Digikeijs DR5000 question

[CRL]

Does the DR-5000 and its companion booster DR5033 contain internal circuit breakers which will prevent meltdown of N-scale locomotives if the wheels short on a turnout thrown the wrong way?

The manual seems to suggest it does.

[peteski]

Just having the circuit breaker does not guarantee meltdown prevention. If the breaker is set to trip at for example 5 Amps, and the short only results in a 3 Amp current draw, then the breaker will not trip, and whatever components are causing the short will keep on conducting current and heating up. Our tine N scale models have some delicate electrical components which can be damaged by relatively low current.

[CRL]

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This is the manual page addressing the track voltage setting and the short circuit delay before cutting off. Does this help?

[peteski]

I know that you have been participating in the melted truck discussion in the N/Z forum, so you are aware of what and why can happen to damage our models.

It appears that this uint is very configurable.  100ms (0.1s) trip time seems nice and fast, and the trip current is configurable too.  But I still say that there is no guarantee that it will prevent damage 100% of the time.  For example if you set the trip current for 3000mA (3A), but the "short" has a resistance to conduct 2.8A, then the breaker will not trip and the the item causing the short will likely heat up and possibly cause melting.  It is really up to the model's operator to pay attention to their model.

You could set the trip current lower, but that might not give you enough amperage to operate your trains.  What I'm saying is that there are no totally foolproof DCC breakers.

[CRL]

That’s what I suspected having followed the other discussion. I guess if the reset time was increased significantly, it might help, but creeping locos could still present issues.

Maybe on loco storage tracks, a short switched section next to the turnout might act as an electric derail.

[peteski]

Maybe on loco storage tracks, a short switched section next to the turnout might act as an electric derail.

That section would have to be longer than the longest wheelbase loco that will travel there (plus maybe some additional length for possible coasting).  But if this is DCC, and the loco has a keep alive SuperCap installed, the the dead track section will not prevent the loco from continuing to run.

[CRL]

...or could install a Peco derailer.

[peteski]

...or could install a Peco derailer.

... which would derail the loco, promptly causing a truck-melting short.   

Yes, this was a joke.

[CRL]

...which would at least be prototypical.