Short when in consist?


Dacostasr

HO Operator
New guy here...I've run into my first electrical problem. I've run my engines with no problems, while I build my layout, until today when I tried my first consist. My NCE cp6 starts to light up. I thought maybe it is a mixing of brands (BL and bachmann) so I tried it with two BLs and then with two bachmanns...same problem. I tried them with both engines going forward and with one forward and one reverse, same. When I kill the consist I can run everything fine.

Using NCE PowerCab.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

This is all new to me so please forgive my ignorance.

Dennis
 
What exactly is happening in consist? They don't run at all? They short? One runs but not the other? When you kill the consist, you can run them all at the same time, just independently? Are you using advanced consisting or old style when you set it up?
 
Check your couplers to see if they make a short between the locos. If you can turn one loco around and the short is gone, then that is the problem. The couplers will have to be insolated from the frame of the loco
 
What exactly is happening in consist? They don't run at all? They short? One runs but not the other? When you kill the consist, you can run them all at the same time, just independently? Are you using advanced consisting or old style when you set it up?

In consist the CP6 "bulb" lights up when throttle is applied. When I kill the consist I can run them independently without issues. I tried both advanced and old style, but I am new to this so I tried to follow the manual.

I will check the couplers in the morning...

Thanks for the replies.

Dennis
 
To d&j's point... Just consist but don't actually couplee them at all. Run em a foot apart... That'll prove or eliminate that without question.
 
My thought was the two together might be over whelming the powercab's two amps... like maybe one or the other's drawing a lot for some reason and is only apparent when you're trying to run them simultaneously. But if you can run them together at the same time, although out of consist, then it ain't that.

When you have the consist set up, are you selecting the consist number or the lead loco? Either should work, but try both if you haven't.

You could just be setting it up wrong, but the nce onscreen menu is pretty danged clear so I kinda doubt that.
 
I think you are right about pulling too many amps...I tried to do the consist with 3 cars inbetween locos, no luck. So, I tried running the locomotives separate, usually I run them on separate sides of the layout (until I can get switching locos down to an art), but this time I ran them closer together and I had the same problem occur.

I have the layout divided into four blocks and the problem didn't happen because they were in separate blocks when they were running. When they caught up to each other and went into the same block----->short circuit light can on dimmly and as I increased throttle it got brighter.

So too many amps?

Thanks

Dennis
 
I think you are right about pulling too many amps...I tried to do the consist with 3 cars inbetween locos, no luck. So, I tried running the locomotives separate, usually I run them on separate sides of the layout (until I can get switching locos down to an art), but this time I ran them closer together and I had the same problem occur.

I have the layout divided into four blocks and the problem didn't happen because they were in separate blocks when they were running. When they caught up to each other and went into the same block----->short circuit light can on dimmly and as I increased throttle it got brighter.

So too many amps?

Thanks

Dennis

Kinda sounds like it. But it shouldn't matter to the system if they're in separate blocks or not. How are you feeding power to the blocks? Maybe your feed wires are too light gauge?
 
Any...I had the two trail each other and when one went into a new block the light turned off...when the second caught up the light for the next block came on.
 
Urgh. Electric gremlins. The worst. You have more than two locos? Can you mix and match and figure out if it's any two locos, or one in particular?
 
hook up an ampmeter if you have one. 2 amps should be plenty for two locos to run.
 
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Yeah, two amps is plenty. That's why I'm wondering if you have a loco doing something funky and pulling too many amps. You don't have a whole load of stationary decoders do you?
 
Sooo...with my bachmann GP 40 and my BL AC6000 I was hitting about 1.5 amps. The BL SD-9 and bachmann FT7 less than an amp. AC6000 and FT7 less than an amp.
The fuses are rated at 1amp which I guess is why the fuse lights up with the first setup. 1.75 amp fuses are available.

Dennis
 



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