lift out and stopping train.

[WC3026]

So I have a lift out on my layout and have it set up so when I lift it up it shuts the tracks off a certain distance before it. It works great if it is only one loco. How can I wire it so that as the locos go across the gap they will stay running until the last loco goes over the gap? Could I stagger the track gap a little?

 

[D&J RailRoad]

I think you could do that with a keep alive system like TCS makes for their WOW decoders.

 

[Iron Horseman]

So I have a lift out on my layout and have it set up so when I lift it up it shuts the tracks off a certain distance before it. It works great if it is only one loco. How can I wire it so that as the locos go across the gap they will stay running until the last loco goes over the gap? Could I stagger the track gap a little?

Go across what gap? The gap that allows the section to electrically isolated? The gap in the track between the layout and the lift out? Wouldn't you want all the locomotives to stop lest they push the others into the chasm.

 

[WC3026]

The gap I am referring to is the isolated gap in the rails for the area of track that is dead when the lift out is up.

 

[Iron Horseman]

The gap I am referring to is the isolated gap in the rails for the area of track that is dead when the lift out is up.

So your lead locomotive is going into the dead section and the others behind it keep running trying to push the dead loco into the gap.

You could add a current detector that senses a loco going into the dead section and have it trigger a relay that creates a second larger dead section.

But, this is just all for emergency stopping process correct? Wouldn't it just be better to have an alarm go off so the train could be throttled down.

 

[WC3026]

So your lead locomotive is going into the dead section and the others behind it keep running trying to push the dead loco into the gap.

You could add a current detector that senses a loco going into the dead section and have it trigger a relay that creates a second larger dead section.

But, this is just all for emergency stopping process correct? Wouldn't it just be better to have an alarm go off so the train could be throttled down.

yes that would work but the lift out is in the hallway to my house so I am not always going to be around the throttle.

 

[rzw0wr]

Hook up a contact switch to the power of your controller.
Shut the entire system down.

 

[gregc]

So I have a lift out on my layout and have it set up so when I lift it up it shuts the tracks off a certain distance before it. It works great if it is only one loco. How can I wire it so that as the locos go across the gap they will stay running until the last loco goes over the gap? Could I stagger the track gap a little?

you could build a circuit so that either the lift-out switch OR a block occupancy signal enables power to the lift-out section. The lift-out section must be in place initially so that a loco is powered, but once occupied, power remains until unoccupied.

One side of a relay coil can be powered and the other side grounded to close the relay and apply power to the lift-out section. The lift-out switch can ground the relay OR an occupancy circuit could ground it using a transistor.

but it seems odd that you would want to maintain power with the lift-out section up?