lilchris

Thanks for the reply but it does it if I connect the Cobalt IP or the PSX, I have just tried it again. If I put my meter on the two rails with either connected it shows a short, not connected and meter shows ok even on the rails. The Cobalt is a brand new Cobalt IP straight out of the box, I am only using two digital motors on my scenic section I plan to use a few anolouge motors with a couple of ad2fx. On my fiddle yard I will be using 17 IP motors but with a Cobalt Alpha central unit on a seperate bus. I will just keep wiring the droppers for now and keep those dissconected till I have finished. I have my psx's wired with reset switches and configured to stay off on a short till I press reset.

Hi there can anyone advise me. I am building a new layout with two tracks up and down line which are seperate and controlled by 2x PSX Circuit breakers. On connecting the breakers to the relavent bus the track rails show a short with my meter, the same happens if I connect one of the Cobalt motors. I think the problem with the Cobalt is it is in the centre setup position so probably the switch might be causing that but I do not understand why the Psx is doing the same thing. At the moment I am connecting droppers and my first thought was I had connected one the wrong way round but they have all checked out ok. The psx's all worked fine on my old layout so not sure what is going on.

My layout is n-gauge but I am using a SB5 booster with 4 psx circuit breakers. I have my layout which is a roundy roundy split into 4 sections, the layout has been made into sections joined with dowels and catches so I can split the layout and turn a section on its side for working on the wiring. The dcc bus is connected from one board to another using bananna plugs, I got the idea off the module section on this site it works good. You can also buy choc blocks which plug together,I have used those for other electrical connections. Enabling disconnecting a section certainly helps in finding faults like shorts.

Some superb modeling here Jerry, I feel has if I know you after reading through the whole threads from start to finish over the last couple of days. Not sure how I missed this thread, i have seen your Tucking Mill thread and your contribution to the D & G couplings thread. I am experimenting with D & G couplings on my N-gauge layout, plus some detailing on a Union Mills 3F, only wish I had your skill and expertise. lil chris

I forgot have you tried jmri and decoder pro. I used nigels guide to fine tune my Union Mills. It takes time writing the settings down has you change them,I can give you Izzys settings if you want for a starting point.

Hi there I have a Jinty which also run rough,I took Izzy solution and removed the pcb unfotunately I fitted a rubbish decoder I had at the time,I recently replaced it with a ct decoder but shorted it. I could not afford another at the moment so I fitted a Lenz silver mini I had in the draw. It runs a lot better but you can not fine tune the Lenz has much has the ct decoders.

I have used the same decoder in my Union Mills and have had to do a lot of tuning to get it to run smooth,using JMRI decoder pro.The new Union Mills locos have a new motor and the locos are heavy, I think this is what has caused most of my problems. I have the same decoder in a new GF4mt and that runs superbly slow. By the way I used Izzy’s settings with a bit of tweaking, thanks Izzy.

Hi there one tip I would give you is put the powercab in program track mode before you put the loco on the track. Do not ask how I know that,another tip press prog and 4 is a shortcut to program track mode.

I have not done much on the layout, I have managed to convert a new Union Mills 3F to dcc and it works.I have also printed two signs for the station entrance and the goods yard. My Union Mills 3F just needs detailing a bit now and I will be happy.

Hi there I really like your modeling excellent. I have done my goods yard using woodland scenics cinders but to be honest I am not totally happy with it yours looks like what I want. I have some Johnstons clear, mine is the new stuff though, and I have some weathering powders I might try your technique to weather it a bit.Thanks for that very inspiring.

More work on the Viaduct section adding telegraph poles to that section, the road bridge has simulated cable on the wall. I have had problems trying to run my Tomix and my Sharge cleaning wagons round the layout. Modifications have been made to the town tunnel section, it was easy to do because it is removable. The only other problem is the Footbridge in the station both cleaning wagons will not go under that, so it will be a case of run from there round one way and back. By the way you can see a small gap round the road bridge to the baseboard, that is unavoidable has it is removable, it disguises a board join

Thank you Nigel for your input, I understand what you are saying about a potential short, but at the end of the day Peco Slips and Diamond crossings come pre-wired that way when you buy them new, so how are you supposed to wire those. Like you say has long as you use a reliable switching there is not a problem, I initially used Peco motors and switches and they were un-reliable switching, that is why I changed to Cobalt motors and they have proved reliable. By the way when I used the peco motors and switches, after finding them un relaible I started to use a Hex Frog juicer to work the frogs and was told that was the wrong way to do it but it worked fine, I eventually changed to using the Cobalt motor switches for most of my points.

I have done some more work on a couple of the modules adding details. A couple of pics.

Hi Les nice layout there,I am not sure if I have seen you layout on the circuit I only go to a few shows.By the way did you sort the black 5 out, I have had endless problems with mine. I have removed the interface board and hardwired a chip in it but it still runs intermittent, I am sure it is something to do with pickups. I have had a meter across from the loco too the tender and that showed ok. I am that fed up with mine I have nearly thrown it in the bin on a few occasions, every now and then I have another go with it and it will run for 5 mins or so ?.

Perhaps I should have added I did remove the spring on the points fitted with Cobalts has reccomended by the manufactorer, adding the wire to the frog is not double wiring it supplies a feed to the frog direct so you do not have to rely on contact with the switch blade. You could do has Nigel says and cut the link on the switch blades and connect them to the next rail as per oo gauge, but if you are not carefull you could destroy the point because they are so small. My points on my fiddle yard for instance are insulfrog code 80 points from a old layout, I constantly have to keep cleaning the switch blades.

Like I said in my previous post, I am using live frog points with no mods apart from a wire to the frog which goes to one of the inbuilt switches on the Cobalt motor they have been very reliable in operation with no problems with timing. I am on dcc but my point motors are controlled from a panel on a separate feed supply. I do have one Cobalt IP digital motor which can be controlled by dcc or by a push to make switch and that point frog is wired the same way with no problems whatsoever. Here is a pic of how my points are wired

I just thought I would post some close up pics of the different modules on my layout including the fiddle yard. There is one corner board ( Left ) which is a tunnel ( at the top of the 3rd pic ) from the station clockwise, it is just being used for storage at the moment, the intention is to build a town on the top.

Hi Les, yes the fiddle yard is at the back under the rafters, you can see it on the first pic of the over view pics with its control panel. The fiddle yard has 9 tracks using code 80 track and insul-frog points and peco solenoid motors, some of the points which I had left from my previous layout. I am using 4 PSX Circuit breakers,there are two psx circuit boards next to the control panel, 1 for the fiddle yard and the second does the other parts of the layout apart from the station. making the layout in modular sections gave me a problem how do I keep the station and goods yard separate. So I have a short bus rail from the SB5 smart booster running along the front edge of the fiddle yard. I then took feeds of that for the two circuit breakers, then also ran a cable along the edge of the embankment module ( on the left) , this then supplies a feed to two psx circuit breakers under the station board for the up line/goods yard and the down line, The bus wires for the layout connect to the out connections on the circuit breakers. I connect all of the bus wire feeds with bananna plugs and sockets with short jumper cables, joining each module to the next one. With the two station breakers being under the layout I fitted led warning lamps in case of a short next to the reset switches. I found before wiring the psx's that way the whole layout still tripped. Now because of the way I have set them up, on a short you fix the cause of the short, ie a loco possibly going through a point wrong, then press the re set button and of course all the rest of the layout still operates during the short. I have also changed the jumpers for the voltage for n-gauge, here are some pics showing the psx set up. The first pics shows the station Circuit breakers which are under the baseboard. this pics shows the re-set switches and short warning led's This pics shows how the psx breakers are wired

Here are a couple of overhead pics of the station and goods yard and small engine shed. The layout is dcc and the up-line and goods yard are on one circuit breaker and the down line is on another. I have added extra feeds to the three way point switch rails which has really improved running.

Thanks for the reply Kevan, the layout measures 8'x6.6' aprox, it is made up of modular sections which are fixed together with suitcase catches + a g clamp. The sections are wired together with bananna plugs. the station module is 4'x18" wide and is split into two circuits up & down lines.The fiddle yard is 8' across ie 2x4' boards bolted together. Here are a few pics of the layout fixed together, nearly all the sections have some scenery, not the fiddle yard of course. The corner tunnel between the station and the embankment board will have a town built on it eventually, there will also be buildings at the back of the station board eventually too, at the moment the seem to be dumping grounds for glue and paint and stock boxes etc. I might of dropped a clanger, the general idea was to sit in the operating well but that ceiling is low and the space in front of the beam is narrow. The fiddle yard is on castors but the rest of the layout is not, pity I could have wheeled it in and out.

I have also been working on the goods yard and the small engine shed for the shunter loco.

A few more pics showing the progress to this scene.

I have not posted for ages, I have not been idle here are a few of the latest pics.These are of my Embankment module, which includes two tunnels a road overbridge and a scratch built underbridge a pond and field and road.

I am using N-Gauge code 55 and I have not modified the points apart from connecting the frog to the Switch on my Cobalt motors and supplying a feed to the toe end of the point. I did initially start with Peco motors and switches but found them un-reliable, that is why I changed to the Cobalts. They are more reliable than relying on blade contact that is certain.

I have not posted for a while, here is a update on my progress. I have made to scratch built girder bridges,one is at the entrance to the tunnel covering a baseboard join and the other also lifts off and covers the baseboard join at the other end of the station board. I have also added a pub next to the second road bridge and made a start on the road, I am waiting for the paint to dry on the second road bridge.