11 degree ross crossover and DCS channels

Hi msp,

It's pretty easy to isolate the four legs of the crossing.  Just remover the jumper wires as needed.  If I read your post correctly it sounds like what is giving you trouble is how to switch power at the center diamond w/o tying things together.  In short, what you need is a relay.  The "COMMON" terminal of the relay gets wired to the diamond.  The other contacts, NO and NC, get wires to the separate channels.  The main question is then how to control the relay.  If one route through the crossing can only be accessed from a switch, you could use switch position to control power to the diamond.  Otherwise, you could use insulated track section on either side of the crossing.  That would trigger the relay whenever a train approaches.

Hope that helps.

See Crossover Relay for a solution to that situation.

I separted the routes easily enough with a crossover that was not wired.  Interestingly enough my engine ran right through the diamond with no issue....

Not sure I follow the web site on the crossover relay.  I will need more step by step guidance on it.  But I think I understand what needs to be done.  Will explore the web site a little more when I have time to get back to it.

thanks for the input.

Michael

Michael, when running DCS with both TIU Outputs for the track at the same voltage you won't need the relay.

Can't one just use a DZ relay from Ross to switch the power to the diamond depending upon which way the crossover is aligned?

Thanks

Kerrigan, you are so right.  That DPDT relay could be replaced with the DZ-1008 Relay Module and used as I used it in this application "Engine Safety Relays".  Then I could have used the crossover DPDT where I put the 2 DZ SPDT relays and had a DZ relay left over.

Good to know, Susan.  That's what I'm planning to use on mine when I get the energy up to tackle it.  For now most locomotives "blink" when crossing it as long as they are not going too slowly.  The locomotives with too short a distance between rollers stall of course.  Will I need to use a second DZ-1008 to switch the ground rails back and forth as well?  Right now I've the diamond wired hot to the #1 Mainline which works as long as both mainlines are set to DCS with an 18v current.

Thanks for the input!

How does one set it up that way without having it short out?

Can it be done without using a second relay to switch the short rail segments back and forth between hot and ground depending on which way the turnouts are aligned?

The ground rails are not switched.  They should be common to each other.

Susan, if I followed the RCS diagram for using the relay on the double-crossover will it work as advertised or is there some "tweek" I'll need to do for it to function correctly switching the current and/or ground?

Thanks!

I was thinking the roller would then short on the two little bridge rails if they don't switch?  Am I not understanding how they work? I thought they were supposed to alternate between hot and ground depending on which cross-over direction was set?

Swapping the hot and ground between the center and outside rails will drive DCS and TMCC nuts, so I can't imagine that would be the case.

Just to be sure we're all on the same page  Toy Train Layout Wiring - Crossover Relay

The red #8 connection refers to the common trip rails that trip the relay.

On my crossover in this application the short silver rails by center rail #5 are not connected to the common outside rails so the pickup rollers will not short rolling over them.

Then I'm at a loss as to why locomotives stall on the Ross double-crossover ... I must have something "disconnected" that needs to be either hot or common so the locomotives quit stalling, even the ABA with enough rollers balk going over it at lower speed.  And all the lighted passenger car lights "blink" so something isn't right on mine.  Any ideas?

Does the Ross diagram/instructions for the double-crossover, the big one, work for resolving the problem, using one of the relays they sell, I think the DZ-1008?