Turning off power to a siding built with O27 track

Deuce- Install a fiber pin on the center rail and run power to the rail in the siding with a single pole switch to turn it on and off. I have my whole layout wired like this to park trains in various spots and move others around. You can do this on the main too by using a pin at each end of the section you want to isolate.

This is a shot of my control panel. The two sets of sidings in the middle can all be shut off or on as needed.

These two are typical of what I am talking about. I have each siding isolated and the # 7A switch. I park 3 trains here if I want to.

Correct and if you use a SPDT center off switch you could use one switch to turn on one or the other or neither, should be a convenient way to do it.

That's basically what I did. I isolated the center rail, but instead used the male portion of a flat plug in and inserted it in the bottom of the two rails. No soldering.

RSJB18 posted:

Sorry for being off topic...

RSJB18, how did you create that retaining wall?  I've been looking for a retaining wall print for cardstock, not sure if yours is printed cardstock or foam/other, but it has the look I like.  Thanks!  

JD2035RR posted:

RSJB18 posted:

Sorry for being off topic...

RSJB18, how did you create that retaining wall?  I've been looking for a retaining wall print for cardstock, not sure if yours is printed cardstock or foam/other, but it has the look I like.  Thanks!  

JD- Thank you! The walls are printed on plain paper that I glued to card stock. The corners are built out on folded pieces. The panel behind the Plymouth is held on with velcro tabs to give me access to wiring.  I don't recall the site I found them on but I think I have it bookmarked on my PC at home. I will look tonight and post it if I find it. 

Bob

RSJB18 posted:

Deuce- Install a fiber pin on the center rail and run power to the rail in the siding with a single pole switch to turn it on and off. I have my whole layout wired like this to park trains in various spots and move others around. You can do this on the main too by using a pin at each end of the section you want to isolate.

This is a shot of my control panel. The two sets of sidings in the middle can all be shut off or on as needed.

These two are typical of what I am talking about. I have each siding isolated and the # 7A switch. I park 3 trains here if I want to.

I love the looks of that! My control panel is tiny compared to yours, but then again I have a much smaller layout I imagine. Definitely gives me ideas though! Thanks!

My layout is only 4 X 8. I just crammed a lot in a small space.

Thanks.

Bob

RSJB18 posted:

My layout is only 4 X 8. I just crammed a lot in a small space.

Thanks.

Bob

 

Nice!  All O27?  That's the one downside to FasTrack ... it takes up a bit of space on my outer loop.

Here's a shot from the beginning of construction 2 years ago. Things have changed since. I need to take some current photos of the whole layout as it looks today. Again- small but keeps me entertained.

Bob

Deuce- yes all 027 which does limit what I can run. I would prefer 036 minimum but just don't have the space right now. Hopefully a larger layout is in my future after my kids are grown and out of the house.

Deuce posted:

If I was going to do that, I would want to turn the power on and off to the siding. Would you simply add a fiber pin between two pieces of track, and then solder a wire to one side of the track, add a SPST switch between the two pieces, and then solder the wire to the other track?

I think it would be better if your SPST switch is in line to the power source (see picture below) and not the rest of the track.  The below method would provide reliable voltage to the siding.

I think what you proposed would work, but there may be some (albeit small) voltage drop from the lockon on the mainline, through (multiple?) track connections, through the jumper wire, through the spst switch, and to the siding power tap.

Deuce,

   See Jim Barrett's Back Shop video on how to install a siding switch, he visually walks you thru the entire process, it comes as part of the OGR Video Guide to DCS, something I still recommend to everyone.

PCRR/Dave

JD2035RR posted:

Deuce posted:

If I was going to do that, I would want to turn the power on and off to the siding. Would you simply add a fiber pin between two pieces of track, and then solder a wire to one side of the track, add a SPST switch between the two pieces, and then solder the wire to the other track?

I think it would be better if your SPST switch is in line to the power source (see picture below) and not the rest of the track.  The below method would provide reliable voltage to the siding.

I think what you proposed would work, but there may be some (albeit small) voltage drop from the lockon on the mainline, through (multiple?) track connections, through the jumper wire, through the spst switch, and to the siding power tap.

Thank you. I think I got it. So if I had a lockon at the end of the siding (towards the bumper), if I had a bus underneath, I would run the feeder from the center rail connection of the siding lockon, through the SPST switch, and then to the bus wire?

Simply, you are isolating the siding center rail with the fiber pin.  A common bus wire is fine for power to both track blocks.  The SPST switch will turn power on or off to the siding center rail and block of track.  You don't need another lead to the common or ground rails, but it doesn't hurt of course.  Blocking the power to the center rail with the fiber pin will isolate the track block.  If I was to put a ground lead on a rail in the siding block, I would put it on the opposite rail of the one in the main track block.  You may as well, that way both outside rails are getting a feed from the common, which may come in handy sometimes for certain engines going through the switch.   

Deuce posted:

JD2035RR posted:

Deuce posted:

If I was going to do that, I would want to turn the power on and off to the siding. Would you simply add a fiber pin between two pieces of track, and then solder a wire to one side of the track, add a SPST switch between the two pieces, and then solder the wire to the other track?

I think it would be better if your SPST switch is in line to the power source (see picture below) and not the rest of the track.  The below method would provide reliable voltage to the siding.

I think what you proposed would work, but there may be some (albeit small) voltage drop from the lockon on the mainline, through (multiple?) track connections, through the jumper wire, through the spst switch, and to the siding power tap.

Thank you. I think I got it. So if I had a lockon at the end of the siding (towards the bumper), if I had a bus underneath, I would run the feeder from the center rail connection of the siding lockon, through the SPST switch, and then to the bus wire?

Yes, an spst in line to the bus works as well. 

RSJB18 posted:

JD2035RR posted:

RSJB18 posted:

Sorry for being off topic...

RSJB18, how did you create that retaining wall?  I've been looking for a retaining wall print for cardstock, not sure if yours is printed cardstock or foam/other, but it has the look I like.  Thanks!  

JD- Thank you! The walls are printed on plain paper that I glued to card stock. The corners are built out on folded pieces. The panel behind the Plymouth is held on with velcro tabs to give me access to wiring.  I don't recall the site I found them on but I think I have it bookmarked on my PC at home. I will look tonight and post it if I find it. 

Bob

Bob, no rush, but if you come across the source for the retaining wall, please do share! Exactly what I am looking for

DEUCE, If there is a way to use a micro lever switch to allow the turnout itself to turn the siding off and on, you may enjoy the fact that the siding power becomes self controlled. I'm in the process of building a staging yard, using MTH Realtrax switches, to 12 parking tracks 20 feet long. I wanted the sidings to turn off and on automatically whether I used the remote with the AIU or the track control switch without having to also throw a toggle switch. I was able to mount a lever switch inside the Realtrax. You may have to rig something externally on the Lionel switch. In the photos below, 2 lever switches already existed inside, I just added a third and spliced into the wire that ran to the center rail of the turnout track. If you run MTH DCS engines, if you lock them into conventional neutral, turn the conventional volume and smoke off, and shut the lights off when you shut it down on the siding, it will do nothing when you power the siding up until you command it to. No need for a watch dog signal to make it dark. 

Photo 1: Siding power OFF

Photo 2: Siding power ON.

Photo 3: Originally a red wire ran directly from the upper tab to the lower tab for the center rail of the turnout track.

With a little creativity, you may be able to use a lever switch in some way instead of a toggle switch, then it would be automatic. Use a lever switch rated for at least 5 amps. 

I just came across this alternative for powering a siding with Fastrack. There were a couple of suggestions to use fiber pins, which doesn't apply to Fastrack, because there aren't any. This is a simple fix, albeit a $15 one, so I'm throwing it into the mix.  Item: 192210827258

   I think some prewar tubular used a "dead rail" system as the anti derail feature on manual turnouts; Marx (too?)...maybe? Post war Super O for sure. But those used on a siding automatically powered up when switched to.

I like to store lit passenger trains on my sidings too, so that wouldnt work here. On one of mine mine there is a second switch option to just shut off two pieces where I park the loco; the cars all stay lit.

I just skimmed over a lot, but imo the big advantage of running that toggle to the transformer vs the bus is the single wire needed for remote operation right next to the transformer.