I’m constructing new benchwork - I would prefer a lift section
with hinges on one side.
What options do I have to wire , DCC with
minimal problems.
Put contact switches where the lift out closes to shut off the routes approaching the liftout. As far as bus wires, don’t break them, route them up and over the door or opening.
Dave H.
You don’t need contact switches. Just run the bus lines underneath the swing away on the side with the hinges to the track on the lift out.(You cant see the wires here as they are underneath the liftout).
Heres’ the other side.
DCC or DC doesn’t matter which you use…
I like the concept of contact switches shutting off the routes approaching the drop down for safety and will follow this tread as I too plan to use a lift-out or swing away on my layout. This could be done on the feed wires to this section of track. With the section in place the switches would enable the approaching section but when removed or swung away the switch would disable the section and the approaches stopping any “long walk on a short pier kinda thing”. I would also think the approaches that would be deactivated should be 1.5 to 2 times as long as your longest Locomotive, If not more.
My concept of a drop down
If the guide plate end is not cut at an angle, when the drop down is lowered the rails on the bridge section may catch on the benchwork section at the guide plate.
Looks like you already had it figured out.
You don’t need our help [;)]
good thread guys. could you show a pic of how power is routed through the lift and to the other side?
As I’m planning an around the room layout, the power runs up to but not on to the drop down from both sides. The drop down itself gets its power from two flexible feed wires that hang under and swing over from the hinge side then up to the track on the drop down. If your layout is a shelf running along one or more walls you will need to run power from one side to the other going around the door. The drop down however would still get its power from the hinge side of the layout.
Also you should add switches on both sides that when the drop down is dropped down for room access the switches turn off power to the approaches to the drop down on both sides of the drop down as this will stop your Locomotives from taking a nose dive, should the drop down not be in place. The switches can be of several types of push button switches that with the pressure of the drop down being in place turns on the power to it. But turns off the power when out of place.
Update for safety
JohnnyReb:
Mine is wired the same way, but it is a four foot swing gate instead of a drop down.
this is awesome. this help out a lot