DC yard wiring

[yellow_cad]

If my entire yard is going to be one DC block, do I need insulating connectors between each spur and the ladder, or can I just wire each spur + and - and the ladder source + and - all connected as one block when attached to a block selector?  Thanks for any help on this.  Jim

[rrinker]

 What turnouts are you using? THat can make a difference in how you have to wire it, but in the end it can be all one block, if you have no desire to park a loco on one of the tracks. 

                            --Randy

 

[yellow_cad]

The switches are live frog older Shinohara and I don't intend to have but one locomotive on the yard at a time.

[rogerhensley]

I would recommend a couple of on/off switches on a couple of tracks. You never kinow when you will need to park one engine when running another. :-)

 

[BigDaddy]

As Roger points out, it's easier to do now, the later.   Switches on ebay are dirt cheap.

[yellow_cad]

Thanks for the replies, but I am not really asking if I should have more than one block.  What I am asking is assuming my yard is all one block, then can all the track and ladder switches be connected with conductive connectors and each spur wired + and - as well as the ladder source wired + and -?  Is there any conflict electrically in what I have said?  Thanks, Jim

[gmpullman]

At a minimum you would need one "gap" or insulated joint on each piece of rail that bridges frog-to-frog AND all the electrical feeders must be from the point side of the turnout.

Basic rules of power-routing turnouts. Any frog-to-frog rail must be gapped, no matter how far apart they are and any feeders (unless switched by auxiliary contacts) must be at the point end of turnouts.

http://mrr.trains.com/how-to/dcc-electrical/2010/01/how-to-wire-power-routing-model-train-turnouts

 This holds true for DC or DCC wiring.

My entire layout was originally built using Shinohara "old-style" power-routing turnouts. It was a learning experience.

Hope that helps, Ed