Electrical Help with a layout

[Anonymous]

I am just getting into model railroading. I want to re-create a layout that a neighbor of mine built many years ago. It was basically two large ovals and a switch yard in the middle. We could have trains running on each oval at the same time. By working the switches we could bring a train into the switch yard, couple and de-couple cars, and then return to the ovals with a "new" train. It was a lot of fun. My neighbor told me that it took him weeks to figure out all the power grid and switching. Of course, this was long before computers. What problems do I have to look out for? Is there a software program that I can use that will figure out the power arrangement for me? Thanks in advance!

[MisterBeasley]

There are numerous books on wiring model railroads. I'd suggest going to your Local Hobby Shop (which we abbreviate as "LHS" here) and take a look at what they have. You'll also find books on tracklaying, scenery, benchwork (the supports for your layouts) and something you've never heard of, DCC.

DCC is Digital Command Control. Traditional model railroads usually run on DC, or Direct Current. To make the train go faster, you apply more voltage to the tracks. To make it go backwards, you reverse the polarity to the tracks. This is all fine with one train, but if you've got more than one, they will all speed up and slow down at the same time.

What your neighbor did is called "block wiring." Instead of a single control, he isolated the tracks at a few points, and set up separate control zones. That's how you could run a fast train in one direction on one loop, and a slow train in the other direction on the other loop, and maybe a switch engine in the yard at the same time.

DCC eliminates most of the complicated block wiring. The power to the track is constant, and you use a small hand-held controller to command each individual locomotive. So, you can pull a Gomez Addams and run trains right into each other. Of course, we don't recommend that, but it's an image that shows up frequently in any case.

[selector]

Hi, garyzerfas. Welcome to our forum.

Mister B. is right on the money. He is thinking that you will have changed somewhat from the days when you found your neighbour's layout fun. Not only that, but so has the hobby. So, he is thinking (if I may be so bold as to put words in his mouth) that you might not find it fun to run that layout after a few weeks.

The hobby has evolved, and newer, more enduring layout plans and ideas are coming to the fore each day. For example, running trains in circles gets old after a while. It would be a shame to have an otherwise great layout languishing in the cobwebs because it no longer stimulates you. So, we have learned to spend some time (a lot, actually) researching what works and what doesn't. A continuous loop is rather nice at times, but so is moving a loco onto a turntable, and running it into the shop. Or, when not switching in your centred yard, could a small loco be shoving some reefers into some team tracks at a produce facility? Maybe you have a mine accessible up a modest hill on your layout, and only a geared loco can get up the 7% grade to service that mine. When it returns to the plain, below, what does it do with the ore? And so on...

So, I feel Mr. Beasley has done you a service by informing you that you would be doing yourself a great favour to read up, and to then convince yourself that your memories still hold their currency.

[squeeze]

I can only assume that you are in reference to O or o-27 guage railroading. All my layouts that I have built have the same basic set-up as you described. Two main outer tracks with a complete yard in the center. With this set-up I could run 4 trains on the 2 outer tracks at the same time without any of them colliding. The set-up involved using isolation blocks separated from each other using a bleed through resister to keep the E-units energized and the use of gravity switches which cut power to the block behind the train. The layouts utilized 5 or 6 4x8 sheets of plywood. The main concern is to keep the power in the same polarity. I used 2 ZW transformers, and had to be concerned about them bucking each other. If you can locate an older Lionel booklet on the subject of layouts, it will help you. I don't know much about the use of newer technology, but what I described will help with older layouts. Hope this helps.