I am considering dividing my 10 x 12 loop into three different blocks for future considerations. Do I remove the way I have it wired (just simple, from the A on the transformer to some feeders) and treat each "block" on the loop like a siding by soldering to the center rail, to a toggle switch, back to the terminal strip. My thought is to be able to pull trains out of a siding while one waits to go in off the main line and I also want to run two trains at once using a block signal eventually. Obviously its all conventional mode, Thanks.
Why not use single-pole-double-throw-center-off (SPDT-CO) switches, with the wire to the center rail on the common (center) terminal of the switch? That way, if you want to start using a second transformer, all you have to do is connect it to the switches.
Whether the A terminal is the right one for the center rail(s) depends on what transformer you have.
Bob Nelson
Bob thanks for the reply. I'm using a postwar ZW. Just for what I'm currently doing with just the one loop, I understood it to connect the U to an outside rail and the A to the center. Basically I just went went from the A to a terminal strip and off that around the track connecting to feeders every so often. I powered the terminal strip at the begining so I could power my sidings from single pole switches to turn them off and on. Whether or not that's right or wrong I have no idea. Guess that's why I spew my confusion to you all.
I say it now that I probably won't introduce a second transformer only because I dont think I will need it based on the size but you never know. Thanks again for any advice, I need it.
I use post war ZW and divided into blocks using fiber pins and just interrupt the power with a on/off toggle switch to disable certain blocks. Having the main divided into blocks was a lifesaver when I recently had a switch go bad. The switch was in block two and when the train entered the block it died. Had I not been divided in blocks, the entire loop would have been disabled and the troubleshooting would have been ten times worse.
I also have a postwar ZW and have my layout divided into blocks with fiber pins in the center rail. I use atlas selectors to control the blocks. Slide the block switch on the selector up for ZW post A, down for ZW post D, center position is off.
Let me get this straight. I currently have a buss line going around connecting to feeders. I guess my main question is do I now divide the loops into "blocks" insulating the center rail, remove the buss line and feeders and treat each block like a siding? Meaning soldering a wire to that block and run it to a toggle switch back to the terminal strip. Or do I leave the buss and feeders and solder another wire back to the toggle to the terminal strip? Sorry for the confusion on my part.
Each block's center rail is wired only to its switch. The switch connects it to the transformer's output terminal. You can use single-pole-single-throw switches, which allow you to have each block connected to the transformer or not; but, especially since you have a ZW with two outputs for running trains, I recommend that you use single-pole-double-throw-center-off switches so that you can have three possibilities for each block: connected to the A control, connected to the D control, or off. The hard part is running the wires to the blocks (use no smaller than 14 AWG). Wiring the switches to the transformer is easy.
A (and D) are the right terminals for the center rail for a ZW. The reason I asked is that, with traditional single-output transformers, U should be connected to the center rail; and you didn't mention which kind of transformer you had.
(Bus is spelled with one "s".)
It allows you to control two trains separately. Even with one loop, each train can be doing its own thing, switching perhaps. It's not that useful if you're the only operator--I find that I can control only about 1 1/2 trains at one time. But it does let two operators can run the layout. They can even run two trains around a single loop, by each taking control of the block(s) that his train is in or about to enter. (You would probably want a few more than three blocks for this.)
You did mention future expansion, which I guess might mean another loop. So, even if you don't have a lot of use for two controls now, you might in the future. It's hardly any harder to wire for two than to wire for one.
Many folks locate block-control switches on a (usually stylized) map of the layout. If you do that with SPDT-CO switches, I suggest orienting the switches so that the handles move east and west (left and right) rather that north and south. That way it's easy to see which transformer control each block is connected to.
Bob, thank you very much! I greatly appreciate it.
I would put block gaps at both trailing-point ends of a turnout, but not at the facing-point end, which makes the entire turnout the end part of the block at the facing-point end. That way, whichever way the turnout is thrown, the track not selected is always part of another block, and all of that other block can be used by another train.
The outside rails should not have gaps at the block boundaries (except for turnout control rails). But you may need more than one outside-rail feed for minimizing voltage drop, just as you might whether or not you have blocks. If you have a long block, it might need multiple feeds for its center rail.
Radio Shack as a good selection of lamps and bulbs. You could go with a 12-18 volt bulb. Another choice would be to use an LED Radio Shack has an LED that runs on 12 volts ( the resistor is built in ) looks to be easy to mount to a control panel. They have red-green+orange, See link -
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062569&znt_campaign=Category_CMS&znt_source=CAT&znt_medium=RSCOM&znt_content=CT2032233
You might need a diode to change the AC to DC for the LED
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2036269&znt_campaign=Category_CMS&znt_source=CAT&znt_medium=RSCOM&znt_content=CT2032230
or -
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2036268&znt_campaign=Category_CMS&znt_source=CAT&znt_medium=RSCOM&znt_content=CT2032230
Go to Radio Shack and spend some time looking through the drawers of electronic parts - get some stuff and play around - you might make some mistakes, but you will learn as you go.
Steve
I am assuming that you want the lights to show which blocks are powered, like the scheme shown in the March CTT. That article seems to have been meant for two widely separated cabs. Since your two controls are on the same transformer, and I assume you are going to use SPDT switches as I recommended, and both operators can see all those switches, you have no real need for lights like that.
If you still want them, you can get these miniature-bayonet sockets at Radio Shack: http://www.radioshack.com/family/index.jsp?categoryId=2032294&allCount=5&fbc=1&f=PAD%2FProduct+Type%2FBayonet+Base&fbn=Type%2FBayonet+Base&filterName=Type&filterValue=Bayonet+Base
I recommend using them with number 53 lamps.
Yeah I figured the more lights the better. Makes it look like I know what I'm doing. Thanks to you both.
I like the Atlas controllers that I saw in this thread but I kept it simple. I have 2 CW-80s. I've built one switch "panel" so far by getting a 4 place gang box, coverplate and simple on/off switches (wall switch) from Lowes. 10-12 bucks. To show off I mounted RCA type female jacks on the front and side 1 on the side for power in 4 on the front for power out. I have an extended oval with a very long siding, with folded over figure 8 inside, 2 switches for transfering between.
Works OK for the size of the layout, gangbox is a bit bulky but the layout is in the open and younger kids can play with it. If you get double pole switches you could tap off auxialary power and and hook up mini light bulbs to also indicate which is powered though the switches are large enough to tell from a glance.
I run one CW through the gang box for the outer loop, the siding and the parallel mainline, blocked after the switch, the back straight and the last switch goes to an ON/OFF/ON which lets me control which CW powers the crossover section. The second CW handles the inner over and under (needs it, too).
I have the parts to make one more, I will do so for my next layout but will go to smaller switches after that.
You didn't mention what kind of track you have, I'm using Fastrack roght now, plenty of connectros under the road bed, you'll need 18 gauge slip on conenctors. Otherwise you need lockons or yes, solder to the bottom, which is what has been suggested for my SuperSnap.
As I understand it the "buss" wire is connected to the outside rails. I didn't run enough (lessons learned from this first go around), you probably want to run that one all under the track and bring it up every few feet and one line back to the black or common terminal..
At a minimum you need one center rail wire for each block, depending on length, two or more would be better. You're creating a kind of buss for each block. What I would do, run the one wire from the switch to the block, run the wire along the block abd bring it up every few feet, too.
Frank
Do I stick with the 14 AWG wire or use smaller wire going from the lamp Bob and Steve suggested from Radio Shack?
Strictly speaking, you should use 14 AWG for everything that is protected by a 15-ampere breaker, including the lamps. However, it is less of a sin to cheat on the wire size to the lamps, since an overcurrent there is much less likely than in the track circuit.
Bob two questions if I may. I know you've explained installing a 15-ampere breaker a hundred times, can you set me on the path one more time. There is an Oreilys and an Adavanced Auto Parts in town and I believe you said you can get them at an auto parts store. As far as installing it, is it pretty easy? For my track power I go to a terminal strip from the transformer than branch out to the differen blocks, does it go between the transformer and the terminal srtip or somewhere else?
Secondly your opinion on how many track switches can be used off a single terminal. I have three O-22s going to the B terminal and two O-72s going to the C all on fixed voltage plugs. Will it be ok to combine them to one terminal so I can free the C or B to handle the operating accessories I currently have and open up the other throttle to follow your suggestion of handling another train?
I only wanted to use th ZW for track and switches but confused myself in introducing another transformer to handle the accessories that use the inulated track to operate so I just used the open throttle. Hope I made sense. Thanks again.
steve24944 Radio Shack as a good selection of lamps and bulbs. You could go with a 12-18 volt bulb. Another choice would be to use an LED Radio Shack has an LED that runs on 12 volts ( the resistor is built in ) looks to be easy to mount to a control panel. They have red-green+orange, See link - http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062569&znt_campaign=Category_CMS&znt_source=CAT&znt_medium=RSCOM&znt_content=CT2032233 You might need a diode to change the AC to DC for the LED http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2036269&znt_campaign=Category_CMS&znt_source=CAT&znt_medium=RSCOM&znt_content=CT2032230 or - http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2036268&znt_campaign=Category_CMS&znt_source=CAT&znt_medium=RSCOM&znt_content=CT2032230 Go to Radio Shack and spend some time looking through the drawers of electronic parts - get some stuff and play around - you might make some mistakes, but you will learn as you go. Steve
I appreciate those links. For years I would go to Radio Shack and the sales person would have no idea of what I needed, now I have a printout!
Thanks!
A circuit breaker goes between your supply and the load that you want to protect from overcurrent. So, if you wire a transformer terminal (A, for example) to one terminal of a 15-ampere circuit breaker and then all your track feeders, whether directly or from a terminal strip, to the other terminal, all the wiring connected to that second terminal is protected at 15 amperes.
Except for the instant when you throw it, the only current drawn by an 022 is by the lamps, in both the turnout and the controller. So you can figure out what that load is just by adding up the currents drawn by the various lamps. The extra pulse of current when the turnout is thrown doesn't matter, even if it pushes the total current over the circuit rating, because the extra heating during that brief a time is very small. This is one of those situations where traditional transformers and thermal circuit breakers out-perform modern "transformers" and fast circuit breakers or fuses, which will fold back, trip, or blow, respectively, when there is no need to.
Thanks again. Does anyone have an example of how you hooked up the circuit breaker? Is it just dangling between the transformer and the terminal strip or is there a good way to mount it?
Some automotive breakers have mounting lugs, some are designed to plug into fuse holders. Go to a parts store and see whether they have something that tickles your fancy.
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