Best electrical protection for trains, z4000, conventional, blocks

Matt, your schematic showing a toggle switch confuses me.  What are you expecting that toggle to do?  Don't mind me I'm a bit slow to see it sometimes

The Z400 has good breakers, but I think you'd be better served using a PSX-AC breaker with the buzzer option. It's fast acting and self-resetting. There was a thread on the forum here.

No problem. These are Single Pole Double Throw (SPDT) switches. The toggle switch allows a section of track to be controlled by the left, right, or have no power going to it at a given time. In my layout, I have two loops, so often a command engine is in loop one, toggled to be controlled by the left handle set at 18V. The other loop may have a conventional engine, toggled to be controlled by the right handle (variable voltage). The yard would be toggled to "off", so no power going to it. Then, to move trains around, I would selectively switch blocks from one handle to the other.

@AGHRMatt posted:

The Z400 has good breakers, but I think you'd be better served using a PSX-AC breaker with the buzzer option. It's fast acting and self-resetting. There was a thread on the forum here.

That's the post I was reading; however, gunrunnerjohn pointed out that it wouldn't work for conventional as it doesn't pass the low voltages.

Any similar solutions for running in conventional?

Matt,

I have a temporary loop of track. One handle on my Z4000 is the only power supply for that loop. I run a conventional locomotive by varying the voltage with the handle; when I am finished with that locomotive, I put it in a siding and then with a toggle switch turn off that siding, Using the same handle I turn it up to 18 volt and turn on a toggle going to a siding with command locos, both TMCC and DCS. Call up a particular command engine on either TMCC or DCS remote and off I go.

I don't have a second loop but if I did i would control it the same way.

I do use a PSX-AC whenever I'm controlling command engines and bypass the PSX-AC with a double pole-single throw (DPST) toggle for conventional running locomotives. I believe the Z4000 offers enough protection for conventional locomotives. However, for a little money I may include an Airpax breaker when the DPST is in conventional and bypassing the PSX-AC giving the conventional locos a little more protection