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Personally, I think that you'll get tired of running locomotives around ovals, one or even four of them, pretty quickly, and decide to go for a different track arrangement. While you could divide the layout into multiple blocks, if you're going to be the sole operator, I don't see any need for that. My DC-powered layout, partially double-decked, fills the room, and while I have many tracks which can be killed or energised as needed, only one train can run at a time, because there's only one operator, even if that train is using three or four locomotives.
Wayne
There is alot more to my layout than simple ovals. That was just the simplist way to describe the general layout. As for the Block system I am going to have to have someone who is experienced with "Blocks" show me, because I have read more than a few sources on "Blocks" and frankly I don't get it! I am trying to get the most out of what I have for the least expenditure. With two power supplys and two track routes that are concentric and isolated from the other two track routes I can run two trains running in opposite directions. If I have four power supplys and each of the four track routes has it's own power supply, and all are isolated from each other at the turnouts, I could run four trains all running in the same direction or alternate the directions. Sounds like a great deal of action and possibilities. All will go fine as long as I keep the polarity the same/same between two track routes and virtually the same/same speed when I move a train from one line to the next. Not really that complicated.
You could save yourself a whole lot of time and trouble by going DCC. And it is not all that expensive. What more can I say?
Rich
Alton Junction
I've been away for work (still am) but the only way you get the 24 volts is if there is a common rail reference - if the top rail was connected with no insulating gap, then across the gap you would indeed get 24 volts if one pack was full throttle forward and the other full throttle reverse.
OR is yo used a dual pack that wa snot made for common rail wiring - back in teh day when they were transformers, rectifiers, and a rheostat, there were usually two kinds of multi-control power packs. One kind, the cheaper ones, had one trnasformer, one rectifier, and two rhostats (and direction switches of course). Those were no good for certain types of wiring because they already had common connections on the DC die through the single rectifier. The netter ones actually had 2 trnasformers adn 2 rectifiers int he case - truly liek 2 completely independent power packs.
Same thing could happen if you used something like the small handheld cab controls, but ran them all off a single DC power supply.
But - 2 packs, common rail - layouts were built for YEARS without frying locos crossing the gap - you'd never get far enough to have the leads truck in one block and the rear truck in another, you'd get a short as soon as the second wheel of the first truck crossed the gap and with any luck the circuit breaker in the power pack would trip before the truck sideframe melted - remember those old spring bent pieces of metal type breakers, when they tripped that piece of metal, that you had to push back on to the main bar, was HOT. VERY hot. ANyway, two independent power packs, common rail wiring - that's only every Atlas track plan book ever. It works.
Though what all this has to do about insulating a turnout....
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
rrinkerThough what all this has to do about insulating a turnout.... --Randy
You would have to dig deep into the posts......but it's in there!......LOL
Take Care!
Frank
Yea, it will short with reverse polarity depending on what you are running, but I don't see a kaboom. DC is more forgiving of these things than DCC.