Power my crossbuck lights using an insulated track section: But . . . what good are weak lights?

If you use LEDs, 5 volts will be plenty to light them up. Which coincidentally is probably the lowest voltage you’ll see on the rails, no matter how slow you go. You’ll need to choose the current limiting resistor appropriately of course.

Combine that with a voltage regulator and it should work just fine.

Insulated rail doesn't have to strictly use track power. If you have another power source running any accessories, use that.

This module will allow you to use external power for the signal as well as provide bounce-free activation.

Insulated Track Signal Driver, Rev. 2

People seldom use track power for track-activated accessories. The scheme that is recommended is to provide "common" via the insulated track section, and "power" via a fixed voltage supply (either AC or DC) either directly or through a circuit as recommended by G R John, above. to activate the accessory. This is a standard method, described many, many times in this Forum.

Thanks very much for all of this excellent advice.

Since my signal doesn't have separate circuits or posts for a green signal and a red signal, my current plan is just to have the two lights either "on" as lighted red bulbs, or "off", as dark bulbs.

As I understand it, I can connect a constant AC voltage current directly to one post, and then just connect the other post to the insulated rail, so that when the wheels of the train connect the opposite common rail to the insulated rail, the electricity will "flow" and the lights will come on?

(Somehow, my brain got switched, and I thought the outside rail was the hot rail, instead of the interior rail.    All of my visible wires are now painted gray, so can't see the "red" wire as it connects to the center rail.)

Thanks for clarification,

John thanks for suggesting that circuit control device, I am going to study it thoroughly for other uses.

Mannyrock

"As I understand it, I can connect a constant AC voltage current directly to one post, and then just connect the other post to the insulated rail, so that when the wheels of the train connect the opposite common rail to the insulated rail, the electricity will "flow" and the lights will come on?"

That is correct. The "hot" supply to the signal must have the same "return" as the track supply. What transformer do you intend to use?

Hi Art,

I have a Z-1000 transformer.   I would connect it to the constant voltage source by just hooking an extra wire onto the input screw of the fixed voltage plug,  that is in a turnout sitting right next to the spot for the crossbucks.   This would make things really easy.

Thanks,

Mannyrock

Many thanks to everyone for all of the foregoing advice.

I hooked up my Crossbucks to a short 2.5 inch section of insulated rail, as instructed, and the lights come on and off very brightly as the cars run over it.

And, better, yet, since I put one regular bulb in, and one LED bulb, the "turn on" time for the bulbs when the cars pass over is about 1/2 second different, so the two lights actually flash/flutter out of sync, creating a proper "flashing" effect.   No planned, just dumb luck.

Mannyrock

Manny- I've used @gunrunnerjohn 's relay that he mentioned above. Lights out (pun intended) the best way to control flashing signals off of an insulated rail.

Bob

Thanks, but it appears that the relay is for use with a three-pole signal light.  Since mine only has two poles to connect wires too, hot and neutral, I'm not sure it would work for that.

Mannyrock