Programming track custom wiring

[Chemdawg]

I want to place a programming track in my layout. I was thinking about taking one of my sidings, or SOMETHING, and making it into my programming track. I was going to cut the track, place a piece of styrene in there, blah blah blah. HOWEVER, I don't want to have to take my trains off the track and put them there. So.... I was thinking about soldering a wire onto the end of each piece of track with a toggle switch. You flip the switch, the gap would be open, and the track is only good for programming. Flip the switch the other way, and it's main track again. Would this work? This way I can drive the train onto the track, flip the switch, and now it's programming track. But it would ONLY be the section that's after the gaps. Make sense?

 

[Dollie's Dad]

I think you can do this pretty easily with a DPDT switch. Connect the center terminals to the rails, and one set of leads to the programming track connections on your dcc command station, and the other pair to the rail connections. The switch will be center-off. In one direction, the track will be a programming track, and in the other, a regularly powered track.

 

[Trucula]

Your on the right idea. but you dont want to control each on and off...best to just seperate the main off of the program track...Keep power going to both at all time and the switch "turns off the main line only"..keeping program track on. Then once engine is programed you flip main back on and run train off progam section and onto the main. If you have a center as off program as say up one way, and mainline is down, once engine is programed and you flip switch to main..your program track is dead..(engine wont move onto main)...You want main power to program first and only a switch to turn main off will do it.. Our club is working on gates at a guarry, once closed they turn main track off making our quarry the program track inside the gates.

 

[CSX Robert]

...So.... I was thinking about soldering a wire onto the end of each piece of track with a toggle switch. You flip the switch, the gap would be open, and the track is only good for programming. Flip the switch the other way, and it's main track again. Would this work?..

First of all, what DCC system do you have(and not just what brand, but what command station)? Different command stations handle the program track different. If you have a Digitrax DB150, NCE Power Cab, or other system that does not have a separate program track output then a DPDT or DPST switch wired to cut power to the rest of the layout will work. If your system has a separate program track output, then you need to have the switch toggle the program track between the program track output and the main track output; however, it is strongly recommended that you use a 4PDT and have an isolation section between the program track and the rest of the layout, wired as shown on this page. The purpose of the isolation section is to keep you from running an engine on to the program track while it is set to programming, shorting the main track outputs to the program track outputs possibly causing damage to the command station

 

[bn-1000]

Chemdawg, there are lots of examples on the web for wiring a program track, and just as many variations. Here is my simple program track on my N scale layout, Bowen. Admittedly, I do not have the isolation track, as Robert suggests.

I have included two pictures I created some time ago to show what needs to be done. The blue dashed area is representing a double pole, double throw (DPDT) toggle switch.

The first picture is for a DCC system with only one output. The second is for a system with a separate program output.

I hope this helps in some way.

 

[Rico]

I simply ran my power straight to the program track (track 3 in the engine terminal) and took power from that lead thru a DPDT switch to the rest of the layout.
This way all tracks are powered untill I isolate the layout.

 

[railBuilderDhd]

Stephen,
I noticed in your second diogram (seperate program track leads) you have wires run to the main track from the program track. Did you only do this so you can program on the main line? I would think you don't need the wires to the main track from the program track feeds. I have a Digitrax Zypher and I was thinking of wiring but I don't see why you need the program wires to hte main track.

Thanks,
Dave


Dave

 

[fast_ian]

...Did you only do this so you can program on the main line?

Nope - Doing it that way means the prog track is "generally" a part of the layout - You can drive your loco onto it and then flip the switch to program, switch it back and drive off......

Programming on the main (without blast mode on) uses the main output, so is not required if you have a "dedicated" (off layout) prog track.

HTH, cheers,
Ian

 

[bn-1000]

Hi Dave, Ian beat me to the punch drive the loco onto the "program" track, flick the switch, and you've isolated it from the "main" and start programming. When you've finished programming the loco, flick the switch back and drive her off!!

 

[Dollie's Dad]

Substantially we're all saying the same thing except for the example with the isolation track which would certainly be a good safeguard in a club situation or a home layout with multiple operators. It would prevent someone from running a train onto a programming track while it was being used for that purpose. The DPDT solution would be just fine as long as you don't need to protect the programming track while using it.