before i begin, this WILL contain spoilers for the main questline.

so during the quest "The Molecular Level" (the one where you meet the railroad) I was getting hung up at the part where you build the devise that allows you to teleport into the institute. i started by building the base of it, then went off and collected the parts to build the other two parts (military circuitry, bioscanner, and a sensor module, i think). I found the parts, brought them back to sanctuary (it was where i built the base), and then accidentally scrapped them. I went back out and found the parts again, built the tower, the three-legged top to the base, and then the control panel. (sorry i dont remember their names) I wired them up, found that i was short on power, then added more generators and hooked them back into the circuit.

i scrapped everything i could, rebuilt it, then rewired and then the quest proceeded. i think the bug probably came from hooking them into a power-starved grid. storing them into my workshop, rebuilding, and rewiring fixed it.

uhm.. an addition. it looks like my story is broken.

after i created those components, my quest progressed and im now on the part "talk to desdemona" right after you build the contraption. She wont talk to me. she just remarks about how tinker tom will love this. when i talk to tinker tom, it goes into the dialogue screen, but the speech options are to ask for help to find the parts to build each of the components.

and one more addition, i fixed it.

sometimes a certain piece wouldnt allow me to store it away. after sleeping, loading saves, im not really sure what did it, but i was able to store it all. i put it all back up, and wired it together and tried again, still nothing.

SPECIFICALLY what i did to finally fix it was:
-i had enough power for all of it beforehand
-build the base
-built the relay dish
-exited building mode and checked my pip boy
-built the three-legged top
-built the console
*Wired them all to the same pylon. NO wires inbetween parts, they all had their separate wire to the same pylon

my quest now progressed. woop.