Atlas O block signals

Plastic rail joiners should work fine.

The signals come wired with a few feet of wire which terminates with a standard telephone jack plug. This plug gets connected to a circuit board which comes with the signal. These signals are designed to communicate which each other so it is normally recommended to mount all of the circuit boards in a central location. If you do this, then you will need to run "extension" wire from the signal to the boards.

You will also need to run two power wires to each circuit board, one hot and one ground. Next, you will need to run a detection wire from the insulated rail of each block to the detection input on each circuit board. Finally, jumpers are run between the circuit boards to make them communicate with each other.

I know this may sound complicated but it is really not.

I highly recommend you take a look at this YouTube video. This one and part two will show you how simple it really is as John says.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...sgECxCQ&index=63

Thanks NYCFan, I saw part 2 of the video and was wondering when he connected the wires to the accessory unit when he put in the first block signal. The red and black wires, I'm a newbie at this and just needed some tips 

Try this

http://www.customsignals.com/system-design.php

I have 31 Atlas and Custom Signals searchlights and US&S dwarfs on my layout.  All the insulated joints were done with Atlas insulated rail joiners.

Assuming you are using a track system where the outer two rails are not electrically linked (Atlas, Gargraves, Ross, Lionel FasTrack, MTH ScaleTrax), all you would have to do is put one insulating connector/pin on the same rail at the beginning and end of your block. In between the two insulators you can then connect the wire that would activate the signal (or other accessory).

If you use Lionel's original tubular track (O or O-27), or any track where the outer rails are connected by metal ties, you will have to insulate the rail in addition to inserting the clips. To do this, bend back each of the stamped metal fingers that holds the rail to the tie, remove the rail, attach pieces of electrical tape under the rail (where the rail would normally touch the tie plate), then reinstall the rail and punch down the fingers so that they grip the rail securely. You would have to do this for every section of track you wish to insulate.

Happy New Year!

-John