# Want to try a switch/turnout...confused



## BrooklynBound718 (Dec 23, 2010)

Hey, hope everyone had a great Christmas. I bought an Athearn Warbonnet Train set. Nothing complicated, a basic oval layout. I want to try a switch and a few more tracks. Does a switch need to be powered with some additional wires or is this just done by hand? Will the power pack that came with the set be enough?


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## cabledawg (Nov 30, 2010)

There are two types of turnouts; remote and manual. The remote is powered by the ACC side of your controller, usually through a slide switch, then out to the turnout. But these can also be powered off the track with a decoder for a DCC setup and the turnout is then assigned an addess and operated by the DCC controller.

As you guessed, the manual is done solely by hand. For a basic or smaller layout a manual is just fine.


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## BrooklynBound718 (Dec 23, 2010)

cabledawg said:


> There are two types of turnouts; remote and manual. The remote is powered by the ACC side of your controller, usually through a slide switch, then out to the turnout. But these can also be powered off the track with a decoder for a DCC setup and the turnout is then assigned an addess and operated by the DCC controller.
> 
> As you guessed, the manual is done solely by hand. For a basic or smaller layout a manual is just fine.


Thanks cabledawg and for additional DCC setup information. Very helpful


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## cabledawg (Nov 30, 2010)

You'll have to ask around or google search how to use the DCC stuff. I am a noob with DCC myself and probably wont go into DCC turnouts until I get a handle on the rest of the stuff. My kids will be opening up thier initial DCC stuff today (late Christmas) and if I find some additional info in the users manuals I'll post up.


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## BrooklynBound718 (Dec 23, 2010)

*Purchased Bachmann EZ track remote turnouts*

I am using some EZ Track remote turnouts. The chances of my engine clearing the switch without derailing is hit or miss. Bachmann EZ Track claims to be able to run on any surface. I am currently running on my basement carpet. All of the track connections are good from I can see. Has anyone had this type of experience with EZ Track? Could it be happening because I am on the carpet?


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## cabledawg (Nov 30, 2010)

I have one switch that is like that, but with the rail cars not the locos. But the rest seem to work just fine. Might just be a bad piece


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## tankist (Jun 11, 2009)

there can be number of reasons, you will need to see how exactly it derails.
are the wheelsets in gauge (well, that one is least likley IMHO)? does it happen when turnout closed or thrown (diverging or straight path set)? is the flange catching up on point rail or at the frog (or even guard rail?)? or perhaps your engine truck limited in movement?

perhaps you will need to adjust your turnout, file the point rails down. 
or just limit the speed you run through it.


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## BrooklynBound718 (Dec 23, 2010)

cabledawg said:


> I have one switch that is like that, but with the rail cars not the locos. But the rest seem to work just fine. Might just be a bad piece


Thanks cabledawg. I suspect the carpet might be the issue. I am going to try back on the tile floor.


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## BrooklynBound718 (Dec 23, 2010)

tankist said:


> there can be number of reasons, you will need to see how exactly it derails.
> are the wheelsets in gauge (well, that one is least likley IMHO)? does it happen when turnout closed or thrown (diverging or straight path set)? is the flange catching up on point rail or at the frog (or even guard rail?)? or perhaps your engine truck limited in movement?
> 
> perhaps you will need to adjust your turnout, file the point rails down.
> or just limit the speed you run through it.


Thanks for the input tanklist. It works great when it set to continue through the loop. I think that flange might not always catch up in time.


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## BrooklynBound718 (Dec 23, 2010)

cabledawg said:


> I have one switch that is like that, but with the rail cars not the locos. But the rest seem to work just fine. Might just be a bad piece


Update on Turnout issue. I bought another turnout and compared the problem turnout with the ones the functioned with no problem. What I saw was that a small section of the molded plastic through the turn was slightly damaged.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

That's all it takes.


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## BrooklynBound718 (Dec 23, 2010)

*Another question about switches and turnouts*

My current setup is an long oval with three left turnouts from the main track that support a three track yard. The layout is powered by DCC. Do switches shut off power to certain parts of track when certain switches are thrown. I notice that I can only control the DCC powered loco in the yard when my first switch/turnout off the main yard remains in the turnout or diverging track position.


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

I have run into this on many turnouts, is only one doing it or all of them? You can work around this by suppling power to the track after the turn out. Just make sure you keep the same power to the same rail.


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## BrooklynBound718 (Dec 23, 2010)

NIMT.COM said:


> I have run into this on many turnouts, is only one doing it or all of them? You can work around this by suppling power to the track after the turn out. Just make sure you keep the same power to the same rail.


Now, that you ask and I just checked all of them, yes. If I am running the DCC loco in the yard, if I mess with any of the switches in the turnout the power is immediately interrupted. Someone was just asking me if I needed feeders in those areas. At the time I said no, because I did not see the problem at that time.


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## BrooklynBound718 (Dec 23, 2010)

*Feeder wiring question for turnout/switching issues*

I am really new to this hobby. I have done some wiring, but I don't have a whole lot of experience. Is it possible to run all the feeder wire to some type of hub and then from the hub just one pair of wire to the DCC system?


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

Yes it's like a buss. it is better to run one heavy pair of wire then take feeder off of the buss every 3 feet or less.
You said that power is intrupted?
Do all of the trains stop when you switch the turnout to come off the main.


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## BrooklynBound718 (Dec 23, 2010)

NIMT.COM said:


> Yes it's like a buss. it is better to run one heavy pair of wire then take feeder off of the buss every 3 feet or less.
> You said that power is intrupted?
> Do all of the trains stop when you switch the turnout to come off the main.


Train on the main track is fine. The problem happens once the train is in the yard. Train leave main line for the yard. Once the train is in the yard and I start moving switches the train in yard stops. I am a little confused by description of how the wiring should go for the bus. Where does the one heavy pair of wire start and begin? I am not sure what you mean by taking the feeder wires off of the bus every three feet or less. I was just thinking I would run feeders after every switch in the yard to one location and then from that location to my power on the DCC system.


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## TONOFFUN80 (Jan 9, 2010)

the bus wires should run the length of the track. every three feet or so run two wires from the bus to your track. the bus starts at your power supply.
so i've read as i have yet to wire my layout


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

NON DCC friendly switches can be the real cause of your problems.
Read this article.
http://www.wiringfordcc.com/switches_kato.htm


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## BrooklynBound718 (Dec 23, 2010)

I appreciate all the replies so far. Please bear with me as I am still having some difficulty seeing what I need to do. If some one could please answer yes or no these questions, then I think I will understand. I am currently using a NCE DCC system and Kato N unitrack. 

1. To run the bus wire will I need two wire for positive and negative?

2. I know the bus wire has to connect the my NCE system, but where will the wire terminate?

3. When I drop the feeder wire, do I connect the positive feeder wire to the positive bus wire and negative feeder wire to the negative bus wire?

Thanks to anyone for answering the above questions. My experience with wiring and building is really limited. When I installed the ceiling fans in my home. The box said it would take 45 min to an hour. Well, it took me almost three hours, lol, but I installed it safely.


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

#1 Yes call them red rail and blue rail
#2 The same place that you currently feed the track from.
#3 Yes Red rail to red buss, blue rail to blue buss
Question for you

1. Right now when you switch the turnout off the main to the siding does all engines stop working or just the one's on the sideing?


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## BrooklynBound718 (Dec 23, 2010)

NIMT.COM said:


> #1 Yes call them red rail and blue rail
> #2 The same place that you currently feed the track from.
> #3 Yes Red rail to red buss, blue rail to blue buss
> Question for you
> ...


Just the engine on the siding. The first turnout off the main line interrupts the power to everything in the yard. If I leave the turnout open to the yard then the yard is fine. And thanks for answering the questions


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## BrooklynBound718 (Dec 23, 2010)

NIMT.COM said:


> NON DCC friendly switches can be the real cause of your problems.
> Read this article.
> http://www.wiringfordcc.com/switches_kato.htm


NIMT, Thanks!!! You pointed me in the right direction with the above referenced linked. I had some difficulty understanding what the author was explaining with regard to making my number 6 left hand turnouts work. However, what I did find was that using the number four turnouts with the visible screws underneath to adjust power routing and the frog helped out greatly. When I installed the the number four turnouts, powered the straight and curved sections and turn the frog off (insulated), I was able to maintain power in the yard whether I took the first turnout of the main or not. I found a number of discussion the web where people were having the same problem that I was having. Thanks again. Thanks to everyone who pitched in, :thumbsup:


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

I'm glad I could be some help. When I first started with DCC a long long long time ago. When there was no Internet chat forums out there for help yet,  The guy's that sold me the system hadn't even used it yet so they didn't have any answers either... GRRR.. I just had to dig threw it on my own. :dunno:


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