I needed to extend my mainline across the room entrance, but was scared of running trains off the layout. Here's how I stopped that from happening!
https://kootenaymodelrailway.wordpress.com/2015/10/03/building-an-electrically-isolated-swing-gate/
Go here for my rail shots! http://www.railpictures.net/showphotos.php?userid=9296
Building the CPR Kootenay division in N scale, blog here: http://kootenaymodelrailway.wordpress.com/
trainboyH16-44:
Nice solution to the problem!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Nice work.
If you can isolate more than 500mm of groundside rail, I'd recommend you do so. John Armstrong isn't the only person who ever BACKED a train onto a bridge that wasn't there.
When I was planning my entry bascule bridge I made the dead sections 3 meters long - longer than the longest train I could run. Then the need for the movable track sort of went away. For my cassette dock (the remaining abutment) I just use a microswitch to connect the two rails together if the cassette isn't holding it open. Since it's the last branch on a tree of trackwork, setting the points to enter it it shuts down all track power to the Down local freight staging yard - and lights the overload lamp - unless the cassette is in place and ready to do business.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - cassettes, no gates)