpful when I was constructing my DCC 00 gauge model railway and completing the electrics, I wonder if any forum members could help me with the following problem. I have the Hornby re-built Patriot, Sir Frederick Harrison. This has been a superb loco which has run beautifully on my lay out. However, after taking it our of storage whilst I completed some point motor installation I have found that the engine is "free wheeling" as it were. I have not used this loco a lot and I am always careful when I put locos in and out of storage. Clearly, there is something wrong with the drive mechanism even tough I cannot figure what has caused it. When I use my Gaugemenaster DCC controller nothing happens and I can effectively push the loco with all the wheels turning beautifully BUT not under power. I would be very grateful for any help that members could offer me. I could take it into my local MR shop for repair but IF it isn't too complicated to get things right I'm prepared to have a go myself. Thank You William Addison

Thank you so much Brian, (and for much of your earlier guidance on such matters which helped me so much when wiring up all the Peco electro frog points and connecting them to Seep PM1s). I'm shying away from the possible electrofrog conversion and just using it as a simple insulfrog PL90 as I'm not getting any stalling even on my short-base locos. And a big thank you to all the other kind respondents. Everything is working wonderfully now. William

Thanks Robert - will do.