I didn't see isolating track discussed in Sperandeo's book on wiring so asking here. In layman's terms pls explain how to isolate sidings and yard in DC. I have Atlas custom-line code 83 turnouts and isolated joiners.
Someone explained that I put an isolated joiner on one side of a track leading from a turnout to a siding or yard. Correct? Any visuals would be GREATLY appreciated!
TIA!
Lee
Basically, I think you've got the idea. In an un-isolated siding, both rails would be connected to the turnout, and they would carry power down the line. It's adviseable, by the way, to use feeders from your track power bus to directly power the siding, instead of relying on the turnout and rail joiners to do that for you. But, for simplicity, you can eliminate the extra feeders and save the joy of troubleshooting the power to that siding until, say, two or three years from now.
But, I digress. To isolate the siding, simply replace one of the metal rail joiners with a plastic isolating joiner. This will prevent any current from flowing down the track. You only need to do one side, because the electrical circuit needs both rails to complete it, and interrupting either of them will do. For an isolated siding, do not connect a feeder on the insulated rail. That would defeat the purpose of the insulated joiner. Instead, you need to run a wire from the track to a toggle switch (single-pole, single-throw, or SPST) and from the toggle back to the correct side of the track bus. Now, power will only flow when the toggle is set correctly. Turn the toggle off, and the track is isolated.
Isolated sidings in DC are good for storing out-of-service locomotives, because they won't start up when you power up the track. You might also want one to store an illuminated passenger train on, so that you can turn off the track power and thus turn out the lights in the cars. On DCC layouts, you can keep a locomotive parked simply by not telling it to run, so it's not as important to isolate sidings. However, it can still be helpful to have "dead zones" for passenger cars, or to keep all those sound engines from starting up when you turn on the layout.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
I run Kato Unitrack in HO.
My yard ladder of sorts has one insulating joiner on each switch just past the frog on the right hand rail of the ladder.
Each body track or ladder track leaving this ladder beyond the insulating joiner has one or more feeders.
There is a particular track which I tend to keep the plant switcher. That track will recieve a toggle to shut it down when not in use.