HI,
I am building a N scale layout this using Kato double crossover turnouts and also the #6 turnouts for spurs.
My biggest concern is not having the test equipment to troubleshoot any problems.
I am an analog guy but I am helping a friend with his all DCC railroad.
So from what I understand, the blocked double crossover piece will need 4 separate leeds coming out of each pieces of track.
Also as far as wiring for spurs where you have the track diverge and then where would the appropriate lead connections be placed to avoid loss power from power routing?
Many thanks to this mystery?
I have found that with any directional control appliance sold commercially meant for use with DCC, they only need to be fed once...pick an end. At the other end of the appliance, gap it and feed the rails that follow. So, it should be that you must gap this at two ends and feed at two ends. Feed the rails across from the gap for full electrical power. Try it...if it doesn't work, then you must feed all four entrances/exits with no gaps. Note that Tony's Train Exchange should have a DCC how-to that covers the commercial appliances at the website. I seem to recall that it is that site.
As Davids warns, the shallower the angle of the crossing, the worse is the likelihood that common HO tire widths will cross between the two convering rails near the frogs, even though there is a black spacer there for gapping. The touching of both rails will cause a short. You must either paint part of one rail with urethane or cut gaps a bit further outward from the frog than where the gap/plastic space currently is. It's a bit unnerving if you aren't skilled or keen on doing this, but gapping the rails is the surest solution and won't require renewing the paint over time. About 1 cm (half an inch) further out is normally sufficient, but ideally you would want a new gap placed where two ties' spike heads retain the new small length left to the spacer for alignment and strength.
Crandell
The Kato N scale double crossover does not route power from one side to the other. Only the two outside straight rails have unbroken continuity. So, you need to feed power to each of the four tracks. Those feeders don't have to be immediately adjacent to the crossover, just close enough to pass the quarter test.
This is actually a good thing for DCC, since if both tracks of your double track main line are separate detection blocks, you will never have a problem with detection caused by this double crossover being in a X vs. = state as the two sides remain electrically isolated from each other at all times.
Think of the double crossover as four #6 turnouts connected together, with insulated rail joiners on all rails where they meet, except for the two outside straight rails. The same power considerations apply.
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