Isolating yards while using DCC

[tcf511]

I'm in the construction phase of my first layout. I'm using Digitrax DCC and Peco Insulfrog turnouts. My plan calls for a 10 track yard area that is basically separated from the mainline by three tracks spanning a liftout bridge. What is the best way to isolate the yards electrically so that I don't have engines and lighted passenger cars under power while stored in the yards? I'm going to be able to more or less activate power one or more tracks at a time rather than the whole yard at once. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[bogp40]

The old standby of toggle switches, or power routing through turnouts.

[Pennsy58]

DPDT toggle switches would work and be easy. Gap the rails for each section of the yrad you wi***o isolate. This is the method I use to isolate my programming track from the main. Run an engine onto the program track then trow the switch. Power is cut off from the main then.

[tcf511]

Wiring is far from my specialty. So I solder the feeder wires from the track to one side of the DPDT and then wires from the other side to the power buss? Does it matter wether they are center off switches or not? One last question, does it matter where I isolate in terms of how close to the turnout feeding the track? Thanks for the replies.

[bogp40]

Why would you need DPDT if all you are doing is breaking contact from the buss/feeder to the rail? A single pole sw should be all that's needed. A DPDT would be needed for a program track though.
Bob K.

[SpaceMouse]

I don't know how you wired your layout so adjust accordingly. You only insulate one side of the track the other side remains connected to you layout.. The wire from insulated side of the track goes to one switch pole. The other switch pole either goes to the power supply or back to the track on the other side of the insulator.

It doesn't matter where you insulate relative to the turnout other than where you deterines how much track is switched off. I insulated at the turnout though.

[cacole]

Peco Insulfrog turnouts are power routing. If your entire yard area has no power feeder wires, the first turnout off of your mainline into the yard will turn the entire yard on and off, and turnouts within the yard will turn the individual tracks on and off depending on which way they are thrown, provided you don't use insulated rail joiners anywhere.

The only problem with relying on the turnouts to control power is that sometimes the point rails don't make good contact and you don't get reliable power feed through them. I would insulate both diverging rails and provide separate power feeders to every track in the yard, controlled by DPST toggle switches.

Based on my experience in trying to get DCC to work correctly on other people's home layouts, never use common ground wiring with DCC. Wire is not that expensive, so I always use two feeder wires to the track and insulate both rails at a turnout where I want to isolate a siding.

[SpaceMouse]

QUOTE: Originally posted by cacole

Based on my experience in trying to get DCC to work correctly on other people's home layouts, never use common ground wiring with DCC. Wire is not that expensive, so I always use two feeder wires to the track and insulate both rails at a turnout where I want to isolate a siding.

What's the problem with common ground wiring? Our club used the existing common wring and it seems to be okay? In fact, retaining the old block switches helps to isolate shorts, etc.

[tcf511]

I'm not sure what common ground wiring is but I don't think I'm using it. <grin> I went with DCC among other reasons for the simplicity that I perceived in the wiring. I know that I'm not setting up any blocks. I have a 10 gauge power buss with red for one rail and green for the other. I have 18 guage feeders every five or six feet with the same color combination. I believe in the KISS method for areas where my knowledge is limited. I had never soldered a thing in my life until two weeks ago.

So if I'm getting this, I just need to insulate one rail and hook it up to a DPST switch per track in order to turn power off to that track. If I want to turn it of to the whole yard, I would do the same at a point prior to the first turnout leading into the yard. That sounds simple enough even for me. Thanks very much!

[SpaceMouse]

You are using a common ground (one wire running the length of your track) and by turning off your turnout, you are using blocks( independently powered sections of track.). It is not much harder to isolate both sides of the track and use a DPST--I just don't understand why you need to. But then again, I'm new too.

[dehusman]

Wy are you wanting to isolate the tracks at all?

If you are using DCC, the engines won't be moving regardless of having power on them and you can turn the headlights off.

If the yard tracks are stub ended, the alternative is to wire the power to one rail through an electrical switch/microswitch so that when the turnout is lined for the yard track, the track is powered. When the turnout is lined for the lead, the power is cut from the track. That way its automatically cut off when you line the turnout and you don't have to remember to turn the power off.

Dave H.

[tcf511]

I knew that I could turn off the lights on my engines but was concerned about several lighted passenger cars that would always stay lit up. Also, would BLI locos with sound continue to produce the sound as long as the track is under power or only if they are selected on the controller?

[rrinker]

Lighted cars will stay lighted, unless you put function decoders in them. Several manufacturers make function-only decoders for these purposes.

BLI locos you can shut down so they stop making noise even though the track power is on. Default is shutdown key is F9. Twice, I think - check the manual. Or maybe it's twice to turn it back on again. At any rate, you CAN shut the noise off when not using the loco.

--Randy

[Anonymous]

Hey tcf511, I see you are in Front Royal, I am just North of Winchester in Cross Junction. What road name are you modeling???

[tcf511]

I'm actually freelancing the Front Royal area in the mid 1950s with my own Manassas Gap and Front Royal Railroad. I can easily fit in both SRR and N&W as well. I saw you had another thread about the Winchester & Western line. We have an HO model railroad club that has a clubhouse in Winchester with a large layout. Drop me an email if you are interested. One of our members works for the W&W.

[Anonymous]

Hey Christov, I am in Cross Junction too! I am also in the same club as tcf511. Small world. Let me know if you want to try and get together. I am planning a trip to Horseshoe curve in the near future to do some trainwatching.

[Anonymous]

RE: Why do you want to turn the tracks off?? Even though it is true that the locos won't move, I have noticed that my sountraxx decoder gets warm just sitting there. I want to be able to turn it off completely when not in use. I also don't like the idea of subjecting all of my stored trains (and their decoders) to power surges from turning the system on and off and from system shutdowns due to shorts....The decoders still are powered when they sit, even if they are not actively running trains.

Yes, BLI locos will continue to make hissing and blowdown noises when parked and not selected by the controller. This can be a cool atmospheric effect or it can drive you crazy, depending on the moment. I have had some difficulty getting BLI stuff to shut down effectively in DCC mode. I find it easier to mute (F8) and then kill the siding if I am not using the loco....

[Pennsy58]

OOps. you are correct. Single pole would suffice. I was thinking of my turnout contols and programming track at the time I posted. Sorry for the mistake.

[Anonymous]

I have a DCC layout and my yards are turned on and off using Atlas connectors, which I really think is a spst. I gapped one rail after the turnout to the sidings and wired power to the rail after the gap. Sort of common rail idea. It really works good. All the lighted cars and engines on the various sidings can be shut off and on with ease.

[Medina1128]

If you want to kill the whole yard, you could put a SPST switch feeding the buss for the rest of the switches for the individual sidings/tracks. With one flip of that one switch, the whole yard is dead electrically, or, since you are using DCC, can't you use the decoder to shut the locomotive off? And I've seen articles lately using decoders to control passenger car lighting. Just a thought.

[gwjordan1950]

I realise that this article is sort of an old subject. If you are going to have a yard , and you don't want ti powered up from the other power , you need to have another power booster for this area. it will be hooked into your dcc source. This way you are ruuning your layout and your yard separately.You will not have to worry about the power overlapping into the layout. You don't need all these switches that they are suggesting for you to use. This is the benefit of having DCC!!!!If your power units are all dcc equipped ,you won't have a problem. you can run as many switchers as you can put in adress up to the limit of your base unit.I am Sec. of the Maumee Valley Railroad Club in Ft. wayne,In. We have just built and are refining our new layout. It is all DCC wired and ,we do not have DPDT or any other type of switches on our layout. Don't have,Never will!.Also we are now in the process of wiring it for full signal operations. Good Luck with your venture! Happy Model Railroading!!!

[mikemorey]

Tim,

If you wi***o "activate power one or more tracks at a time" then you'll have to do "old school" wiring just like in the DC days -- lots of toggles and extra wiring would be involved. Any book on DC track basics would cover it.

However, you also mentioned the use of "Peco Insulfrog turnouts." Individual switching of of yard tracks would require even more jumpers because ALL SIX LEGS of Pecos should be powered. To do less means the points must route power via the movable rails to the frogs and beyond. The voice of experience speaking here, have power feeders on both frog rails or you'll have stalled locos on the points and wasted time cleaning the point to stock rail connections.

The simplest solution would be to locate a toggle switch on the buss wires BEFORE they reach the yard and kill or enable the entire yard at once. The elegant solution would be to install function decoders in the passenger cars to kill unneeded lights. Of course, that doesn't help with visitors' cars.

I suppose if one wanted to get really high-tech then a function decoder (minimum 1 amp) could be wired between the buss and the track that needs to be switched. That would allow control right from the throttle. But still, all the extra gaps would necessitate added feeders.

Mike Morey
Naptown & White River Model RR Club
http://www.naptownrr.org