pass through door

Have you considered using insulated track sections? If you have tubular track you can pull the metal pin out and insert a plastic or fiber pin in the center rail or both outside rails, and then use a toggle switch for power control.

With Fastrack or similar track pull the pins out where needed to stop electrical power from going through.

Lee Fritz

Put a switch on the door, so that when the door is open, the track power is interrupted.

scouter lynn posted:

what is a good way to stop the track power when my pass through door is open. I'm scared that by accident a engine would drive into the open area and fall to the floor.

See Access Bridges used as Switches that shows how to make any bridge a "murphy" proof switch.  These switch contacts are the only way I've found that always work.  The insulated switched rails can't work unless the bridge is in the correct position.

Swing Bridge as a Switch

Drop Bridge used as Switch

Thanks everyone, I'm going try using a switch I found, its a spring loaded , my door is hinged, down and  drops down with the suggestions I think I might be able to come up with a solution.  Thanks

You need two switches one for each side or at least both sides connected to the switch. Isolate the center rail as far back as your longest lighted passenger car train. Then run the center rail hot through the switch and to the center rails near the opening.

The reason that you go back that far is that the center rollers(collectors,pick-ups) can pass the power through as long as one is still on a powered section of track and straddling the supposedly dead track.

I have a relay that I use to power down my bridge/dropdown and the section of track on either side if I drop the bridge or dropdown.  here is the schematic:

Here's our club lift bridge closed and open.

Here's the wiring we used for our club lift bridge.

Have it kill  all power to the whole track, not just leads to the bridge. I watched one of Gramps SF red Warbonnet ABB s get pushed off the cliff by the trailing BA portion when someone swtched tracks incorectly with the bridge up. It survived with a few scratches, but was C-8 or 9 before that. All powered, the only dummy was at the trottle

Our bridge circuit powers down the adjacent 4 foot or 8 foot module on each side.  You can also wire it to power down two 4 foot modules, so if you feel it necessary, you could always have 8 foot of dead track. 

Some lighted passenger cars will keep you rolling. I think it depends on how big the layout is, and what you run. Mine would kill the whole track. Safer for rear ends too. If your running blocks and ,2or more.

Better yet why not? Even with blocks, why not kill the line?

 If you give me 30' on the dive side Ill give you 8 on the head-on slam.

Couplers come lose about that length; i dont see myself exceeding that.

I have a lift bridge which, when raised, closes a microswitch that throws turnouts to reroute trains.