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Cab Control

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Cab Control
Posted by Sid1425 on Saturday, August 24, 2013 6:55 PM

N Scale - with two blocks/cabs, will a train running on black "A", simply continue on to block "B' (assuming cab "B" is on) or will it stall.

Suggestions?

Thank+s, Sid

Tags: cab control
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  • From: Sonoma, California
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Posted by Javelina on Saturday, August 24, 2013 8:02 PM

Sid,

If you're talking regular old garden variety DC blocks, electrically isolated from one another, then it depends on what's going on with the next block you get to. If the next block is switched to your throttle you go on your merry way. If it's off (not switched to yours) you stall. If the next block is in use by some guy trying to start a heavy freight on a steep hill and you drift into his block you may experience "unintended acceleration". Or you may stall him. In the last two cases, you won't be in control of your train anymore. The smart way is to use block in use indicator lights or one of the other schemes to avoid this problem. There's lots of good books out there on DC wiring. The old timers did all the work of figuring this out for us and they wrote it all down.

Lou

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Posted by BRAKIE on Saturday, August 24, 2013 8:22 PM

Sid1425

N Scale - with two blocks/cabs, will a train running on black "A", simply continue on to block "B' (assuming cab "B" is on) or will it stall.

Suggestions?

Thank+s, Sid

 
As long as  blocks A & B is lined for cab A the train will run without stopping.
 
There is no need for cab B to be on.

Larry

Conductor.

Summerset Ry.


"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt  Safety First!"

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Posted by zstripe on Sunday, August 25, 2013 4:30 AM

Sid1425,

I believe,you are confusing,Cab control and ''Block Wiring'',,,I highly suggest you purchase a book on DC block wiring and two cab control,,,,There are insulated joiners that must be used to separate the cabs and blocks and then there is common rail wiring..You need to familiarize yourself with that first,,in my opinion..Then go from there..

Cheers,

Frank

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Posted by RetGM on Thursday, September 12, 2013 11:15 PM

Sid1425,  To address your question, as posted:  If your block B power pack is set to deliver the same amount of power and oriented for the same direction,  your train should continue into the next block in the same direction, at the same speed, if there is no other train  already in the block.  Respectfully,  JWH

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Posted by zstripe on Friday, September 13, 2013 2:26 AM

JWH,

Why would you want two Cab's controlling the same train?? If you are crossing over,into Cab's B's block,just switch that block to Cab A and go on your merry way..

Cheers,

Frank

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  • From: North Dakota
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Posted by BroadwayLion on Friday, September 13, 2013 7:07 AM

zstripe

JWH,

Why would you want two Cab's controlling the same train?? If you are crossing over,into Cab's B's block,just switch that block to Cab A and go on your merry way..

Cheers,

Frank

Eh? dumb operating idea. Put then, that is exactly how the LION ended up doing it on his layout before he moved to automatic train control. As your train moved from one section of the layout to another, you simply moved over to the transformer that controlled that section. Thus a train moving between north between 42nd Street and 242nd Street was always on throttle #4.

To move a train from 242nd Street across the entire layout back to 242nd Street, you started on throttle 1, moved to throttle 2, then 3 and finally 4. Other trains could follow behind you so long as they did not enter the next zone before the first train cleared that zone.

Automatic Control, while more complicated allows me to run 8 trains at once instead of four.

ROAR

The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.

Here there be cats.                                LIONS with CAMERAS

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Posted by zstripe on Friday, September 13, 2013 5:41 PM

Lion,

I don't understand your point,,,he has 2 cab control common rail wiring,with Atlas commponents,all he has to do is slide the selector switch from B to A in that block and continue going. He's no where near,242nd Street with 4 throttles..

Cheers,

Frank

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Posted by zstripe on Friday, September 13, 2013 5:53 PM

LION,

I'm assuming that he has what I said,,,after reading his post again,,there's no telling how he has it..

We never got a reply,from the beginning..He may be,on 242 nd St..

Cheers,

FrankSmile

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Posted by RetGM on Friday, September 13, 2013 9:32 PM

Frank and others:  Maybe track on A cab has another train to come out on the track currently controlled by the A cab...Maybe he wants to have a run-around for a hot express on the A cab...Come on guys;  open both eyes to possibilities.    Respecfully,  JWH    Been there, done that....By the way. I tried to answer the OP, which sometimes doesn't happen on these forum entries.....

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Posted by zstripe on Saturday, September 14, 2013 1:03 AM

RETGM,

I agree with you on your last sentence,,There are times when threads are started and a lot of info is lacking,in the beginning..And you have to guess,more or less,as to what is going on..That is one reason I suggested,he get a book on Cab control and block wiring..

Cheers, Whistling Smile

Frank

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    October 2005
  • From: Detroit, Michigan
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Posted by Soo Line fan on Saturday, September 14, 2013 7:42 AM

zstripe
There are times when threads are started and a lot of info is lacking,in the beginning..And you have to guess,more or less,as to what is going on.

Frank,

We both know many requests are clear as mud. Laugh

Jim

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Posted by floridaflyer on Saturday, September 14, 2013 8:24 AM

As GM stated, if the blocks are both on and power is aligned the loco will continue to move but cab A will not have control. If cab B is off the loco will stop. If cab B polarity is the reverse of cab A you will have  short as the loco tries to enter cab B. This is one of the reasons I love DCC 

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Posted by gregc on Saturday, September 14, 2013 8:42 AM

Sid1425
N Scale - with two blocks/cabs, will a train running on black "A", simply continue on to block "B' (assuming cab "B" is on) or will it stall.

Sid,

i guess it's not clear if you have multiple blocks and one or multiple throttles/cabs.   You might have mulitple blocks with just one cab in order to park extra locos.

click on the following figure, it may help clarify things.

greg - Philadelphia & Reading / Reading

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