Z4000 & Z1000

The transformers are likely out of phase with one another.

You mentioned the whisker tracks are powered by the Z4000. What is the Z1000 powering on the turntable ?  If it’s the rails on the bridge. Yes you would need another channel with Z1000 as the in power source.  

Can you go into a little more detail of your setup. Not stopping on the whisker tracks sounds like a signal issue. If your using toggle switches. It could be something as simple as the switch corrupting the signal.

Dave the Z1000 powers the bridge rails only.  The swing on the bridge is controlled by a controller plug into 110v.

The 8 whiskers each is controlled by a toggle switch, Red LED power off, Green LED power on.  They are Bio-directional LED's.

Did it ever run properly with this setup ?     The turntable bridge is basically just another isolated whisker track. I would power the rails with the same Z4000 that powers the whisker and roundhouse tracks. I see no need to complicate things.
As mentioned above. I don’t know much about MTH power supplies. But it sounds like you have a phasing issue   when you cross over the 2 power supplies.

When running DCS with the wire carrying power as well as the track signal. Some toggles don’t carry the signal well. Flip a toggle to the on position with the layout powered off and an engine sitting on the track. Power up your layout and the engine should sit there silent. Can you start the engine up ?  If you can. Go to the track signal test and see what you get for a number. If it’s really low. Say under 5. If it’s easy to do. Take the toggle out of the equation and go from your terminal strip right to the track. Something as simple as a whisker track with one engine should yield a 10.

I'm with Dave, why did you feel the need to power the bridge with a different P/S?  I power all my whisker tracks and the TT bridge from the same source.  The whisker tracks each have an individual power control.

I power all tracks including the turntable with one z4000 as well.

Just to be sure, does the Z1000 power go through the TIU?

The Z1000 does not go through a TIU. Barry's DCS Companion Page 78. "Connecting Accessories to the AIU" "strongly recommended that a separate transformer be used to power accessories".  I'am literally starting up at the beginning.  The whisker tracks & RH installed first and powered by the Z4000 on right throttle handle and the control panel toggle switches.  The left throttle handle runs the TIU & AIU and the track & switches on the entire layout.  

Phasing I will have to check.  I never even thought of it.  

I'm thinking you're suggesting eliminate the Z1000.  Adding TIU to the Right Throttle handle.

Ah, he meant providing the power to the motor of the turntable.  The turntable track has to be on the TIU otherwise you have no DCS control.  It probably is switching to conventional mode and heading off into the roundhouse.

The TT has 110v of its own.  The track is separate.  Doug your exactly right.   I will make changes when I get over to Museum.

Just hook up the turntables bridge track like you would a whisker track minus the toggle switch so it’s powered off the TIU channel your whisker tracks are on. If that’s all the Z1000 was powering. You would need an entire DCS channel on the TIU to support it. Because you are using a different power source. Anything running trains as far as multiple power supplies. All need to be set to roughly the same voltage and need to be in phase with one another to have a smooth transition through power districts. I believe Barry was referencing things such as turnout motors relying on track power. With DCS. The only thing passing through the TIU should be the running of the trains themselves.

Looking back at your loss of control. Once a DCS engine gets moving it remains at that speed as long as it sees enough volts to do it. By not having your bridge track going through your TIU you had the voltage present to keep it moving but no signal to control it.

Dave, your help is very much appreciated.

The turntable should have 2 separate power supplies. One to the bridge track from the TIU channel that runs everything associated with the roundhouse. I don’t know about Ross’ turntable but they should be the same as others and are usually simply powered for speed and direction using an inexpensive DC Transformer that provides 12vdc. Although there are more elaborate ways to do it.

They can use the same power supply, just separately switched.  I don't see any reason to use two transformers here.

Dave that's how my home layout Atlas TT works.  Thanks again.

Gunrunner I agree.   Thanks again.  I will let you all know how it works out.

Gerry

Connected to the Z4000 & TIU, on Transformer Right Throttle handle side to TIU inport 2 and outport to T block.  All show 19v's with Meter.  I didn't by pass toggle switch.  The Remote show's  "No Engine on Track" and Engine doesn't start.  On the Remote the shows engines listed on In Non Active and don't respond.  All track, TT track, & whisker and RH tracks still show 19v.

When you are doing this. Do you have power going into Fixed 1 or are you using an auxillary power supply to power up the TIU ?

  You need one or the other in order to power on the DCS signal for all the channels to work. Pretty sure voltage will always pass through the TIU channels without it being powered on.

Dave, I'am using Fixed 2.  Fixed 1 is being used to power tracks & AIU's for the switches & crossover switches .

I wonder if I should Reset the remote and re-add the engines after they are deleted.

If you have all power turned on to the layout. Do engines respond normally on Fixed One ?  

What are you using the variable channels for if anything ?  They can be set as Fixed Channels if need be. To keep it simple. I ‘d just switch out the output wires on the Fixed channels providing Fixed One is operating correctly just to test what you have. You may have damaged the TIU Fixed Two channel running it in your original scenario.

The Yellow Stone Mallet is to big to run on RH track.  So I have been using 0-4-4-0 & SD-24.  Both are stuck in inactive list.  I haven't tried them today.

Variable channels are not in uses.

The Mallet operates correctly on Fixed 1

All 3 engine start on Fixed Channel 1.  Channel 2 showed 18v and the 2 engines, nothing.   The TIU runs both Channels.  The only difference 1 has it's own T Block & 2 has it's own T Block.  I wouldn't think that would make a difference.  Same Z4000 just Right & Left Handles to the Blocks.

Track Voltage and Track Signal wire although the both share the same wiring. Are two totally different things.  Just want to determine if the DCS signal is being broadcast on TIU channel 2. If you switch the outputs on the out portion of your TIU. if there is a problem. Fixed One will operate  your turntable and whisker tracks and what was previously running correctly. Such as your mainline will now have an issue.

Seeing you have 2 unused channels on your TIU. All is not lost if there’s a problem with Fixed channel 2.

Anytime you want to operate a DCS engine, all of the following must be true:

- power must be supplied to either Fixed 1 or Aux Pwr input

- power must also be supplied to the same channel on the TIU that your locomotive is connected to

- the DCS signal must be switched on for that channel

I guess I can't comprehend what I'am doing wrong.  Dave as you say when I swapped the whisker will work the TT rails shows the right voltage.  Evidently their not getting the DCS signal.  Does the 2 Blocks need to be in series?  I thought I jump them together and got a short signal.  The bridge swing is separate.  I guess I don't understand how to change DCS signal.  I'll go back to Barry's Manual.

Does the AIU have to be involved.