I built a small extention onto my existing layout, and I still have time to lay some more track. I have to put a programing track in the yard. Do I have to attach it to the layout, or can I have it isolated from the rest of the track? I need some input. Sound off
Peace
Mine is on the workbench across the room from the layout. My club's pogramming track is also oiff the layout. Never need to worry about shorting full power to the programming track.
Martin Myers
The programming track on our HO scale club layout is a section of one of the main lines. The program track section is totally isolated at both ends with insulated rail joiners, and I wired in a DPDT center-off toggle switch to change from "Program" to "Run" mode and vice versa.
My programming track is disguised as an abandoned siding on the layout. It is totally isolated from the layout itself, no track connection at all.
I feel its safer that way, no chance of powering up the programmer and blowing something up.
I have never felt comfortable with a programming track as a direct part of the layout. I considered it once or twice as a part of the engine facility but decided against it.
Many make it an isolated stub siding or part of a yard track. To each his own.
My isolated, abandoned siding, programming track works for me. My programming track is shown on my track plan which is posted on my website in the Layout section. The link to my site is in my signature.
Ultimately it is your choice. Go with what meets your needs and pleases you.
Remember its your railroad
Allan
Track to the BRVRR Website: http://www.brvrr.com/
Mine is in the same basement area, but not attached to the layout in any way. It is in my workbench area where I have a small yard for repairs, etc, with its own NCE command station (backup) and a booster. Again, no physical connection of any kind to the layout.
Bob
Mine is on a siding, conveniently located at the front of the layout. I also used a DPDT switch to isolate the siding and toggle it between run and program modes.
If your programming track is connected to the layout, you can run the engine there without handling it. Otherwise, you need to pick it up and re-rail it twice. This is a pain with steam engines and tenders, but not so bad with 4-axle diesels. Some of us, who have carefully painted, detailed and weathered their engines, prefer not to touch them at all.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
I've always had it as an isolated block on the regular layout, using a DPDT switch to switch from programming mode to regular. My last layout it was an isolated part of the inside loop of a twice-around mainline. On my current switching layout it's a long yard track closest to the backdrop. That way I can have the engine I'm programming on that track, and another one on the track next to it for speed matching. I put the two in a consist, and then I can run them and adjust the engine on the programming track without having to pick it up and move it over and over again. The two tracks are about 15' long so there's plenty of room to test run.
My programing track has always been at the work bench. My programing track is also a 6' test track.
Jim, Modeling the Kansas City Southern Lines in HO scale.
Hi!
I'm in the construction stage now (HO), and my programming track is planned to be a siding near the engine terminal. However, it will be totally isolated with a 10 inch section of "dead track" between it and the turnout leading to it. With the programming track only hooked up to "program", I ASSUME this should work out just fine. Of course your comments on this are appreciated!!!!
Ideally (from all I have read) it would be best to have it in "off layout", but at this point that is not practical for my situation. Of course that may change as I get further along in the construction.
ENJOY,
Mobilman44
ENJOY !
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
My programming track is located along the top of my control panel, above the command station. It has no connection to my layout's track,
Nick
Take a Ride on the Reading with the: Reading Company Technical & Historical Society http://www.readingrailroad.org/
I am in the construction stage of my layout and have isolated (with double gaps at both ends) a portion of the house track which is close to the front of the layout. I added a DPDT switch with leads from both the program and track power, so I can make changes to sound volumes and other CV's then flip the switch to track power and immediately see/hear the results. Other folks I know have done the same thing at their workbench, so whatever works for you, but you will be happier if you provide the switch ability. John Colley, Port Townsend, WA
When I planned my layout several years ago, I designed the program track to be a connected siding that had a dead buffer section between the main line and the siding when in program mode. The theory was that I didn't want to pick up delicate steam locomotives to move them to the program track, so I wanted the track connected to the rest of the layout. Since the advent (or common usage) of OPS mode programming, I find that after I set the loco address on the program track, I do all of the rest of the decoder programming on the main. In light of this development, I could easily see having an off-layout section of track for programming at the workbench to set loco addresses and doing the rest of the programming in OPS mode on the main. Might be much simpler to set up.
Guy
see stuff at: the Willoughby Line Site
mobilman44 Hi! I'm in the construction stage now (HO), and my programming track is planned to be a siding near the engine terminal. However, it will be totally isolated with a 10 inch section of "dead track" between it and the turnout leading to it. With the programming track only hooked up to "program", I ASSUME this should work out just fine. Of course your comments on this are appreciated!!!! Ideally (from all I have read) it would be best to have it in "off layout", but at this point that is not practical for my situation. Of course that may change as I get further along in the construction. ENJOY, Mobilman44
Well, I don't see any advantage to picking up the engine to move it from staging to the regular tracks and back and forth. If you're speed-matching an engine you might have to go in and adjust the CV's 20 or 30 times to get the two engines set just right. Lot easier just to have a DPDT switch on a section of track on the layout. Set the CV's, throw the DPDT the other way, run the engine once around the mainline and back to the programming track, adjust the CV's and run it again.
I don't know what the fear is of having a programming track on the layout?? You just isolate one block of track with gaps or insulated joiners, and hook it up to a DPDT switch - one way, the block gets regular power, the other way, it gets the programming connection. No more complicated than a reverse loop - simpler really. If you accidently put the DPDT the wrong way and run a train into the block when it's set to program, the train stops. That's all. Plus, the programming signal can't magically jump into another block and affect other engines...unless you have an engine or metal wheeled car straddling the gap between blocks, and that's "pilot error" not the fault of the programming track or DCC system !!
As mentioned above, my programing track is part of the layout, but completely isolated from it.
I rarely use it for anything more than setting the address, but with DecoderPro and my PC it can be used to quickly 'ball park' the CVs on similar locos.
After setting the basics, things are fine tuned in the OPS mode on the layout. I use the trottles in PanelPro to speed match locos. The speed steps )notches) are distinct, so matching is easier.
wjstixWell, I don't see any advantage to picking up the engine to move it from staging to the regular tracks and back and forth. If you're speed-matching an engine you might have to go in and adjust the CV's 20 or 30 times to get the two engines set just right. Lot easier just to have a DPDT switch on a section of track on the layout. Set the CV's, throw the DPDT the other way, run the engine once around the mainline and back to the programming track, adjust the CV's and run it again. I don't know what the fear is of having a programming track on the layout?? You just isolate one block of track with gaps or insulated joiners, and hook it up to a DPDT switch - one way, the block gets regular power, the other way, it gets the programming connection. No more complicated than a reverse loop - simpler really. If you accidently put the DPDT the wrong way and run a train into the block when it's set to program, the train stops. That's all. Plus, the programming signal can't magically jump into another block and affect other engines...unless you have an engine or metal wheeled car straddling the gap between blocks, and that's "pilot error" not the fault of the programming track or DCC system !!
Actually the reason to keep them separate is to keep track current from frying the low current programming outputs on the command station. No, the programming track won't reprogram all your locos on the main when an engine inadvertently bridges the gap. Decoders and running stock will survive just fine. Your Command station may need a trip back to the factory though. This is a very real concern that has occurred more than once.
A better solution to a DPDT is to use a 4PDT switch. Add a dead section of track between the programming track and the main. Use the extra pair of switch contacts to create a dead buffer section between the main and program track. When set to program the protective section would be dead preventing the accidental damage to sensitive electronic equipment.