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Howdy. Here are some of my random thoughts (why, does it show?)- First of all, let's clear up some terminology. A 'common rail' layout is one that has one rail gapped and insulated for block isolation and one rail (the 'common rail') that is solid. A 'DC' layout is one that uses variable DC to run the locomotives, as opposed to a 'DCC' layout. This is what you are building. The 'North Rail' is one of the rails. The 'South Rail' is the other. The exception to this rule is reverse loops and wyes. Your use of the word 'Common' leads me to believe that you have run two wires for each block and you are connecting all the North rails together (arbitrary). Electrically this is a Common Rail DC layout. A selector (referred from here on as 'switch' (not turnout)) supplies each block with voltage from one cab or the other. To use a more common analog, we look at an A/B switch for your TV set. You can switch between an antenna and a VCR to feed your TV. In your case you see the TV as the block, the antenna connection as cab A and the VCR connection as cab B (lousy example but it's getting late... who the hell has an antenna these days?). What kind of 'selectors' did you get? Atlas (at $7.20 a hit!!??)? Radio Shack switches? 1939 Ford headlight switches? It sounds as though you've already got the blocks wired, so you may want to consider the next bit. It may be worth the trouble to save headaches later. 1. Run different color wires- one color for the North rail and the other color for the South. 2. Go to Radio Shack and pick up a pack of wire labels. Label each block's wire pair. 3. Tie the wires to each block together. Tie-wraps are great, but expensive. Twist a 2" piece of solid wire at the not-block end, other places as needed. 4. Get a cheap spiral bound notebook and write down everything what connects to what. Later when you need to change something, it's right there in The Book. You also want to document changes when you come up for air from under the pike. Note that this would be a good time to say 'Document Everydamnthing!!". You could, ferinstance, keep a diary on the building and operation of your railroad ("Final Spike driven in Mybrooke Yard", "Acquired RS-3 #992", etc.). DO NOT document any money you have spent on the project. The shock would kill you. By the way, what scale are you in? (Yeah, there's a difference between N and O- about 4 amps). Good luck. May all your lights be green. KES
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