FRUSTRATED: 3-Rail Conventional

Only the red [power] wires should be toggled.

If you only want to control power on/off to the spur track, only one toggle is required.

From transformer power to toggle switch then from the toggle to be connected  center rail of the spur track.

The outside rail(s) should be on a common ground loop  connected back to the transformer common.

There is no reason to toggle any of the nuetral wires form the outsode rails goining back to the transormer common post.

The terminology makes it a bit hard  to follow.

The first thing that jumps out at me is that you indicate you are switching the grounds via the Atlas Connector (which I'm thinking is  a simple single pole single throw switch).   As Charlie suggests, normally one would switch the hot lead (center rail) to apply or remove power to a spur.

The second thing is that your item #3 says you are connecting a ground from the Atlas Connector but you indicate it is going to the center rail (hot).

You also need to clarify how the #1 connection is done (how transformer red to "main line" is connected with respect to outer or inner rail)

With a little more clear info, this should be readily solvable.

{edit} After I just reviewed the picture of an Atlas Connector, I now am remembering that the switch has 2 connections for each switch.  I suspect when you close the second switch it is shorting the common to the hot.  I forget whether the connectivity is the top row (side connections) to the left terminal (top connections) or if it's maybe reverse of that.  In any event, you need to make sure your wiring is consistent, otherwise the switch will create the short.

-Dave

Ah ha!

I thought the center rail was the ground and the outside rails the power.

Sounds like I got it backwards.

So the center rail is actually the power...duh I am so dumb.

Thank you so much for your help!

Conventional operation in O gauge uses AC power, so the DC wiring conventions that are familiar to many folks don't always follow through.

The center rail is considered "hot" and normally connects to a transformer output post, usually A, B, C, or D. On-off switching is done on the hot side of wiring. The outside rail(s) are considered "return," and go back to the "U" posts. They are wired similar to the "neutral" wiring in AC household current -- all return wires are ultimately joined together and are not switched. Even if your transformer has multiple "U" posts, they should be all wired together inside the transformer.

If you're familiar with house wiring, think of the center rail wire as the black wire in a house electrical system, and the outside rail wires as the white wire in a house circuit.

I am surprised nothing fried!