MTS Central Station LGB 55006 operating problems

[richarra100]

I have a problem with my train operation. I am using a LGB 55006 central station, about 60M of track, 4 sets of points and a cross over for a reversing loop. They are all controlled by the central station. I have 2 trains both LGB DCC. They have both successfully worked fine. Recently I noticed the train would not respond to any controls, just continued. If I lifted the train off the tracks and put it back on again it would continue. The only way to stop it was to switch off the power and start again. On the central station the right LED, which is supposed to flicker as incoming bus data now stays on permanently. Recently as the train now starts to move the same thing happens followed quickly by the RED LED coming on and everything stops. I have isolated a piece of track and cannot get it to do the same, so think it may be a condition appearing on the track. I don't have a short, and don't believe I have a earth fault to one of the tracks. I have raised all the tracks and reset them but the same happens. Now I am lost, this happens with both hand held terminals and with either train.
Any help??

 

[ge_rik]

Is it related to the reversing loop? Presumably you have a reversing loop module controlling this. Maybe there's a short across your isolating fishplates.

Rik

 

[muns]

I suggest sending an email to Massoth (hotline@massoth.de).

 

[whatlep]

Dumb questions:
1) Was everything OK at one point with the track layout you now have? If no, what have you changed? That's the likely source of the problem.
2) If you remove the crossover, does the problem go away? If yes, that's your issue: as a previous poster also suspects, you may have inadvertently created a return loop which is creating a short circuit. There are ways around that using Massoth components, but it depends on the degree of complexity (and expense!) you want or need in your life.
3) Just to confirm: are both locos and controls working OK if you wire everything to a simple length of track? If yes, then the problem is unlikely to be the 55006 which is definitely good news.

 

[richarra100]

Thanks for quick reply. I have disconnected everything including the reversing loop. I measure the track with a mega meter and get a reading of about 0.5M. So must have some sort of short across the track somewhere. Do the insulators for the reversing loop breakdown, or the track? I have LGB track throughout. Looks like I need to disconnect the track at points along the route to sse if a specific length of track is causing the problem!!

 

[richarra100]

Whatlep,
1 - Yes
2 - Doing this now and will try again
3 - Yes

 

[ge_rik]

Thanks for quick reply. I have disconnected everything including the reversing loop. I measure the track with a mega meter and get a reading of about 0.5M. So must have some sort of short across the track somewhere. Do the insulators for the reversing loop breakdown, or the track? I have LGB track throughout. Looks like I need to disconnect the track at points along the route to sse if a specific length of track is causing the problem!!

Did you disconnect the Central Station before taking the reading? If so, it might depend on where you have put in the isolating fishplates for the reverse loop, maybe they are in the wrong place.

Looks like you're new to the forum so I don't think you can yet add images to your posts - that only becomes available after you've been in the forum for a while. Have you got some way of uploading a diagram of your layout somewhere showing where you've put in the isolating rail-joiners to which you can insert a link?

Rik

 

[Zerogee]

Thanks for quick reply. I have disconnected everything including the reversing loop. I measure the track with a mega meter and get a reading of about 0.5M. So must have some sort of short across the track somewhere. Do the insulators for the reversing loop breakdown, or the track? I have LGB track throughout. Looks like I need to disconnect the track at points along the route to sse if a specific length of track is causing the problem!!

What have you used to insulate the track for the reversing loop - the yellow plastic insulators that replace the fishplates, or a specifically-made insulating section of track like the 10152:
http://www.champex-linden.de/lgb_pr...0467cf6/b28d9eefccab3946c12568ee0037750f.html < Link To http://www.champex-linden...6c12568ee0037750f.html

Are you using an LGB or a Massoth reverse loop module?

Oh, and welcome to the "active" group of the forum, by the way (I see you signed up a couple of years ago but have only just started posting) - hopefully you'll stick around and join in some more after your immediate problem is solved!

Jon.

 

[Gizzy]

I measure the track with a mega meter and get a reading of about 0.5M.

If it was a short, I'd expect to see zero ohms!

0.5 Mega ohms is high, almost infinitiny.

Is that correct that you've used a 'Megger' meter?
Never known the insulating joiners to break down, so I expect a short is caused by a stray wire, or possibly damp....

 

[KeithT]

Do you have any ground cover plants adjacent to the track? I had a problem of a dead short caused by a plant growing under the ballast across the track and shorting it out. It was intermittent and not v obvious to trace.

 

[richarra100]

Thanks everyone for advice. Fault finding is obviously not my thing. I tested again and again and could not believe I have a track problem. I managed to get the fault occurring again and connected to a short programming track and the problem continued. I then disconnected all the track and tried again and guess what the problem was still occurring. It must the central station. Fortunately it was covered by the warranty so got it replaced very quickly. It now works fine but forgot how to programme my points although the trains work fine.

 

[craigwrdouglas]

I had a problem with my MTS II unit a few years back where the red light comes on and that's it. Mine was out of warranty at that stage. It was sent back to Massoth for repair at the cost of around £60, with a 2-3 week turnaround.

Craig