Super o lionel blocks

Railcars; There is not a wiring diagram per se for doing this with Super"O" track. You just use the insulated buss-bar joiners available to isolate a section of the center power-feed rail. Use the appropriate center rail lock-on or just solder a feeder wire to the side of the copper buss-bar and wire to your block-feed switch.

 Telling us exactly what you'd like to do may be a better approach, since blocks are customizable, and different for so many functions.

 Use SCARM free track design software yet? No block wire info, or Super O track yet(I use Atlas 36", its close) but a nice way to convey visual ideas about any track you're working on.

  I think ways to make shorter insulated sections has been discussed by ADCXRob at one point in the last year. Id try using search for something like "custom Super O" & ADCXRob together till he sees this S.O. thread.

To create an isolated outside rail as a trigger, bus bar connections under the ties, must be severed, as well as adding insulating pins, unless track is "screwed down" negating the need for pins.

Lionel also made insulated Super "O" straight tracks.

One section was provided in every set.

The wiring is no different than any other three rail track system, only the method of insulating the outside "trigger" rails if you are using relays to control train movements.

 

The advantage to using Super O is that you can fine-tune your start-stop blocks by moving around the power bus bars without ripping up track and pulling/resetting pins as required with O/O-27.

What I am trying to do is I have a single loop w a passing siding.  I would like to have two trains operating and alternate running.  Once train a enters the siding train b starts and goes around loop and enters siding triggering train a to start.   I will try and upload pictures.  Was thinking about using the isolation sections of track or some 153c.  Thanks for everyone that responded

In general, running two trains on one loop of Super O track is done exactly the same way as you would do it with tubular O track and it’s easier.  It’s easier (1) because Super O sections with insulated outside control rails were produced and are available so you don’t have to make your own; and (2) when creating the isolated center rail blocks it’s easier to leave off the center rail connectors on Super O track than it is to remove the center rail pins on tubular track and replace them with “fibre” pins, as Lionel called them.

 

To avoid any confusion which is often the case, the term “insulated” can refer to both the special insulated outside running rails which are used to detect trains to control the power to insulated blocks of track in which the center rails are electrically isolated (the term I prefer) from the remainder of the layout’s center rail power feeds.  

 

However with either type of track you will need to use one or more relays, unless you are willing to live with all of the problems associated with using pressure-sensitive #153C contactors which Lionel said were not feasible on permanent layouts and IMO not feasible on temporary layouts either.    

 

You need to use a relay because when the wheels of an engine or car contact an insulated outside rail they can only complete, or close, an electrical circuit, not open a circuit.  For example they can trigger a gateman, crossing gate or semaphore signal to operate and they can turn on a red light on a #153 Block Signal but they can’t turn OFF the green light on that same block signal.

 

Lionel started publishing wiring diagrams for running multiple trains on one track both with using 153C contactors and with using relays in their operating manuals in the early 1950’s.  If you need one, I already have scans which I can provide.

 

HTH,

 

Bill 

OK, that's a different appliaction which has also been covered in the operating manuals.  But I'm off to dinner right now.

 

Bill

Actually, they can, for low current applications like bulbs... but that is another subject matter for a different post.

Thanks I don't have any copies of manuals that show the use of relays.   If there is a specific one that is good let me know I can watch for it on eBay

Actually your application as you now describe it can be done without relays so let me look through my manuals to find the diagram.  But it does require the #112 remote-controlled super O switches and not the manual ones in addition to a few #48 or 49 insulated track sections.

 

I’ll get back to you.

 

Bill

Railcars:

 

OK, attached is a scan of pages 44 and 45 from the 1951 Lionel operating instruction manual.  They changed the format of the book in 1952 and left out that section from then on.  Because this manual predated the introduction of Super O track by 6 years the track and switches shown are tubular O gauge.  But again the same wiring concepts apply to Super O it’s just that the components are somewhat different and in my opinion it’s easier. 

 

Page 45 shows and describes two layouts similar to what I believe you want to do.  However they both require two pair of remote-controlled switches and may possibly be more involved than what you are planning.  The one at the top has two trains running in opposite directions on a single track mainline with one passing side and turn-around loops at each end.  The one at the bottom has two trains running in opposite directions on a single-track mainline with two passing sidings.   

 

Let me know if that’s what you want to do or if you want to downsize to just one pair of switches.  I know that my Super O buddy Mike Spanier would be glad to sell you all of the special components you need as well as another pair of switches! 

 

It seems to me that the bottom layout could be modified to have just one passing siding like you described and the wiring would be much simpler as well.

 

Bill

Hi Rob:

 

I just sent you an email on this subject.

 

Bill

What does the cover of this manual look like. I have seen lots on eBay but some I believe are just few pages long.    Thanks for the diagram it's what I was looking for

Railcars:

 

You are welcome and attached is a scan of the cover of that manual.  It shows up on eBay often and is 64 pages long.

 

Bill 

This thread brought forth some questions from a 19yr roommate. This simple single siding pike, will stop each of the two trains on its own siding each time. It was the end result after 4, "logic" revisions by him(ok I helped, it was fun), trying to stay simple, and accomplish this sans-relays. SCARM&MS paint. This is as good as we got it without relays.

 The outside rail#5 could, maybe should, be shortened and/or swapped to the inside rail for better running. Only chose outside for composing convenience. Locos motor must be isolated from the loads ability to provide outside rail power through the couplers. Non-conducting lead cars (isolated/plastic couplers, non conducting 2-rail axles, and/or plastic wheels), will make initial adjustments easier. Control switches can be used or dumped. One switch is to allow automatic, or conventional operation. It could also be dumped.

Use of the 153c(s) in place of isolated rails could be worked in.

I'm sure a better one could be made with 153c's dual contacts (dual is the 153c right?). We'll see if he sticks around today(he needs the "logic path" practice)

  Any huge issues we didn't spot? Besides short trains 

 

load isolation must occur at pink line