How can I "Isolate" DCS Signal though ROSS Ready #175 Double Crossover???

I'm visualizing this as two independent loops with the double crossover as the way to get from loop to loop. The #175 should be factory built with insulated thru tracks.

Have you powered the diamond from just one of the track feeds?

Did you power up the crossing diamond rails?

No I have not done anything but connect the crossover to the two loops.Both tracks have seperate channels on the TIU,seperate powermasters,and each loop has it's own lockon for power.NO POWER IS RUNNING DIRECTLY TO X OVER.

If you power up the inner loop, both it and the outer loop have power? (Or the opposite)

Both loops only have 1 lock-on each?

What type of transformer? That transformer goes into the PowerMaster and then out from the PowerMaster and into the TIU then out of the TIU to the tracks?

first off the ross double cross over is already electrically isolated from outer to inner tracks as the inner ground rails are broken up and so are the middle rail power rails .

now as to the diamond itself you will have to get power to both sides of it BUT it has to be powered only a set of rails at a time otherwise if both are powered once engines wheels hit the diamond you will have a direct short as the 4 rails are hot rails only so pickup rollers get powered but not the wheels.

you have something going on here as I have 1 TIU and all outputs set as fixed so fixed 1 powers the outer loop and fixed 2 powers the inner loop and all my engines go from the outer loop to the inner loop using the diamond crossover okay.

so I ask do you have variable 1 set as fixed or as a variable only? do you have the dcs turned on to fixed for variable 1 ?

do you have more than 1 power feed to both inner and outer rails without any isolated blocks as if you have more than a power feed to each loop of track and no blocks it will degrade the DCS signal.

also do you a 18 volt bulb on the output side of TIU variable 1 and the fixed 1 outputs this helps the DCS signal with the older TIU's I still use them on the latest TIU version L as it helped keep signal to 10's.

Each Track has it's own Lionel 135 Brick going to a power master .

So they both have separate power sources.

They both have separate power masters.

Track one is going into TIU fixed 1,

Track 2 is going to TIU fixed 2.

There is no independent power going to the double crossover.  I believe the only power going through the crossover is where the track 1 meets it,and where track 2 meets it.  

"Engine not on track" on track 2 is being displayed in remote.Track 1 running like a dream.

You could have low dcs signal on track 2.  However I'm not really sure how the crossover is wired  when it comes to the center rail. Are both loops actually insulated from each other?

Place a lighted car on track 2 and remove the power supply to track 2.

Does the car light up?? is track 1 also supplying power to track 2 via the crossover.

One other thing... The tiu needs a power supply to fixed 1 or an aux power supply to function. (turn on. light up)

Gregg posted:

 I'm not really sure how the crossover is wired  when it comes to the center rail.

 

Are both loops actually insulated from each other?

 

Gregg,  

unless it's Ross ready it's not pre wired.

that aside coming from outer loop to inner loop you wire the rail prior to crossing the diamond and then the other rail after the diamond with a hot wire so pickup rollers get power the outer rails that engines wheels travel on are wired to common.

The Ross double crossover has both loops insulated from each other the picture below will help you see what I mean. this is the pre wired diagram. but basically rails marked 1-1 gets its own power wire

and 2-2 gets its own power wire usually controlled by a relay and switch output contacts so if a train coming across 1-1 those rails are hot the and 1-1 are dead and vice versa.

as you can see from photo unless we ourselves good wiring it up the switch itself keeps the loops isolated.

hope that helps clear up how it gets wired.

The problem I have  is this...They are both running into my Ross Ready #175 Double Crossover. What does Ross ready mean?   I've hook up a few double X before  but had to add jumpers relay etc.

 IF Ross ready are rails A & A  connected to each other internally?  or B & B    or A&B?

I am going to have to take that crossover up,and take a picture of how it is wired underneath.I bought it second hand,EVERY PIECE of my O gauge stuff is second or third hand.  

When I first got the two loops on the layout,about a year ago.I had one Railing Steamer.

I had a Lionel RW going to the TIU,on fixed 1 channel.

I ran the output of FIXED channel 1 to a single lockon on track 1.  

I could run that engine on both loops,without supplying any power to loop #2. I could switch loops at will,and track #2 must have had power,because the train ran strong on both loops,from only a lockon going to track #1.    

As I got more familiar with DCS,I got more engines,but could never get two of them to run at the same time.Track 1 seems to be where the dominant power and DCS packets are going.  

I just wanna run my trains,and I love the crossover,it is a work of ART,and a focal point on the layout.

 I really don't want to take it out of the mix,there has to be a way to fix the wiring job the last owner of the crossover did,I got it off a flabby. I will take it up and post photos of the wiring in the back,and maybe someone can help me get it straightened back out. Thanks for all the help so far.-kennyb

Don't cut any rails on the #175!!! Don't mess with it all, just yet.

Why are the powermasters in the mix? Why the second brick?

Try changing your transformer configuration to one 135 Brick to lock-on to Fixed 1 IN. (I assume, the railroad building looking lock-on)

Now connect all of your track feeds to Fixed 1 OUT.

That should provide 18 volts AC max to the all of the track at 7amps.

If you need more power due to multiple engines and lighted cars, then you need a 180 brick.

Also, get a digital multi-meter if you don't have one. Harbor freight has them cheap. You can't play with electric trains without one. It helps a lot when troubleshooting. AC volts  ~ setting with power on, OHMS Ω with power off.