CTT project railroad series.

[lionelsoni]

Many toy-train turnouts have an anti-derailing feature that uses "control rails" to detect when a train approaches a turnout set for against its path.  When the train's wheels reach the control rail, they complete a circuit to the other outside rails to throw the turnout and prevent derailment.  Different turnout models have these control rails located at different places on the turnout.  Often the control rail is one of the rails that connects to a track adjoining the turnout.  In that case, you must put an insulating pin in that rail, so that the connection to the adjoining track does not act like a train wheelset and try to throw the turnout.

Try this:  Disconnect the controller.  Disconnect the two track sections that adjoin the turnout farthest from the switch machine.  Power the turnout at the track connection point closest to the switch machine, either directly from a transformer or from a powered track.  The turnout should sit quietly.  Connect one end of a wire to one of the outside rails at the track connection point  where you are powering the turnout and touch the other end to each of the 4 outside rails at the other track connection points, with the turnout set to either direction.  You should be able to throw the turnout one way or the other when you touch some of those rails.  Those are the control rails that you need to put insulating pins into.

 A particular problem can arise at a crossover, where two turnouts might be connected directly together.  In that case, the situation can occur where insulating pins are needed in both outside rails at the rail joints between the two turnouts.  This can make it necessary to supply the transformer connection separately to the tracks on both sides of the crossover, to make up for the complete isolation between outside rails between the crossover turnouts.

You should not need to supply an outside rail connection to your sidings, since at least one outside rail will be connected through the turnout.  A single-pole switch to disconnect the siding's center rail is generally all that is needed.

The thing that phillyreading called a "crossover" above is called a "crossing" (or less formally, a "diamond") by railroaders and doesn't involve any turnouts.  Lionel also incorrectly called it a "crossover".  

[phillyreading]

Most of your track has the common or outside rail power hooked up, but may need some feeders to help with power issues. The crossovers, not switches, should not have insulating pins in the center rails, insulate them underneath with a piece of cardboard between the silver pieces that connect the center rails, but don't break any contacts just insert some cardboard and insulate them. The cross over switches need to have their direction control rails(track that activates the switch) insulated from the other part of the outside rails. You can insulate the center rails a short distance from the switch.

[David Barker]

Kalmbach sells the best wiring book ever written.  It is fairly priced.  You need one.

[T Coyle]

I put the layout on a 5X8 and it looks very good. I used o gauge track. How should you wire it? I have two mrc 600, one for each loop. I put insulators in the center rails of the crossover switches and the sidings, leaving the insulators installed by the factory in place. The sidings now need to have both hot and common wires run to them, switched. The crossover switches shutter between positions when power is turned on to the rails. Currently the switches are operated by hand with the constant power source plug in but not wired this stops the shuttering. CTT shows wiring for fastrack with command control. I have no command control and O gauge track. The article shows the track layout but not the wiring.