Turnout wiring

[Anonymous]

I am new to designing layouts and have set up a complex layout with back to back turnouts I am using the Lionel 022 turnouts and have 11 on a 4x8 layout. I am having conflicts btween some of the swithces and at the moment using track power . Should I change to separate transformer adn use the fixed voltage posts? How do I get the trunouts to work correctly with some chattering when a use a switch.

I could use a little help

[cacole]

Track power cannot be used for turnouts because it is not on all the time, or is too weak to throw the turnout if the train is not running fast. You need a constant voltage source for the turnouts. I'm not familiar with Lionel turnouts, but most require at least 12 Volts AC or DC, and power packs for HO scale usually have 16 Volt AC or DC constant voltage terminals for turnouts and lighting uses. If the transformer you're using has terminals marked as "fixed" or "constant" voltage, use these for the turnouts.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by cacole

Track power cannot be used for turnouts because it is not on all the time, or is too weak to throw the turnout if the train is not running fast. You need a constant voltage source for the turnouts. I'm not familiar with Lionel turnouts, but most require at least 12 Volts AC or DC, and power packs for HO scale usually have 16 Volt AC or DC constant voltage terminals for turnouts and lighting uses. If the transformer you're using has terminals marked as "fixed" or "constant" voltage, use these for the turnouts.

[Anonymous]

Do I supply the fixed voltage through the separate insert post?

[cacole]

Run separate wiring from the transformer's contant voltage output to the turnout controls, which should be momentary contact switches, and then to the turnouts. Disconnect all wiring between the track and turnouts.

[Anonymous]

Thanks , how should the insulating pins be configured. Do I fully isolate the trurnouts?

[cacole]

If you're talking about insulated pins that join the track togehter, the purpose of those pins is so you can have a siding that is turned off to park locomotives on if you have more than one. The only track that needs to be isolated with the insulated pins is a siding, and then you're going to need additional wiring and a switch to turn that track on and off as you want to run locomotives onto or off of it. This is creating a separate "block" of track.

[Anonymous]

You will need to add insulated pins to the short straight rail and the long curved rail on the diverging section for the anti-derailing function to work correctly. Note that the curved rail has a small gap in the middle of it. You only need to add insulated pins to the center pins if you want to turn power off to the siding or for isolated blocks.

To run the switch off of fixed voltage AC (~ 14 volts) you need to connect it to the center pin of the jack on the side of the switch motor housing (the spring connects track power to the center pin and is disconnected when the fixed voltage plug is inserted).

I can e-mail you a diagram of the switch if you are interested.

P.S., you will get more answers on the CTT forum:
http://www2.classtrain.com/community/forum/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=95