I have a DCS on 3 loops of track. My layout is logging from WV around the 1850-1900’s. In the middle of the layout I have a trolley car with the two bumpers that setup the automatic return. I have stripped the shell off the trolley and made a flat car that hauls pulp wood to and from the log yard. Anyway, the simple question I set out to ask before I rambled was this. Can I steal the ground from the DCS system to set up a tripped auto run for the trolley? In other words, when the Shay loco comes by and runs over the cut out piece of ground on the DCS side, which I’ve wired back to the trolley track now giving it the ground it needs to run, is that an OK procedure being that I’m involved two different transformers? Man, that was probably simplier to ask! Jake
There are at least two issues of concern here. One is tieing together seperate power supplies and the second has to do with DCS signal propogation. The DCS signal likes to be run through ballanced lines, aka the length of the center and return rail feeds should be as similar as possible. This is the idea behind star/home run wiring. Any time you introduce an unballanced signal path you can cause the track signal to degrade, sometimes by quite a bit.
Going back to the power issue, you might want to look into a way of accomplishing what you want to do with some kind of isolation relay, possibly using an optical trip (like the Z-stuff dwarf signals).
I agree with Chuck. There’s not enough detail here to say so absolutely; but I’m very skeptical that this will work out all right. I second his suggestion of using a relay.
The power source is a new transformer. The only thing that links the DCS system and this straight piece of track would be one wire, the ground side. But I see what you mean now, as once tied together, it’s a simple matter of stuff bleeding over I guess, and once tied together, theoretically it’s going to two transformers now. I made a mechanical trip using pressure that does nothing more than using the weight of the Shay and it’s cars to complete the circuit within the trolley/pulp car’s own track. Thanks guys for the advice, and as usually, you guys are right! Jake
I’d love to see your converted trolley car…
I’ll take a pic of this beast and send it to you or post it here if I can figure out how to do so. Jake
This should help you figure out how to post a picture.