Hi Guys, I have two of the PSXX circuit breakers. I’m trying to run my trains and both PSXX units keep shutting off power randomly to the track and showing me there’s a short. It doesn’t matter which locos I am running. The trains are at different locations on the track when power shuts off. I hooked the PSXX up according to the instructions.

I have two districts; one for the mainline and one for the yard. My RRampMeter is showing me the most amps I draw with two locos running and eleven idle engines is 1.12 amps.

Is there a setting that could be wrong or a jumper I need to move? Any help would be greatly appreciated……..Robert C

Hi Robert -

The default current setting for the PSXX is 2 amperes. If you are showing 1.12 amps on the RRampmeter, the running locos could easily be drawing current spikes high enough to exceed the trip current limit. Most locomotives draw peak current much higher than the average (which is what you are reading) because the motor is pulsed during low speed operation. Watch D18 (the blue LED) while you are running. My guess is that you will see it flickering.

First, if your system uses RailCom and you are not using it, turn RailCom off. RailCom causes very large current spikes. If you turn RailCom off, that may solve the problem. Second, if you don't have RailCom, you need to increase the trip current. You can do this by either setting CV49 or by installing jumpers on J6 (refer to your manual for the various settings). You should select a jumper setting or CV49 value such that you do not see the Blue LED flash while trains are running, but if you short the track (screwdriver, quarter, etc) the breaker trips but the booster does not.