Why DCC engines stop on turn outs

[hancop]

If I go slow over turnouts my engines just stop. Anybody have any idea why ?

Thanks

 

[shaygetz]

More than likely it's an electrical pickup problem. If your turnouts have insulated frogs, some locomotives don't have a long enough wheelbase to overcome the gap in power. Check to see that they have pickups on all wheels. Some only have them on two wheels of each truck. On steamers, they usually pickup on one side of the loco and the other side of the tender.

 

[Russ Bellinis]

The other possibility is short circuits. If the clearances are at all tight on any turnouts, you have a potential for the back of the wheels to short out on a track they aren't supposed to be touching. When it happens on dc, the train tends to run through without a problem or just a little flicker. When it happens with dcc, it tends to trip the breakers. One other possibility is that the power is carried by and directed by the the points making contact with the closure rails. If the points don't make good contact, power may not be carried through the turnout.

 

[60103]

Where on the turnout do they stop? Do they start again with a little nudge, or have they shorted out the sytem so that it has to be reset.
Check in order: The frog. Plastic frogs may make the loco lose contact, especially if there is only one wheel picking up. Also, if the flanges on the wheel are too deep the whole side of the loco can lift up.
The points. If the loco stops when all the wheels have moved into the points, there may be a contact problem there. This requires a bit more work. There's another variation where wheels short between the point and the main rail. Usually happens with all-rail switches i.e. not plastic frog.
Some Atlas switches (maybe others?) have a metal frog that isn't powered. This makes a long dead spot.