Dividing track power to control speed

It will work as long as you always run the same direction. Yes, they do need to be phased.

Brent-

It will work but if you are running in a command environment and your locomotives have speed control, you will not need to create blocks.

-John

Roller jumping is an issue when the train crosses power zones. You can use 1 transformer and some voltage dropping diodes.

LINK

Dale H

The locomotives with speed control will probably not change speed much unless you really drop the voltage.

Thanks for the comments.

Apologize for not stating all the facts, the train for this loop is conventional.

Upgrading this engine by adding "Cruise Control" was considered.

A Legacy engine would not run on the loop and there is/was a "Ground Plane", (ground plane did work on 3 of the loops). It could be that the FastTrack on Lionel Trestles gave a little when the engine would roll on the loop do not know.

 Thought this was a good way for today maybe an upgrade later on.

Brent

Assuming 1 train on a loop. Easiest way is to just use a relay and an insulated rail method which detects train position. Run the common contact to the transformer. The NO to the low voltage tap,the NC to the higher voltage tap. That way the 2 taps can never be connected. As mentioned you can also use the diode voltage dropper instead of 2 taps.

Dale H

If it's just one train you could also alter the voltage to the entire loop rather than breaking it into blocks.  In this case you detect when the engine is entering the areas of interest and alter the loop's track voltage.  Location detection can be with, say, magnet and reed switches.  This mimics what you are doing today with your eyeball being the detector and your brain being the thinking machine that knows to increase voltage (to the entire loop) when approaching a grade.  A series of relays can perform the switching and even sequence up/down the voltage for smoother transitions; 10 Amp relay modules are about $1 each on eBay.

The Legacy engine in conventional mode with Odyssey on shouldn't have a problem with the ~5% slope(s).

Check the 5" and 10" pieces for a good connection. here's the Lionel video

In the PW Days this was a legitimate method of controlling speed on layouts with rises and falls.  Yes you need to phase the transformers.   G

Thanks folks.

I decided to use 2 transformers at this time, the engine runs great, speeds up at the correct time, slows at the crest, speeds up on the down stretch and slows on the level stretch before speeding up to go up the incline.

Moonman, did not think about running the Legacy in conventional mode, will probably do that later on, thanks for reminding me that this could be done. 

Brent