Need Help With a track problem

[Anonymous]

I am currently making a new O-27 Scale train set. I am running 2 lines of
track around my pieces of ply wood, the problem that I am having is that I
have a train yard on the left side of my 2 lines of track Shown here,

Now getting my right line into is fine, but getting my line 2 is the problem,
I just putting in a cross track when I turn on my train with the cross track
in both lines are powered by the one controller, I have 4 of the controls that
came with my train sets, on the bottom of the crossover track there’s a metal
piece, I tried to remove it, and the problem I ran into there, is that there
is no power leading to the part that leads to the train yard, shown here

the green is where the track gets power because the power is coming from both
ends of the track that connect to it, the red has no power because the track
that connects to the red pieces has no power because it just ends since it’s
the train yard. Can anyone help me; get the crossover track to work with
powering line 1 and 2 with one control? The Track I am using is Lionel and
some K-Line The Crossover track, and the switch tracks are created by Lionel.
Please Help Me, Thanks!

[Big_Boy_4005]

In the past I have modified the crossings on the bottom. If you have removed the plate, you should solder a jumper wire across each path, thus connecting the opposite sides of the crossing and restoring power to the missing leg, or you could just add a power feeder in the yard.

[brianel027]

Just another idea for your consideration... I can't tell just what your layout is from the illustration. But you mention have 2 lines of track: I assume separate ovals? I also assume by "controller" you really mean the transformer or the power source. What Big_Boy says about soldering some jumper wires and/or a feeder wire into the yard is certainly good advice. But you might also want to think about using 2 transformers to control each oval separately so you can run 2 trains at the same time. I don't know if you have a "crossover" made from switches where the train from the outer loop (line 1) can enter the inner loop (line2) but you would want to be sure that the wires leading from the transformers to the track are connected identically on both loops... in other words, that the hot wire in connected to the center rail on both loops and the ground in on the other rails on both loops.
The way it appears to me, is that a train from line 1 crosses line 2 to enter a yard or siding that is independent (or separate) from line 2. So it would be kind of cool to run both lines from their own transformers. By isolating the current on the crossover and installing jumper wires this would certainly be possible.
Just food for thought, since it appears you already have a couple of transformers. It's always fun to be able to run more trains. And if you have kids, or have train buddies over once in a while, it's great fun to have 2 trains going from separate control.
PS, It's also nice to see someone using 027 track... sure there are some disadvantages as far as the kinds of cars and engines you can run. But 027 has a low profile, is affordable, and it's easy to obtain a "realistic" look of the track by adding ties and ballast once you get your layout determined.
brianel, Agent 027

[lionelsoni]

If you create a crossover between two loops each powered by a separate transformer, you have to think about what will happen when you run a train through that crossover: Both transformers will be connected together through the pickups of the locomotive(s). If the two transformers are set to nearly the same voltage and the transition is brief, it is likely that no harm will be done. But, if you forget to coordinate the voltages, there will be considerable arcing; and, if you stop on the crossover, the transformers will get hot.

One way to fix the problem is to install an electrical SPDT switch to allow one loop to be powered by either transformer. Then you can (stop the train,) combine the loops on a single transformer, run the train across, then (stop and) restore the isolation between the loops. If you would like to have more than two sections, or blocks, in the future, you can use a separate SPDT switch for each block. Your yard would likely be such a block. If you use a center-off switch, you can completely disable power to any block while running trains in the other blocks.