Now that most of my wiring is done on my layout, I am starting to consider adding block protection. My goal is to add signals and eventually computer control. I can see that it would have been better to have planned to do this from the start, but I am where I am.
My layout is divided into five power districts protected by PSX circuit breakers. Each district is isolated from one another on both tracks. The bus wires are red and black and each district is differentiated with colored zip ties placed about every two feet. My command station is a Digitrax DCS210. I would like to use Digitrax BDL168 LocoNet Occupancy Detectors for the protection blocks.
Almost every example I see on YouTube connects the BDL168 on the red track. I know that each block has to be isolated on one track, again, in most examples the red track. My questions are: Do I have to remove all my drops on the mainline from the red power bus and connect the drops to the block protection wire going back to the BDL168? Or do I just leave the drops in place connected to the red bus and add a new drop in the block and run that wire back to the BDL168? I would think that only one wire per block would be neccesary.
As my PhD is NOT in electrical engineering or rocket science, I find the BDL168 manual a little confusing. Perhaps my answers are in it but I have not been able to find them. Any help would be appreciated.
JPDDo I have to remove all my drops on the mainline from the red power bus and connect the drops to the block protection wire going back to the BDL168? Or do I just leave the drops in place connected to the red bus and add a new drop in the block and run that wire back to the BDL168? I would think that only one wire per block would be neccesary.
all the current to a block and only the current to that block (none to any other block) needs to flow thru the block detector. in other woods, all the feeders to the block need to be connected to a bus wire connected to the block detector. each block has its own bus wire supplying all the feeders to that block.
greg - Philadelphia & Reading / Reading
....And a signal block is not the same as a power district. A power district may have dozens of signal "blocks" for detection (especially in CTC).
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
Thanks for the answers.
Ugh, I was afraid that the answer would be that I cannot use my current power buses as is. This means a lot of new wiring and I am going to have to come up with a method to distinguish by color code the new protected block wiring.
I have yet to build my stagging yard, so I think I will start there with block detection. I do not have to worry about signals there, just blocks so I can detect the presence of trains. The stagging yard is in another room and I would like to be able to view the location of trains in blocks there from the main layout room.
I still have a lot of questions. For example, should every turnout be a separate block on the mainline? Passing sidings off the mainline should be a separate block, correct? What about turnouts to industry sidings from the mainline, do they need a separate block as well or can they be part of a mainline block?
I wonder if there are consultants who will review layouts and suggests the necessary blocks and signal placements. I do not mind doing the wiring and programming in JMRI, I am just not confident in setting up the blocks and locating the signals.
Hi JPD,
I can't help with prototype signal info, but I see you're in Holt so I thought I'd at least say Hi from a fellow Holt train guy.
I also installed DCC block detection (not Digitrax), but am just using it for basic block signaling only, without regard to turnout position and all of the other things that are part of the prototype. I did run an undetected bus to pick up all of the sidings, so that a car sitting in a siding would not cause the mainline to show occupied.
-Tom
Hello Tom,
I always suspected that there must be at least one other model railroader in Holt. I would love to see what you have done and how you wired the block detection. I would also be happy to show you my unfinished layout and get your feedback on how I can do the wiring. My email is dulongj@habitant.org. If you want to get together, then email me and we can exchange contact information.
JPDI was afraid that the answer would be that I cannot use my current power buses as is. This means a lot of new wiring and I am going to have to come up with a method to distinguish by color code the new protected block wiring.
i'm sure you can continue to use what you have, you just need to add wire between buses for specific blocks and the detectors. add labels to the wires
i'm adding signals to a club layout that's been around for a while and need to modify how blocks are wired. in some cases it's combining blocks and breaking the connection at one end. in some cases it's cutting gaps in blocks and extending them back to block detectors (PSX).
butt splice (barrel) connectors are handy.
this layout has 2 mainlines: B&O and Western Maryland. blue/yellow for the B&O and red/white for the WM. busses are labeled with paper tags
don't be afraid to may mistakes if unsure. a cut wire can easily be joined with a barrel connector
Greg, I am sure I can do it with a little experimenting on a test example first. The thing is I hate getting under the layout even on my little wheeled chair. This is why the stagging yard I am adding will be moduler so I can tip it up and work on the wiring with ease. So I will probably start the block detection with the stagging yard. Once I mast it, I will then figure out how to do the rest of the layout. I only have to do the mainline.
JPD, email sent.