Power Blocks: DCC switching layout

[mcfunkeymonkey]

New to DCC & currently I'm building the layout below.
Been thinking more about the fact that, unlike DC, DCC is sending a signal constantly to the rails.
Also still wrapping my head around ohms & amps & resistance & length of layout.

So I'm wondering if it's worth it to isolate certain sections that might not be used every operation & hook them up to toggles that I can turn on when needed. That way all the track won't be "hot" all the time.

I've marked the locations of the breaks with red boxes:



This would turn the industries to the upper left, the dockside (excluding the carfloat), the yard, & the enginehouse stalls.

For the stall tracks, I read somewhere (MR?) about someone who had push-buttons installed, so that you had to hold it down while pulling the loco out of the shed. This way the parked locos aren't hot all the time too.

Is there merit / drawback to the idea?
Does turning a section of track on & off mess up the DCC signal?
Does a layout of this size (9 1/2' x 7') even need sections?
I'm using NCE PowerCab, with a 16-gauge bus & 22-gauge feeders every 18" (but I have only 2' laid so far).

All thoughts appreciated!
Cheers!
--Mark

[rrinker]

Ugg *** forum, erroed when posting my detailed reply.

 

Short version: If more than one person is going to operate the layout, circuit breakers would make more sense than toggles. Divide sections by how you plan to operate - each different operator shoudl end up in a different section. Say htere's switcher working the industries aroudn the docks, a train on the main, and a switcher workign the yard - the sections I would do would be dock industries, main, yard, and engine terminal. If you only plan to operate alone, toggles probably make more sense, so that you can isolate a toruble section instead of combing the entire layout looking for the short.

 In the engine terminal, buttons on the stall tracks would keep you from accidently selecting the wrong loco and driving it into the turntable pit or into the wall of the roundhouse. And keep sound units quiet even if they don;t have a 'mute' function.

                                --Randy

 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

 If you want to turn off parts of the layout that won't be in use all the time or will be used for 'parking' locos that aren't in use go ahead and wire the toggle switches. I have my own layout broken into 16 blocks wired through DPDT toggle switches. Each block has it's own feeder that comes off a common buss. This allows me to have on only those parts of the track that are in use. In the event of a derailment I can turn off the effected area and the rest of the layout will still be powered.

[nbrodar]

My main tracks are blocked for signaling, but not equipped with on-off switches.  Eventually, each main will have it's own circuit breaker.

My yard and engine facility tracks are equipped with on-off switches.   I don't like leaving idle locomotives hot, plus it's added protection against someone dialing in and moving the wrong locomotive. 

Nick

[mcfunkeymonkey]

If I do go with toggled blocks where I have the red rectangles (with an idea to move towards circuit breakers as the $ come rolling in), is it better to:

take a pair of feeders off the bus, & then the 4-5 feeders off the centrally-located toggle

OR

splice of a branch bus to the toggle, continue the bus the length of the section & have the feeders come off the bus? (isn't the idea to keep the feeders short?)

[mfm37]

mcfunkeymonkey

splice of a branch bus to the toggle, continue the bus the length of the section & have the feeders come off the bus? (isn't the idea to keep the feeders short?)

 

 

That's the idea. Keep the feeders as short as possible. Also make the wiring less complicated for the future. If you decide to go to Circuit breakers later, Swap the toggles for the breakers. 

[MisterBeasley]

As an old DC guy, I wired up my roundhouse stall tracks with toggles.  Once I started running with DCC, I gave up on that idea and just hard-wired them all to power.  It wasn't necessary to shut the tracks off, and the toggles seemed superfluous.

Then, I started acquiring sound engines, and retrofitting my non-sound locos with new decoders.  Some of these have full "shutdown" modes, but others do not.  So, to fully shut off my engines, I went back and rewired those stalls through toggles, as I'd originally planned.

My guess is, you won't be running passenger service on a switching layout, but if you do, you should provide tracks where you can unpower any illuminated passenger cars.

[nbrodar]

 I use push buttons:

I also have a barrier strip along the back of the panel. The red side of the bus feeds the push buttons, and lighter gauge wires connect the switches to the barrier strip and then heavier gauge wire to the tracks.  Pretty much like a standard DC installation. Partially installed wiring:

Nick

 

[Texas Zepher]

mcfunkeymonkey

isolate certain sections that might not be used every operation & hook them up to toggles that I can turn on when needed. That way all the track won't be "hot" all the time.

What is the reason you don't want the track to be hot all the time?

For the stall tracks, I read somewhere (MR?) about someone who had push-buttons installed, so that you had to hold it down while pulling the loco out of the shed. This way the parked locos aren't hot all the time too.

That one makes sense to me.

Does turning a section of track on & off mess up the DCC signal?

no

Does a layout of this size (9 1/2' x 7') even need sections?

Generally no, but it depends on how many operators and how many simultaneous trains.