Dick, I think you solved much of your own problem with the 'power' districts. I have two (with a third one coming). I can run trains everyplace at any time 'mostly' with the wiring I had in the past. Like I mentioned in the past I have about 24 prior blocks controlled with six position rotaries. At the present time #1 is off, #2 is the mainline district, #3 is my main yard, and future #4 is a couple of branch lines. Sounds a little like your setup. I don't have any reversing loops except my turntable (solved by some little MRC unit), and no crossings but I have lots of three ways controlled by diode matrix setups. I run through the power districts without fail. The only thing I/we get wrong is forgetting to throw switches thus causing shorts at the fouling points.
There was a well-to-do gentlemen, in Galveston, who had a layout custom made including a Digitrax DCC system. All operations were controlled by his radio control throttle--no control panels anywhere. Trains were operated, turnouts thrown and routes established by one of the older generation T-100 throttles. Members of our club who visited his layout and I were all impressed that everything ran as it should (and during an open house, none the less). I will have to visit you and see your new wig!! and I don't think I've seen Roger with a hat before. As to the solder dripping down--Wow, I solder while wearing shorts quite often (hot texas) and have been known to be in pain more than once. It will cool in a few seconds and can be removed with only slight scaring. The worst time was when the solder dropped on a pair of nylon blend socks. The fabric melted to my skin--much worse than the solder itself. Bob Werre Richard Karnes wrote: > All -- > > I have been quite amused by all this chit-chat about how easy it is to > convert to DCC, and how turnouts don't have to be modified, etc., etc. > I have no doubt that those of you who have actually converted to DCC > and expressed your opinions speak the truth for your particular > situations. But I have just finished converting my layout to DCC and > my experience is quite different. > > I decided to convert because I often forgot how to run my railroad > while entertaining guests. Let me explain: > > My layout is 12'x 43'. Its primary route is a double-track main line > with one staging yard serving both ends. There are also two > single-track branches, both served by second staging yard. I used two > independent Aristo-Craft wireless throttles to control each of the > mains (one eastbound, one westbound). The circuitry was such that the > two could not become confused, and the two throttles each had > different frequencies. > > Most junctions (yards, spurs) were wired such that the auxiliary > contacts on the switch machines routed current from one of the > mainlines (either eastbound or westbound) according to which way the > turnouts were thrown. But there was one section that required a rotary > switch because switch-machine contacts were not sufficient. This is > where a branch line joins the eastbound main and must nevertheless > accommodate westbound trains coming off the branch prior to taking the > crossover some five feet west. OK. So I mastered that. > > One of the two branch lines could have its power manually switched to > a separate power supply so the branch could be operated independently. > This created a situation in the two branch lines' shared staging yard > that required a selector switch for each of the four staging tracks to > draw power from either one branch or the other. This was because power > from one would always be one of the two wireless throttles, whereas > power from the other could be any of three alternates: The same > wireless throttle, the other wireless throttle, or the separate branch > line power supply. OK. So I mastered that -- Sort of. > > > > Now keep in mind that, except for the main line per se, all of my > power was routed/cascaded through sequential contacts on switch > machines, in some places as many as eight of these. There is > tremendous potential for current loss through all these contacts. It > didn't matter as long as one throttle controlled one locomotive, but > with DCC, I've got to have five amps and 12 volts everywhere all the > time. So the route-controlled power scheme had to go. I could not > simply disconnect my conventional power, replace it with a DCC command > station, and expect things to work. > > In theory the rewiring is simple. Just strip out all the old wiring, > install 12-gauge twisted-pair bus wires, drop feeders every six feet > or so, and make sure that all the turnout frogs are powered directly > from the bus via just one set of switch-machine contacts. But let me > tell you, even if it were just this simple, there is ample opportunity > for error. I realized at some point that I needed to have an ammeter > and a voltmeter connected across the two bus wires at all times (with > power applied) as I was making all of these new connections. With > literally hundreds of new soldered wire connections, one WILL make an > occasional error. > > The real fun began when I had to rewire complex trackage. My terminal > throat is a multi-track wye with two three-way turnouts, a simple > crossing, and a crossing that cuts right across a turnout. In the old > wiring scheme I used multiple switch-machine contacts to assure power > in every rail segment according to the route selected. The new scheme > required complete re-thinking of the throat wiring. I wound up with > two auto-reverse units operating more or less in sync to power the > crossings, > > . > > I had also divided the layout up into four separate power districts. > This really helped -- I was never faced with tracing circuit problems > throughout the entire layout. > > The end result is that there is now a lot less wire under my layout. > The wire I stripped out fills a large cardboard box. The surplussed > electrical gadgets (toggles, meters, throttles, etc.) fill another box. > > A final note relating to benchwork design: My average track height is > 58" above the floor. Additionally, my main terminal area is hinged to > tilt up, much like the lid of a grand piano. These features, together > with a secretary's chair on five casters, saved two old men from > possibly severe strains and cramps while doing the rewiring task. And > we wore denim pants, which are impervious to drops of molten solder. > Oh -- a hat or a huge mop of hair really helps cut down on head dings. > Guess which one of us depended on which mode of protection? > > Dick Karnes > > __________________________________________________________ > Looking for last minute shopping deals? > Find them fast with Yahoo! 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