More info reqd

Dear Tennis,

Any chance you could confirm the Model/Part # of the crossing, and maybe post pics of both Top and Underside of the crossing? Would help significantly in diagnosing and providing properly useful and actionable advice...

If required, this thread will walk you thru posting images...

https://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/help/how-to-post-an-image

BTW, good diagnostic move removing the crossing from the layout and checking it for continuity on the Workbench!

Happy Modelling,

Aim to Improve, 

Prof Klyzlr 

You should not have a short

You should not have a short (0 ohms ) between parallel rails. Really you shouldn't have a short between orthogonal rails either.

Either return as defective or give it to some other model railroader you don't like and say nothing.

More info

Thanks for your help,

Its just a standard Atlas No 176 6" 90 degree crossing. 

There is nothing unusual looking about it. 
I think it is just a dud.

You can fix it ...

You can fix it to work great ... just cut some gaps and get a dual frog juicer. After you cut the gaps, check the center rails to make sure they're dead.

Of if you want to do it on the cheap, run jumpers from the outside stock rail to the same inside crossing rail. You will need four jumpers after you cut the gaps, one to each of the four center rails to their corresponding stock rail outside the crossing.

Peco X Problem

I posted some photos and explanations of some problems I encountered with Peco crossings here,...
https://forum.mrhmag.com/post/double-crossover-with-a-doublecurve-turnout-12212201

Then I subsequently posted a pic of the tender that was instrumental in my finding these problems ,..
https://forum.mrhmag.com/post/double-crossover-with-a-doublecurve-turnout-12212201

Edited: Looks like JoeF posted a fix just a few minutes before I made my reference link. I think he has solved the OP's problem. My Peco discovery was a bit different than just a shorting problem.

Fix it...maybe

Thanks JoeF,

My mind was going down that path. I will cut the gaps, but I'm thinking all 4 of those centre rails are still going to be shorted together. (they currently are shorted to all the other rails)
I may have to leave that entire centre piece unpowered?

We shall see when I get the gaps cut!

Brand new? Get your money back.

Brand new?  Get your money back.  It is clearly defective.

You can check

If you have a Volt-Ohm meter you can put it on continuity and touch two of the four rails around the circle to find out if any are shorted together. If they’re all shorted together, leaving them dead won’t help because as soon as a 6 wheel diesel truck crosses the gaps such that part of the truck is still on an outside stock rail and part is on the inside rails, both trucks will conduct power to the inside rails and poof! Big short still.

If the center rails are all shorted together, then this crossing truly is junk and it’s unusable with out tearing it all apart to eliminate the shorts to the center rsils.

I think the conductor straps

I think the conductor straps may just be separated by an air gap. Occasionally, I have head of some crossings failing like this , due to an accidental hammer blow while driving the nails in to anchor the track . The conductor straps get displaced .

Either that or for some strange reason people can't resist the urge to pick up a new piece of track and flex it back and forth to see if its real.

You'd be surprised what can be accomplished while swinging a hammer with 50 year old eyeballs in control. Oops.

Rubbing your finger over it after you've done the deed doesn't make it any better , but people seem to do it any way.

I think also that the straps may  move around due heat cycling

Underside straps/conductor/jumpers (IE why Pics were requested)

Dear MRHers,

Which is exactly why

was requested all the way back up in the First Reply,
if this highly-likely fault condition is the root cause,
it can be easily observed with the naked eye,
and just-as-easily fixed with slips of styrene, thin card, or even an insulating layer of glue...

(and I agree with GT, it would be the 2nd thing I'd be checking,
immediately after doing the Continuity/Ohm Test already-performed by the OP)

C'mon MRH regulars, we are better at diagnostics than this.,..

Happy Modelling,
Aim to follow the Diagnostic Path,
Prof Klyzlr

PS If it's true that the crossing is designed/produced by Atlas relying on a "air gap" between the jumpers,
then that's a seperate concern,
but the OP is past that point now, the crossing has been purchased, so it's time to "work the problem"...
(Thankfully it's not soo-permanently-installed that it couldn't be moved to the workbench, small mercies...)

warranty

As it turns out, Atlas really stepped up. They air shipped a replacement to me, and requested I send the defective unit back. 
Looking at it from top and bottom you can not see anything that would indicate there is an issue. 

New one is in, and has just the right amount of continuity and openness