I have a twenty-four inch lift out section in one corner of my donut shaped layout allowing me to enter the center. Can anyone suggest a quick electrical disconnect to use on either end that works easy enough to remove the section and reconnect electrially. I only have one set of bus wires passing through this section.
Or is it better to not have any wires under this section and just rely on the track connection on either end, if that makes any sense? Again, this section actually lifts out and does not "swing out" or "swing up" as a lift bridge might. Thanks!
Jim
Probably the simplest is to have wipers on both ends, two on the 'land' side and one on the bridge. The one on the bridge connects to one rail. It also connects the other two, one of which is one rail bus and the other connected to the rail powered by that bus - an isolated length as long as the longest train you run. That way, when you lift the bridge out of its place you automatically kill enough track to prevent a train taking a markers-first swan dive into the abyss.
Lack of such a safety section let an operator on John Armstrong's Canandaigua Southern back a short passenger train into the gap where the 'bentless trestle' hadn't been built yet.
The one thing I would never, ever do is depend on rail joiners to power a removable section unless I would always be right there to provide assistance if necessary.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with removable cassettes)
I'm glad you asked the question. I have a similar problem I'm working on. I solved part of the problem by hinging one side of mine (drops down) so that I can get hard wired power to the section. What I'm still trying to figure out is how to get a good connection on the opposite side without gaps that will cause hiccups in the DCC locomotives.
I'll be following the responses.
Mike
I run buss wires around to both sides of the liftout which power my fixed track (DC only). From one end I run and extra long set of feeder wires that connect to the liftout track. Midway on these long feeders I installed spade connectors (male and female). So the liftout can be temporarily leaned against the wall or completely disconnected and set aside.
As Chuck mentioned you want a section both sides of the lift out to shut off when it is not in place. On gates, I have seen contacts used by placing a conductive plate on the gate and one where the gate contacts the layout on the other end. Some have the contact plate set down onto a brass screw that has the track power wired to it. In your case, contact plates at each end would give you power to your lift out, but you want to make sure you have it wired to cut power in both directions when the gate is out.
I'm still in the thinking stages of my gate, so have been interested in comments, but haven't experienced the situation yet.
Good luck,
Richard
I have a lift out section that connects the main layout to a yard and I powered it by wiring a feed to the tracks and then used some simple male/female electrical connectors to get power from the layout. This created a power block for the bridge and sections on either side as other posters noted for safety. I found the biggest challenge was rail alignment at both ends, The bridge drops into a notched cutout that extends out about an inch and is the width of the bridge. It keeps the bridge securely in place but I was always readjusting the rail ends to prevent derailments. I read an article in MR about using rerailler sections at the ends and added one at each end cut in half so that half was on the bridge. This set up has worked well and ensures rail alignment. When I take out the bridge, I just disconnect the two wire connectors and lift it out. I may be simple but it works for me.
Marty C
Hi Mike,
Our bridge board (entry into layout) from layout to fiddle-yard has bronze strip contacts at the layout end and has D plug and socket at the other end (loose pin hinges all round). for make and break we use a switch opposite to the fridge light, closed when in place and open when lifted, this is wired to the rail feed to the block layout side so when the pins are removed and bridge lifted the circuit is broken both sides of the joint and nout moves anywhere.
Oh ye. Order No 1 tell the dispatcher, lineman or the owner before pulling the pins or god help ye.
Be in touch.
pick