Hey Ed,
I've had a lot of good suggestions. I wish everyone would answer on list so
others would benefit from their wisdom.
The top to bottom short had not occurred to me. You're not the first to
mention it. I think it is really the only possibility left.
There is no short anywhere else. I've electrically isolated this turnout.
In fact, I've cut all the feeder wires to the rest of the track. It all rings
dead with no shorts.
You're right about being able to use the points shorted, but only if I
switched them for track power and removed all the copper from under the stock
rails. I don't want to do that. I guess I'm going to have to unsolder the
throw bar. I've run out of options.
Thanks again to all.
Ed Kozlowsky
Sanford, Maine
ed_loizeaux <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
--- In [email protected], "Ed Kozlowsky" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
wrote:
> here's a puzzle for you.
I like puzzles. Especially the kind I can figure out. Wish me luck.
> I've stripped all
> the copper off of the tie bar.
The photo shows copper still on the throw bar except for the topside
area between the points. Is the rest of the copper still on as shown
in the photo? One possibility is that there is a short between the
top side of the throw bar and the bottom side -- assuming, of course,
the bottom side still has all the copper on it. Might a sliver of
solder or something else be connecting the top side with the bottom
side? Perhaps unsolder the throwbar and remove copper in the center
area of the bottom side if some kind of mystery short circuit between
top side and bottom side exists.
Another possibility is that the top side of the throw bar is touching
the bottom of the stock rail -- on both stock rails -- at the same
time. And, if there is a short circuit somewhere else (away from
this specific turnout), then that short will appear as a short
between your points. But the short is not within this turnout at
all -- it just appears to be.
> The stock rails are dead.
Have you checked the stock rails for a short circuit? The photo
shows some stock rails connected to other trackage via a rail
joiner.
> If I use an
> ohm meter to check continuity, the two point rails are shorted.
Maybe so, but you can still run the trains through the switch if the
stock rails are not shorted to each other. Granted, this is not good.
> I can
> slightly bend the points downward so they make no contact with the
> stock rails...the points are still shorted.
But is the top side of the throw bar making contact with the bottom
of the stock rails? Maybe a small piece of wire/solder/etc. is in
there somewhere even though they appear not to touch each other. Can
you slide a thin piece of paper between the stock rails and the
throwbar?
>
> Can anyone offer a suggestion before I rip out this turnout and
trash
> it.
First suggestion is to NOT rip out the turnout until AFTER you
determine what the problem is. This is a solvable problem and not
worth trashing the turnout over.
Second suggestion: How about slicing a strip of topside copper off
the throw bar in the area between the open point and the adjacent
stock rail. See if that improves the situation.
Third suggestion: Buy Dick Karnes an airplane ticket and he will
solve the problem for you if nothing else works.
> I'm really stumped on this one.
Good puzzle. Not sure if I helped, but it will be interesting to
find out.
> Ed Kozlowsky
> Sanford, Maine
Ed Loizeaux
California
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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