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I am ready to start laying down track. I will give as much info as possible for an easy cure to my issue. I know you guys can do it.
Below are the last pics I took today after finishing the Homosote Boards and my Pop Out drop In box. We are going to put our farm in that area.

OK..I am using Fastrack. I am going to have 2 separate tracks controlled by two separate controllers. I am using 2 Z1000 transformers and controllers. ALL my current locomotives are Proto-Sound 1.

I would like to have both tracks join together with switch tracks, but I still want to be able to use both trains at the same time, possibly going in different directions. I will also have 2 or 3 sides in this layout. It was suggested to me that I should have the sides continue into either track One or Two instead of ending at Bumpers. I can go either way on this topic.

My concern is how do I wire the tracks so the two different trains running will not effect each other. And finally how do I park the used trains in the sides and then tell the other two trains it's OK to get on track one and track two. This complete setup will be ALL conventional.

Maybe down the road I will move up to Proto-Sound 3 and possibly move to Remote Control, but just not today.
Thanks in advance for your help.

Easy as pie..Right !!

I await your help.

 

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Original Post

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When you have the transformers properly phased, you only need to isolate the center rail from one loop to the other, and on each of your sidings. On old tubular track, you would use a plastic pin in place of the metal pin. With Fastrack, you can get special isolating sections, but I think there are other methods you can use as well.

 

Think of the center rail as the "hot" rail. Wherever the hot rail gets power, the train will move.

 

The outer rails are your "neutrals" and they can all be connected together to make things simpler.

 

You can control when a section of track gets power by isolating the center rail of that track where the section begins and ends. Then you pick a transformer and run a power wire to the center rail of that section.

 

Each of your main tracks will be a separate section. Each siding will be a separate section. It might help to use colored tape to mark each section on your layout as you are wiring.

 

When I wired up my layout, I connected each main loop to its own transformer. Then I built a bank of toggle switches, and connected the center rail of each siding to its own toggle switch. I connected the bank of toggle switches to one of the transformers.

 

If I want to pull a train on to a siding. I turn on the toggle switch to that siding. Then I run the train on to that siding. Then I turn off the toggle switch to that siding.

 

If I want to pull a train out on to the main track, I turn on the toggle switch to the siding where that train is parked. Then I run the train out on to the main track. Then I turn the toggle switch to that siding off.

 

You can only park one conventional locomotive on each isolated siding. You need to have one parking siding for each locomotive on the tracks if you want to operate without having to manually intervene (aka "the hand of God").

Last edited by Matt Kirsch

If you go with common sidings (that connect to both loops) consider 3-position "Center-off " or "on-off-on" toggle switches to route power to the "hot" rail.  So with the switch in the center "off" position, the siding gets no power and you can park out-of-service engines. Flip the switch one way and the siding gets power from one loop.  Flip the switch the other way and it gets power from the other loop. 

 

You could even wire up some strategically placed lights near the joints to the main loops so that one bulb/LED (or color) turns on when the siding is powered from loop #1, a different bulb/LED (or color) when powered by loop #2, and both off when in the center-off position.

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