Hello everybody, and a happy new year from The Netherlands !
I started laying track for my new layout. Ultimately it will partially be operated by computer.
After having read quite a bit about DCC I concluded that my layout plan shall be divided in blocks. At the boundary of each block one rail shal be interrupted and connected by an insulating rail joiner. Is that correct ?
Thanks in advace for any contribution.
Wim Kuypers
According to “The Digitrax Big Book of DCC” you should use a gap or insulating rail joiner on both rails. I am going to block my layout as well and intend to gap both rails as I will be using block detection devices and want to be sure of the feedback.
Hope this helps…Ken
Yes, since you are starting a new layout, gap BOTH rails. There are many echnical reasons why gapping only 1 rail, referred to as ‘common rail’ is bad. For an existing layout it’s possible to adapt if it’s not practical to gap both rails, but for starting fresh, there’s no reason NOT to just gap both and avoid any issues.
–Randy
When I layed down my track so many years ago, I gapped both rails even though I was in DC. Now that DCC is here I’m rather pleased that I took the time to do the extra work. For all the newbies reading this thread, gap both rails in DC. You won’t regret it down the road if you ever decide to upgrade to DCC. It means a little more time wiring, but it sure is worth it.
Archie
I’m a little confused. I’m new to DCC and I’m in the process of building my first layout. Why would you gap the rails? I understand using gaps in reversing loops and such, but is there some other reason that I have overlooked? If so, it’s not too late as I am just now starting to lay track.
You gap both rails so you can create power districts with individual boosters or circuit breakers or even toggle switches to turn them off for trouble shooting. It really depends of how big the layout will be and/or how many trains you plan to run at one time. Always best to plan ahead.
Don’t forget gapping for signal blocks and occupancy detection.
Mark C.
Good evening Wim, and Happy New Year to you also!!! I am preparing to go DCC also, and everything I have read so far states that the best practice is to isolate BOTH tracks, as all the other guys above have indicated.
I’m a new hobbyist so bear with me here. Are you saying that blocks are individual sections of track in a layout that each has its own power supply? Are these power supplys called boosters?
Gary
I agree, gap BOTH rails, gapping only one rail is mostly used for regular DC as you have a common rail, but with DCC you dont need that. And the guy at my LHS said the gapping BOTH rails helps to find electrical problems since you can shut down sections
Yes, except these ‘blocks’ are not NEARLY as small as the ones used for DC control. And they don;t all need to be powered with a seperate booster, you can use circuit breakers like the Tony’s Power Shield. You only really need extra boosters when the power capacity of one is insufficient for the number of trains you want to run, but breakign up the layout into power districts using circuit breakers is a good idea even with a single booster - that way if something shorts one section fo your layout, like through a derailment, the rest will continue to run.
With detection for signalling it gets a little more complicated. Withon one power district, you may have multiple detection sections. These are generally gapped only in one rail. This is because the detector normally only goes in the circuit for one rail. Between different power districts and/or boosters, you would still gap both rails.
–Randy
Thank you all for your answers !!
Wim Kuypers
www.steelrail.nl
Could someone explain the “gapping of both rails” procedure. Do you still use metal railjoiners, and leave a gap between the rails, or do you use the plastic type joiners ? No railjoiners ?
Beste Wim,
A quick question, why DCC if you want to use Computer Control Are you going to use Analog and Digital I/O cards etc.? This may not match too well with DCC.
I hope you still see this.
Hartelijke Groeten,
Bob Bennekers
You should not only gap both rails, but also use plenty of power feeders for DCC. When I wired the Cochise & Western Model Railroad Club’s 20x40 foot HO scale layout, which was wired for either DC or DCC operation, I gapped both rails every place that DC block control would require it, and at every siding. We still have control panels with track diagrams and DC block control toggle switches on them.
Block power buss wiring runs under the tracks with feeder wires every 3 feet . Every other flex track joint’s rail joiners are left unsoldered to allow for track expansion or contraction, so the feeder wires are soldered to the rail and not to the rail joiners.
Never solder a turnout into your layout. We used a mix of Peco and Atlas turnouts. A turnout is the only trackwork with moving parts, so if anything is ever going to fail or wear out, it will be a turnout. Being able to slide the rail joiners off of one end makes this replacement much easier.
You have to use plastic joiners, OR cut the rails clean through with a cutoff wheel in a Dremel. Doing the latter, a small piece of plastic should be glued into the resulting gap, and then filed to the shape of the rail to prevent the gap from closing up if the rail shifts or expands at some point. The plastic joiners typically have a small tab that sticks up between the adjoining rails to prevent this, but they usually look pretty ugly, too.
–Randy