Wiring Blocks

[Anonymous]

What are the pros and cons of wiring blocks? Are there any cirumstances where you have to wire in blocks? i.e. multiple power sources.

[willpick]

If you are running more than one train on a simple loop, then you need blocks. If you have storage sidings where you park engines or lighted passenger cars, you need blocks. If you have more than one loop, having blocks makes sense. HTH

[lionelsoni]

Another consideration is locating faults. Even if you have no operational need for blocks, being able to separate the track into smaller sections can help to locate a short circuit. Of course, you wouldn't need any kind of control panel for this, just a terminal strip or a wire nut.

[Anonymous]

How do you create Blocks ?

[cnw1995]

I know the answer, oh I know, pick me, pick me. Ahem... Depending on how you want to go about doing this, let's presume for a completely isolated block - put insulating pins - made of plastic available from the major manufacturers - or use something like rounded toothpicks - instead of metal pins in one side of one piece of track on both sides of the block. Then attach a lock-on and you're in business.

By the way, Bob' s answer - see below - is much better than mine. Listen to what he says.

[lionelsoni]

Connect together all the outside rails (except for any insulated control rails that you might want to use for accessories). Put an insulated track pin, or just a gap, in the center rail at each block boundary. Then run a separate wire from each block's center rail to your control panel or a central point. If you are doing it just to be able to isolate faults, simply connect all the center-rail wires together. If you want a control panel, put a switch on the panel for each block and use that switch to connect that block's center-rail wire to a common bus. Then connect the outside rails to one transformer terminal and the center-rail bus or common connection to the other terminal.

If you want to use two transformers or a dual-control transformer with a control panel, you can use single-pole-double-throw-center-off switches to connect the center-rail wire from each block to either of two busses, which you can connect separately to the two variable-voltage outputs of the transformer.

(Thanks, Doug)

[Anonymous]

I would make the whole layout into blocks. That way you can kill any section of track you want and stop or store trains. You can also feed different transformers to a series of blocks to make independent loops if you wish.

The link below shows my main control panel and the dark specks on the white track outline are slide switches that control the blocks.


http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b4cf22b3127cce999992eee52d00000026108IYsmrRoyb6


Charlie

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the info