Yard Wiring

Shouldn't be require anything other than a simple ON-OFF single pole, single throw, SPST, toggle switch in line on the feed wire going to the center rail which should be AC hot....  Also, you need to make sure that you have a gap in the center rail of each spur track, normally right at the center rail track joint at the switch turnout...  I am not familiar with Real Trax, if you can't pull a track pin, or disable the center rail connector at the track joint to keep the power from conducting through the switch, you should be able to cut the center rail in the first piece of track in the spur near the switch with a dremel tool and cut off wheel.  Hope that helps.   

How about MTH 40-1029?

Cut the center-rail "jumper" and attach the 2 wires on each side to a toggle switch with sufficient current capability.  You can leave the 2 jumpers for the outer rails in place.

If you're trying to save a few bucks or are constrained by existing track dimensions or whatever, you can fuss with breaking/isolating the above-ground rail and below-ground tab connections between track sections.  Or use a hacksaw, band-saw or whatever to slice thru the center-rail, patch it up accordingly, and connect 2 wires from each side of the center-rail cut to your toggle switch.

If using DCS, some guys use an AIU Accessory port to power the siding/stub on and off under command-control.  You can even put a toggle switch and the AIU Accessory Port in "parallel" so either method can control the stub.

Separately, to answer a question you did not ask...or did not ask "yet", assuming you are running command-control DCS.  When you initially apply power to stub, you may encounter the problem where a DCS engine powers up in conventional mode...rather than silent (shutdown).  This has to do with the so-called "watchdog" issue which has been exhaustively discussed.  Many threads which should be easy to find.

Hello,

Thank you so much for your help. Can you please send a picture of a wiring diagram? It would help. If not, that’s ok. Have a good day. 

Ricky

Ricky S posted:

Can you please send a picture of a wiring diagram?

This has FasTrack nomenclature, but the wiring is the same.

Hi,

Thank you for your help. 

Ricky

Atlas makes a set of panel mount spst switches (3 grouped together). I've been using them for block control since I built my current layout 10 years ago. They give a nice, clean, look as well.

Hi, 

Thank you. 

Ricky

Ricky:

I use the exact method detailed by Rob.

I will add one comment (maybe overkill) - make sure it is the power wire that you connect to the toggle switch. You can just as easily connect the ground wire but this is not a good idea. When the toggle switch turns off the connection using a power wire residual voltage has a chance to drain off using the ground wire. If the toggle switch is connected to ground then when the switch turns off power the residual voltage has no way to drain so stays in the system. The next time you turn on power instead of say 18 volts you get 18.1 on power up and so on and so on until there is enough voltage to blow some board somewhere. This is why light bulbs in your home blow out early in their life (usually due to a ground wire connection being loose somewhere).

Like I said this may be over kill for a train board but better safe then sorry.

Joe

Hi,

Thank you for your help. 

Ricky