Switch wiring problems

[Fisch]

Rich,

Thank you for your reply.  Let me see if I understand you correctly.  Does this picture look correct to you?  8 wires to each of the points?  Blue is "A" polarity, Red is "B" polarity.

[richhotrain]

if you look at the crossing, there are 4 ends, two rails on each end.

Try connecting a wire to each rail on the crossing, a total of 8 wires, and be sure to maintain proper polarity.

Rich

[Fisch]

Rich - You are correct.  Every post has had to be approved by a moderator.  I posted my replies last night, immediately after the reply came in. 

I have run 2 wires, but not four.  I will give that a try.

Thank you!

[richhotrain]

Fisch, as a new forum member, the moderator must be slowing up the posting of your replies.

Your two most recent replies, and the diagram you posted, showed up after all of our other recent replies.

If you don't care about operating two trains independently, then you don't need any insulated gaps in your track work.  I suspect that your wiring problem, and the resulting continuity problem, is attributable to the use of electrofrog turnouts, as opposed to insulfrog turnouts.

Have you tried adding wires to all four ends of the crossing?

Rich

[richhotrain]

Frank wants you to learn how to fish.   

Richard just caught the fish and handed it to you.  

Now, the problem is that you need to learn how to eat the fish.  

Get the Atlas book on wiring.   

Once you learn some wiring techniques, you can wire up all kinds of track variations.   

Rich

[zstripe]

Fisch,

First off,,I would highly recommend,that you purchase a book as suggested,by another poster..The Atlas books are OK,,,but they are based on common rail wiring,using their products,if you want to go that route fine..To go the other route,without common rail,,is a better option,,but it entails much different wiring knowledge,,then you appear to have at this point..The buzzing sound from the switch machine,sounds like the switch is already thrown,,wiring issue,I'm sure..And you will need another power pack,to do what you want..Get a book,,please and study it..

Cheers,

Frank

[Fisch]

I found this picture:

In this thread:

http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/744/t/219077.aspx

Do you think this will solve my problems?  Four insulated joins per turnout section?

[Fisch]

Thank you for the information.  I see I left out some details.

I do not need to run the trains independently.  I am fine with both trains being controlled by one power pack/power supply.  This is partly because I don't want to purchase another power supply (budgetary constraints), and partly because, at some point, I would like to convert to DCC.

I do intend to have 2 double crossovers, to alleviate the issue you mentioned.

When I was 10, for my birthday, my Dad gave me an N-scale train, mounted on a 4x6 piece of plywood, and put together by an enthusiast friend of his.  I spent a lot of time over the next 10 years, working on the scenery, running the trains, and generally having fun with it.  He got me interested and hooked on model trains.   I'm trying to do the same for my now 10-year old son.  But I need to give him a working track, as he is not yet old enough to do the track layout himself. 

I hope this helps to explain some of the restrictions I am working within, and some of the design choices I have made.

Thanks again for your assistance with this!

[cowman]

First, if you want to run a train on each loop, independent of each other, you will need to insulate the loops from each other and use two power packs.  Atlas makes a electrical switch unit called a Selector, which allows you to choose which power pack runs which line. 

An Atlas track book will give you information on how to do the wiring.  I would put insulators where the leg of the turnouts on one loop, where they connect to the track leading to the crossing.  I would also put insulators between the turnouts on each loop and at the center of the curves on the loop.  That would give you three blocks on each loop, so that you could throw the electrical switches, so the train can remain controlled by the same power pack as it changes loops, while the other train awaits its turn to crossover to the other loop. 

If you only have one double crossover, your trains will have to either run in the same direction or will  have to back across the crossover to prevent head-ons.  If you have two double crossovers you can easily have two trains running in opposite direction.

I do suggest you get a Alas track book, it gives you good illustrations  of many track laying possibilities.

Good luck,

Richard

[Fisch]

And (hopefully) here is a picture:

2289047.aspx

[Fisch]

Wow.  So many replies! 

Yesterday's post turned into a comedy of errors.  I got distracted by the whole photo thing, and forgot to add some information I had intended to provide.  Then it was my first post, and had to go to a moderator, so I couldn't edit it, and, well, you get the picture...

OK.  More details:

I am running primarily Peco Code 80 N-scale nickle-silver track.  My crossing is comprised of the following Peco track:

2 x Peco SL-E396 Electrofrog Medium Radius Left Hand

2 x Peco SL-E395 Electrofrog Medium Radius Right Hand

1 x Peco Setrack ST-7 25 degree Short Crossing

2 x Peco flex track, cut to size for the straight pieces

Right now, as mentioned, I have an outer loop and an inner spur.  I would like to end up with an outer loop and an inner loop, with the ability to cross over from one loop to the other, regardless of train direction.  I want to be able to simultaneously run a train on the inner loop, and a train on the outer loop.

When I was a boy (back in the 1980's), I had an N-scale train set with a similar layout, so I know this can be done - I just don't know how!

I have one DC power supply.  It is an MRC Tech II LocoMotion 2500.

The buzzing noise seems to be coming from the switch closest to the power supply.  The power supply is connected to the outer loop rail.

I'll see what I can do to get pictures up.

[Phoebe Vet]

Try this thread for picture posting instructions:

http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/181001.aspx?sort=ASC&pi314=1 

[zstripe]

Fisch

I either have a working track, or I get a buzzing noise from my DC controller.

Fisch,

What kind of DC controller? Is the buzzing noise,from it,or the switch machine? In any event,either you created a short,or it's wired wrong...Like has already been mentioned,,,,we need more info..

Cheers,

Frank

[MisterBeasley]

What kind of turnouts do you have, and how are you operating them?  That is, are they Atlas, Walthers, Peco, or whatever, and are you powering them with ground throws, twin-coil machines or Tortoises?

I'm guessing that you are using some model of power-routing turnouts.  What you probably need is insulators on rails diverging from the frogs, and power feeders to the tracks beyond.

[Fisch]

I have a cross-over switch set up.  I have tried a dozen ways to get a picture uploaded, but I guess that's just not likely to happen.  If it shows up in the layouts gallery, I will provide a link to it.

I have an oval loop, with a cross-over to a spur, sort of like this:

==\==/== Spur
       X
==/==\== Loop

I can't get both tracks to be electrified at all times, which is what I want.  I can get the spur to be electrified only if all the switches are set to a certain position (all switches "open"). 

I tried running a connecting wire from rail to rail, but all that did was change the needed switch configuration to get the tracks to work.

I either have a working track, or I get a buzzing noise from my DC controller.

Any ideas on what I need to do to get the wiring on this to work correctly?  Again, the goal is to have both sets of track electrified at all times.