Begginner Wiring Problem

[bloard]

I have an issue with an N-scale layout that I had built for my son. Outside of some basic Lionel and HO kits, this is our first real layout. I had a gentleman who lives a few hours away build it and I have it set up but am stumped by what must be a fairly simple issue.

There are two lines on the layout. One of them works fine and has it's own transformer. The inside line is essentially a figure 8 with a diamond in the middle. There are four places on this inside line where power comes into the track (excuse my lack of familiarity with terminology).

Here's the issue. As soon as I hook the wires to the inside track up to the transformer I get no current registering in my voltmeter. Even at the transformer terminals. If I detach the wires running to the track from the transformer, I get plenty of current on the voltmeter.

Initially I thought that one of the connections to the track could be wired backwards and I was sending opposite current through the same rail. I have since unhooked all splices that run to the various points on the line so that I am working only with a single run of wire that runs straight from the transformer directly and only to a single place on the track. In other words, it's now temporarily wired just like my old Lionel track where the transformer wires go straight to the track with no splices in between and no other locations getting power.

Again, I get no current registering on my voltmeter anywhere as long as the wires are connected to the transformer (not on the tranformer terminals, not on the track... nowhere). But as soon as I unhook the wires from the transformer, I have a ton of juice registering when I put the voltmeter to the transformer terminals.

Sorry to be so long, but I'm trying my best to explain it. Hopefully I'm clear. Any help would be appreciated. I know it has to be something simple, but I'm stumped on where to look.

Edit: Excuse the typo in the title.

 

[NZRMac]

Will the inside track transformer run the outside track?

Ken.

 

[bloard]

Yes. I've tried about 4 different transformers on the inside track, including the one that works on the outside track. One thing I noticed just now is that I actually can get a small amount of current when it is wired for a few seconds. Then I get nothing.

Do the transformers more or less shut off if there is a short somewhere? I'm really starting to think that the problem is actually somewhere on the top (on the tracks) rather than the wiring below. I've eliminated most every connection in order to isolate the problem. This has me stumped.

 

[CBCNSfan]

figure 8 with a diamond in the middle

That diamond would be the first thing I'd check. If it is a new piece then it's possible it may have an internal short. Check for visible signs first then if you can disconnect it from the other track. Yes most power packs will shut down if a short circuit is present (the ones I know of do), it's just an overload device.
Just a thought
Willis

 

[bloard]

Is there an easy way to determine if the diamond has a short instead of pulling it off of the nice new roadbed? can I somehow connect wires to it to diagnose it first before I tear up the track? It's a brand new piece, but fully installed. The guy claims he tested it, but who knows.

 

[NZRMac]

so can you just hook up one of the four power feeds? and see if there's power getting to that section.

If you have a voltmeter it should have an ohm meter? test for shorts on each of the four pairs.

Ken.

 

[bloard]

This is going to sound really dumb, but in playing with the ohm meter, I tested the track that's working by putting one lead of the meter on each rail. It showed no resistance. I was expecting the meter to not move showing infinite resistance b/c I didn't think the current in each rail would ever touch each other to make a circuit. I disconnected from the transformer when I did this. Again, this is the good, working track. Am I missing something in my logic here?

 

[NZRMac]

That is the correct way to test, and the meter not moving is showing an open circuit.

Now the same test on the inside track, with transformer disconnected?

Ken.

 

[bloard]

Yes, without anything hooked up to the transformer, I get a positive reading on the ohm meter (no resistance - the meter moves) on both sets of tracks if I place the meter's leads on each rail of a track. However, one track works and another doesn't

I suspect on the track that works, I have one of the sidings wired backwards, but it's still working. Confirm for me that when things are wired correctly that I shouldn't get any reading on the ohm meter (it shouldn't move) when I place the lead on each rail.

 

[Trucula]

Yes, without anything hooked up to the transformer, I get a positive reading on the ohm meter (no resistance - the meter moves) on both sets of tracks if I place the meter's leads on each rail of a track. However, one track works and another doesn't

I suspect on the track that works, I have one of the sidings wired backwards, but it's still working. Confirm for me that when things are wired correctly that I shouldn't get any reading on the ohm meter (it shouldn't move) when I place the lead on each rail.

If you set the ohm meter to 10,000 scale, you should not get a reading. If you do its a short. If it has a polarity switch you should get a "kick" (needle jump) when flipping polarity and this reading will depend on the amount of track your reading. This is a polarity kick. If you do get a pegged meter, its a short and can be dialed down to get an actual reading for distance...(so many ohms per feet) This is how we trouble shoot telephone lines. I don't know what the footage reading would be on track. But we have a scale that gives us distance for different gauge of wires.
Some pictures of your layout might help us see something.

 

[NZRMac]

No resistance, the meter shouldn't move an open circuit if wired correctly.