Track work for MTH DCS HO

Hi John,

John in Georgetown posted:

Because I used to be a 3 rail O gauge person, I am still trying to adjust my brain to think 2 rail DC.  As I am laying track work, should I install rail insulators controlled by toggle switches for sidings?

     

Yes.  Anyplace you might might have wanted to turn off track power in 3-rail you'll probably want toggled in HO as well.  All the same advantages of saving light bulbs, reducing power consumption, and avoiding run-aways apply across all scales, 2-rail or 3-rail.

John in Georgetown posted:

My next question, which rail should I install the insulators on?

     

The best practice in 2-rail, regardless of scale, is to insulate BOTH rails.  Even if you're toggling a siding that will never need to reverse polarity, it's still a good idea to kill power on both rails.  This way it's much less likely that power will ever get jumpered accidentally by a stray piece of metal.  You'll need to use DPST toggle switches, but the cost difference with SPST switches is negligible.