# bachmann passing lane switch problem



## cale10 (Jun 15, 2013)

hey guys i am doing a 4-H project on model railroading and i decided on a simple 2x3 oval with a passing siding in N scale. all is well and i think it looks really good so far BUT i am having electrical issues with the switches and everything else on the track and i want to pull my hair out. i had this exact setup once before and it worked fine. what i had to do was have 2 terminal re-railers. one in the passing siding and one on the other side of the siding to let the other side of the layout have power. well it dosent work like it used to. on the left switch each piece before and after the switch is a complete deadzone. the train will go through the right switch but stop half way through the siding the i flip the left switch back and forth and the train goes but not through the switch. i cant get it to go through the outer loop at all. and the track barely gets an power as it is. its really weird and i have no clue what i did wrong. can anyone help me? i did it once before but it just wont work now. 

please help me

thanks:cale


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

Welcome...post a pic...you may have a hidden reversing loop that's shorting it out.


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## cale10 (Jun 15, 2013)

shaygetz said:


> Welcome...post a pic...you may have a hidden reversing loop that's shorting it out.


i'll try and get a video or some pics. also im new to this forum but not others so i know how they work.


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## cale10 (Jun 15, 2013)

here's a video on the problem. sorry I had to cut it short though my phone would only let me upload a video 5 minutes or less.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8d1T6WK3c0I


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

Look at your rerailers and see if your power is oriented properly on them. You may have your track polarity reversed there, with the + side on the outside rail/- side on the inside rail on the inner loop and the - side on the outer rail/+ side on the inner rail on the outer loop. When you throw a switch, you then create a dead short. Whatever the orientation, make sure both trcks are powered the same on the inside/outside rails.


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## cale10 (Jun 15, 2013)

shaygetz said:


> Look at your rerailers and see if your power is oriented properly on them. You may have your track polarity reversed there, with the + side on the outside rail/- side on the inside rail on the inner loop and the - side on the outer rail/+ side on the inner rail on the outer loop. When you throw a switch, you then create a dead short. Whatever the orientation, make sure both trcks are powered the same on the inside/outside rails.


i made sure with a multimeter set to measure resistance that i had the right rail on thr right wire and left rail on left wire. but i may have flunked it up.

anyways hows my layout look so far?


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

If you have power routing frogs in the switches, they both have to be thrown or you'll create a dead short as well.



cale10 said:


> anyways hows my layout look so far?


:smilie_daumenpos::smilie_daumenpos: looking forward to its progress...


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## cale10 (Jun 15, 2013)

as of now i have given up. i unhooked the middle of the passing siding to make just a simple oval with siding and i cant even get that to work right. the left switch is still dead. i cleaned ans sanded the rails and cleaned them more but nothing. i just wish my parents would have let be buy new atlas track before i started my project. now i may have to completely re-do my layout because if i take the switches out it would leave a 6 inch gap. bachmann only makes 5 inch straights.


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## cekoehn (Feb 1, 2013)

After looking at your video, I would say that you only need one power feeder track installed at the place where it used to be installed and that is it. Remove the second power feeder track because it shouldn't be needed. That is a very small oval and shouldn't need two power feeder tracks. I believe that you will find that the switches are power routing meaning that only the track where the switch is closed to is powered. Give this a try and let us know how you made out.


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