This subject has so many aspects. You see it on Youtube in various guises. It's here on OGR Forum but the thread wanders off into detail-land. Can someone nail this down for me before I just start hacking away with my dremel tool?
I am using Gargraves track and Ross switches. I want 12 electrical blocks on this 17x17 foot layout to make electrical troubleshooting easier--I want to be able to find shorts quickly. I am running DCS only (no Legacy or conventional) with TMCC run through DCS.
From Barry's book, I get "go 5 or 6 track sections on either side of center" average 27.5 feet but keep the total under 100 feet (3rd ed. pp 62-63). Gargraves switches have unpowered frogs so the switch is a good place to get a "free" block ending. I am not sure about Ross switches.
But there will be plenty of times where a switch will be part of a block and not the end of one. Can anyone suggest a guideline for how many switches can be included? Or in general how to "design" electrical blocks? I am struggling to ask the question correctly. But I hope you get my gist.
Another example: Suppose I have 3-4 parallel tracks coming around a wide curve with a crossover between 2 of them. Should the block group these tracks together over a certain run length?--so all four tracks are in the same block? Or is it better to have each track be part of a separate block over a longer length and just include the crossover switches in the appropriate block?
I don't think this is rocket science. There probably is no "right" way. I just don't want to end up removing and redoing my connections. I want the best chance I can get to get it right the first time. Any help is MUCH appreciated.
Don
