[stmartins]

Having been bitten by the sound bug I have now converted 3 locos and have 4 more decoders on order. I have been testing and running them on a rolling road and today ran them after a long period of inactivity on my circuit. Well for the uninitiated what a disaster it has turned out to be.The first thing I discover is the track needs to be immaculate as these sound chips seem much more "sensitive" to any form of current interruption than an ordinary decoder.The slightest piece of "muck" stops the loco and sound but the big killer is Live Frogs.
Regretfully I have 2 and every time City of Sheffield and the other Pacifics go over them the whole lot shuts down, I have changed the bogie's with no luck, deepened the frog with a fine file, still the same I am now waiting for the paint to dry as I have tried a little paint near the actual live part of the frogs. I have to say I am a little disappointed as I had not given this any thought but felt it worth posting it on the forum to assist any one else who is now into sound.
I used the Dapol track cleaner for the first time on all of the track and it does get some muck off, but its not my day as that has packed up as well.
Could be a day for flying locos if things don't improve

 

[stmartins]

Actually live frogs properly wired are the best for sound - and all running in general... but that means live frogs with switched polarity.

I get the sense from your post that you actually perhaps have insulated frogs with point clips? There is no other logical reason to be using paint to insulate the frog tips.

if not, tell us of the track brand and how you have wired the points.

Richard
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I am using Peco track ( not finescale) & each of the 2 Live frog points have been isolated on the "opposite sides"
Both the new Hornby Duchess's "short out" when passing over the points, yet the Hornby A4 Does not, The Bachmann A1 does.
I am assuming the wheels are shorting across the frog & track . as I stated its only noticeable since fitting sound chips,they just seem more sensative, it was not a problem before.

 

[stmartins]

The answer here is once the B2B gauge of all wheels has been checked and if possible adjusted to the correct gauge and then the problem still exists is to make the points so called 'DCC friendly'
=============================================================================I I note on a lot of postings that the B2B distance is referred to a lot, please what exactly is the distance.Plus looking at the newer Longer Hornby locos they do not have flanges on the pony trucks & "float" around rather a lot, If I rock it on a straight from side to side it must move around 1.5 cms. I am wondering if the combined float, the live frog & new chip are all combining to short out the DCC system and cause this mal function and shut down due to the short.
My circuit is 2 levels and its a sod to change this point it was all tested before I added to top layer and electric points , and was fine before the new "Duchess Locos "thats why I am hoping for an easy solution.

 

[stmartins]

Well everyone thanks for all the advice.I have spent most of the morning watching the loco pass over the point and the gentle spark as the wheels come off the frog.I think the lesson I have learned here is to run every loco around the track, both ways before permanently fixing it all down !!!.
It would appear with clearances and tolerances on the newer models there will always be the odd wagon or loco that gives grief somewhere on the circuit. I feel most of us can resolve these issues by changing bogies, turning wheels around and many other "tricks of the trade" but some are not fixable without surgery
I am going to bite the bullet and "dig up the point" as I just cannot fix it. As I stated earlier its supprising just how much these new loco move side to side with this "floating rear pony" set up
We all learn by our experiences, lets hope I can run the sound locos in peace locked in my little room!!
The one good thing about modelling is the patience threshold increases all the time and I am pleased to advise the loco did not end up as the "Flying Duchess"

 

[stmartins]

Well bit the bullet...fitted a new point no live frog and the loco runs over it as sweet as a bird. I cannot believe the variations there seem to be on locos.
Had a good firework display today... worth noting.
I had been converting an A1 to sound and was "chuffed " as it was a good conversion and I was eager to test it. In the meantime I had ballasted part of the track and put the loco on the track to run it. Well the controller went mad with lights flashing everywhere.First I thought it was the A1 mis-wired but then the penny dropped. Water .. Wet UPVC glue buzz bar ...yes a good old short.
Left it overnight and all is well today as its partly dried out. DCC does certainly throw up some good tests>