My last layout (HO) was wired with 4 toggle-switch controlled zones plus programming track with a Digitrax Zephyr. That layout is now history and I'm going to be starting over in On30 with a smaller layout to fit into a 9' X 13' spare room. Part of the room has to be reserved for my workbench area.
So the resulting layout will be a point-to-point switching shelf layout with one 5' peninsula. Think of the letter E, with the base of the E against the one unobstructed wall.
The question is, is there any real justification in wiring for ANY zones other than the programming track?
The bus will be 14 ga. stranded with 22 ga. solid feeder for each length of track (between rail joiners). There will be a reversing wye and maybe a turntable. I have had reversing wyes before and they don't seem to cause a problem.
As long as I am consistent in insulating both legs of switch frogs, I'm not seeing the need for switchable zonesjust to isolate shorts and my sense of the matter is that the layout is too small to require separate power zones. The layout will most likely never be run by anyone other than myself.
Your thoughts please....
Scott Groff, Quevic Valley Rwy.
Are you just goign to run trains on your own? Then you probably don't need to create multiple power districts. The advantage of breaking the layout up into multiple power districts with a circuit breaker is that a derailment and short in one section won't bring the entire layout crashing to a halt as the main booster trips. If you only have one train running, it doesn't really matter.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
I have an HO scale home layout that is similar in size to what you're planning, and it is all only one zone. As in your proposed wiring, the only switchable track is the programming track which is on a DPDT toggle switch.
I have a number of sidings which are insulated and have a toggle switch controlling power. They allow me to park engines or trains and totally kill power to them. For some sound engines, that's the only way to turn off the sound and not have it come back after a short. For passenger cars, it lets me turn off the interior lighting when the train isn't running.
If you have a wye, then a DCC auto-reverse unit will also provide a circuit breaker to isolate shorts on the wye itself.
Overall, though, there is no compelling reason to add zones to a layout of that size.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
MisterBeasley I have a number of sidings which are insulated and have a toggle switch controlling power. They allow me to park engines or trains and totally kill power to them. For some sound engines, that's the only way to turn off the sound and not have it come back after a short. For passenger cars, it lets me turn off the interior lighting when the train isn't running. If you have a wye, then a DCC auto-reverse unit will also provide a circuit breaker to isolate shorts on the wye itself. Overall, though, there is no compelling reason to add zones to a layout of that size.
Mister Beasley,
Thank you, you have given me a great idea. I have a pretty good size layout that I have never bothered to divide into separate power districts since I am a solo operator. However, when I run sound equipped steam engines through my turntable and into the roundhouse, those sounds of all types persist. I never thought about isolating the entire engine servicing facility into a separate power district but I am going to think about it now. Thanks again for the thought.
Rich
Alton Junction
Hi!
Of course you don't have to have zones or power districts - which may be different, depending on your definition. But, it might be a good idea in the long run. Perhaps you could make your mainlines, your loco terminal, staging (if any), and all other trackage each a separate power district, each with their own breaker. The attributes of doing this have already been mentioned.
My current layout has 8 power districts, but I am also installing a toggle switch (s) on the staging area and the loco terminal. This will allow me to shut off power without having to deal with each loco separately. And, as I almost found out the hard way, it will prevent accidental loco movement - which could be very costly.
ENJOY !
Mobilman44
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
I would do this:
Provide an auto reversing module / breaker for the Turntable and the wye, each powered from the main Booster.
Then provide a single breaker for the rest of the layout. (An NCE EB1 would be a good choice.)
By doing this, you protect the Booster from shutdown during a short. I know a lot of folks won't think it is necessary to do this, but if you do, you will have a second layer of protection.
Elmer.
The above is my opinion, from an active and experienced Model Railroader in N scale and HO since 1961.
(Modeling Freelance, Eastern US, HO scale, in 1962, with NCE DCC for locomotive control and a stand alone LocoNet for block detection and signals.) http://waynes-trains.com/ at home, and N scale at the Club.
While you probably don't need switches, it's a good idea to have some way (short of cutting soldered wires) to isolate sections from each other during troubleshooting. I get that result by making my connections with screw termini at terminal blocks.
OTOH, if the object is to silence a single loco in a roundhouse stall or on a ready track, or turn out the lights of a passenger car, having a switch to kill ONLY the track it is standing on is a good idea. Note that this doesn't have to be an expensive, high-power toggle switch in a fancy control panel. Three-for-a-dollar slide switches mounted on the fascia, or pretending to be relay boxes or packing cases right in the adjacent scenery, work just as well.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Another option is to wire the layout with multiple districts but feed them from the same booster. I started this way. I didn't want to go back and rewire later, if I ever did need to add a booster. Now I have 3 boosters. By prewiring it in advance, if you ever want to add another booster or power district, you just pull that section off your existing booster and hook the bus wires up to the new overcurrent device/booster. You can also wire the districts to switches, if you want to power on/off sections of the layout. Lastly, wiring this way can be a benefit if you ever get a short which you can't find. You can section off your layout to troubleshoot.
Engineer Jeff NS Nut Visit my layout at: http://www.thebinks.com/trains/
Having multiple zones that you can turn off and on independently with toggle switches is great for maintenance and trouble shooting. If you ever have a problematic short you can turn sections off until you find the problem, or turn one section off to do maintenance while the rest of the layout is still running.
Also, if you break the layout into sections, and each section has its own circuit breaker, then as mentioned a short caused by a derailment or other operating issue will not shut down the entire layout. You do need separate circuit breakers on sections for this to work of course.
Chris van der Heide
My Algoma Central Railway Modeling Blog