Insulator advice, techniques products Gargraves/Ross Switches

First suggestions:

• Publish your track plan.
• Identify the types of switches in your plan.
• Direction of travel?

That information (and anything else you can supply) will give people something to work with.

George

Command Control, or conventional control, or both?

Mike

Conventional control.

This was moved to the correct category.

@BillyHammomd posted:

Conventional control.

Billy,

I'm assuming that your upper and lower loops are connected by a crossover, which could be a long one, made up of several lengths of track, if it is your graded trestle that connects the two loops together.  Generally insulating pin placement for crossovers can be seen by following this link:

     Placement of Insulating Pins in Crossovers (3/4/23) | Mellow Hudson Mike

Although my post covers very short crossovers, with no extra lengths of track between the switches, longer crossovers would work in the same way.  Just think of your trestle as being inserted between the two curved sections of the switches.  Then, move the insulated pin I've shown to the center rail of one of the sections of track midway along the trestle.

If it's not clear then we can work from a track plan of your layout to highlight the difference, and how it would work.

Mike

Thanks Mike, I'am scripted to deign/dream about the most complicated layout imaginable,anyways

My upper level is switched between 2 tracks and travels around the outside mostly. I have a turnaround in the inner section so that I can get the trains back from inner loop,back to outer loop,then back down the trestle ( 2.5-3.0 % grade) returning to main level, back into the the yard. I will send an attachment

Would like ur advice/opinion.  The lower track is of course is more complicated,however almost identical to upper track with a turnaround on inner loop,switches to the outer track and switch to the trestle around front of table,up the outside and switched into the outer loop, to level. The main track level has a small 4 track yard with manual switches,all o gauge. Enough confusion, I will Forward the upper and lower track layout. All of the loops will be Gargraves track,Ross Switches,the trestle and yard will be o gauge!  Need to clean up upper &  lower track diagrams. Thanks Bill

Mike, track plan,switches and direction along with details. Any advice,experience would be appreciated! Thanks

Billy, thank you for the drawings and written notes.  It looks like you have a lot of action packed in the plan!  👍🏻  I see a turnback loop on each level with an incline between the levels to the right.  I’m looking on my small phone screen, so I will look it over on the computer later today after I attempt to corral some more fallen leaves.  😄

Billy, I'm sorry to have taken so long to write back.  Your track plans and written description of how you plan to sequence starting out trains to get 4 running at once looks well thought out. Your quote from Robert Burns certainly fits layout design, construction, and operation! 

I see you are planning to use GarGraves flex track and Ross #4 Custom Switches.  The #4 switches look like they would work for the yard and the turnback loops, switches numbered 1, 2, 3, 11, 12.  I think those need switches with much sharper diverging tracks.  I see the overall dimensions of the layout space, but don't know how sharp the curves will have to be.  What engines and rolling stock will you be running; post-war, modern, length of passenger cars and engines?

I think you intend to operate conventionally, that is with the 4 speed adjustment handles on the ZW or with command control – DCS or TMCC/Legacy. If you are planning to operate conventionally, it seems to me that you may have a hard time keeping up with switching power for each train between isolated track segments.  Also, it looks like you are asking for product advice.  Do you mean wire sizing, toggle switches for selecting power to track, etc?

Please clarify so I or other forum members can help out.