Fusing your track supply wiring.

[stockers]

Reading through the battery section on here, I wondered about the supply line to our DCC track (or DC for that matter).
I am sure most track outputs are protected by breakers in the unit but is it a good idea to put a fuse in the supply line to the track. I thought a simple car blade fuse a couple of amps above the rated output would work.
Is this a good idea?
Is it necessary?
Are there any reasons not to do it?

 

[Nodrog1826]

Suppose a trip switch rather than a fuse, easier in the resetting, and you wont have that moment when you run out of spare fuses.

 

[ntpntpntp]

My track sections are wired via banks of switches in water-proof boxes that came with a fuse holder.  Think I`ve got 6 amp fuses in the holders at the moment, and yes they have blown a couple of times over the years despite my DCC system having short-circuit protection.  Makes me think the fuses are quick-blow types of some sort.

 

[a98087]

Can't see why it's a bad idea, but obviously make sure the chosen fuse is lower than the Dcc command station.

And I agree about a circuit breaker as its a lot easier to reset each time

Dan

 

[dutchelm]

My Train Engineers have an integral fuse. It has only blown once & I had to raid the car to find a replacement.
Lesson one, if you have a fuse make sure you have spares.

 

[PhilP]

In the 'good old days'..
A 21W car bulb was used for the protection of each power district..

 

[stockers]

Can't see why it's a bad idea, but obviously make sure the chosen fuse is lower than the Dcc command station.

And I agree about a circuit breaker as its a lot easier to reset each time

Dan

I would have thought the fuse would be slightly higher than the output?

 

[PhilP]

I would have thought the fuse would be slightly higher than the output?

By comparison with the electronics in the Central Station, even a 'quick-blow' fuse will be slow..
Fuses also tend to have a rupture current of (at least) 30% more than their rated value.

However, you probably only want the fuse to go if there is a catastrophic fault, not a quick short on a frog or the like. - Which should cause the CS to shutdown.

The fuse is more for a niggling 'something is wrong' causing the CS to deliver near its' rated output for a longish time, so less than the rated output for the fuse. - A decent large-scale CS can push many amps into a faulty piece of kit quite happily!

 

[maxi-model]

My Train Engineers have an integral fuse. It has only blown once & I had to raid the car to find a replacement.
Lesson one, if you have a fuse make sure you have spares.

I noted that my TE 4571 controller as well as having a 10 amp "blade" type in the controllers body also had, as supplied 10 years ago, a glass 10 amp fuse in a holder on the output leads to the track. Is the blade fuse just protecting the unit from overloading transformer inputs or due to a short at the track/loco ? Max.

 

[dutchelm]

I noted that my TE 4571 controller as well as having a 10 amp "blade" type in the controllers body also had, as supplied 10 years ago, a glass 10 amp fuse in a holder on the output leads to the track. Is the blade fuse just protecting the unit from overloading transformer inputs or due to a short at the track/loco ? Max.

I have never come across fuses in the output leads of a train engineer. The leads supplied are just lengths of fairly heavy cable. The unit normally shuts down on short circuit & you have to switch it off to reset.
The 10A onboard fuse is in series with the input to the unit.

 

[The Devonian]

I use 27Mhz. Train Engineers in my battery cars. My locos are mostly Aristo plus two Bachmann 'Annies'.

After a discussion with a friend in Florida, who also used the same TE's before upgrading to the Revolution system, I lowered my 10A blade fuses to 5A. He felt, as I do, that 5A for use, without smoke and sound was more than enough.