I am new to HO modeling and need some help. My layout is a 4 by 8 large oval with two spurs crossing and making a figure 8. I also have a yard with 3 turnouts. So I have 4 turnouts entering and leaving the cross overs, a turnout leading to the yard, and 3 turnouts in the yard’ I based the layout on Atlas 11. My DCC is NCE and I have 2 Digitrax automatic reverse controllers. According to the Atlas plan I need only 1 power to the main and 2 separate powers to the spurs, The wiring plan assumes, I suspect, that I was using Atlas turnouts.
I am getting issues where the power to the main is shut off or on depending on how the turnouts are set. Should I add power to each section between the turnouts? Does each section have to be insulated?
For DCC, it makes little sense to have sections of track unpowered when a turnout is thrown against the track. You cannot play with the lights or sound with the engine stopped when the track is dead. OTOH, “power routing” is a very useful tool in DC wiring. So you would probably want to power all the track full time. The reversing sections must remain insulated from the rest of the layout, and only receive power through the respective auto-reverser.
Although you didn’t ask, DCC’s power available everywhere forces the engineer to provide his own track clearance at all times. If you are running multiple locomotives simultaneously, you have to make sure each locomotive is clear to go where it is going. And you have to make sure the engine is in fact stopped where you want it to stay. There are no inherent interlocks to prevent running a turnout thrown against a locomotive or even head-on collisions.
I am going to power all the sections and also isolate the reversing sections. Your warning about running two engines on a collision course is so true. I have a had a few minor collisions with between a parked loco and a running one.
I am surprised. As far as wiring goes an insulfrog turnout should work exactly like an Altas. I would say the Atlas description is exactly right. Since there is a problem, I would guess that some of those Pecos aren’t insulfrog but electrofrog, and/or the track is not insulated properly. But in the latter case I would have guessed that the problem would be continual instead of depending on how the turnouts were set.
So I presume that you have double insulated joints on each side of the spurs that cross through the center from side to side. I presume that when you say “2 separate powers to the spurs” that means each one is connected to one of the automatic reverse controllers. If all this is true then I would suggest that you examine each turnout looking at the frogs to make certain they are all insulfrog.
Only know Peco, I don’t know about Atlas No11. Are you using flexi or sectional track?
I’m gessing you have a 3 point(turnuot) ladder forming a 3 spur yard, just feed the toe of first point and put insul-fishplates at start of spurs and feed from track ends. If point froggs are facing you need insuls again on all rails.
Thanks for the tip. I am using a combo flex and sectional track. I have wired all sections and insulated the cross oiver spurs and the yard. When using the main line and the yard I have no problem now. I am starting to wire the cross over spurs using digitrax automatic reversa controls. My first test run ended with a short being caused when the loco crossed either onto the spur or back onto the main line. Obviously I made a error in the wiring that I will have to deal with next…
Oh Oh, think I get you. Your using a chort diomond crossing (nasty sods) hav’nt used em since I was a kid, if it’s insul you might be causing a short at the frogs,try feeding each track through a Double Pole Double Throw switch so you only feed one at a time, if it’s electro you’ll need to feed frogs with a D,P,D,T switch to change polarities. Never tried a Dimond Crossing since changed to DCC.
As to your reverce loops, isolate both ends and using a reverser should do it.
Following the previous post. What brand of crossing track (diamond) are you using? Is it an Atlas or is it Peco or Shinhara or other? That could be an issue. 2. However I am guessing you simply have the auto reverser in backwards.