02-18-2009, 07:20 AM
Thank you both for the quick reply. I had planned on using a completely seperate programming track (so I don't mess up an entire layout if something happens) and was going to wait to read the Digitrax book to figure out exactly how to do that. I think I'm going to leave one track "dead" - meaning only powered when the turnout is changed to allow access to that track. I'd really like to have some parking areas to leave a DC engine out on the rails.
I didn't think about the wheel size interfering with the current as it traverses the turnout. Great tip - I'll definitely watch for that. Would using plastic wheels avoid that issue entirely? I run very few Bachmann cars, which to my eye, seem to have larger and thicker wheel sets. Instead, I run a mixture of Atlas, Athearn, Deluxe, MicroTrains, Kato, and such brands. And it appears that they have plastic wheels, so would they act as an insulator and avoid the short circuit problem?
I didn't think about the wheel size interfering with the current as it traverses the turnout. Great tip - I'll definitely watch for that. Would using plastic wheels avoid that issue entirely? I run very few Bachmann cars, which to my eye, seem to have larger and thicker wheel sets. Instead, I run a mixture of Atlas, Athearn, Deluxe, MicroTrains, Kato, and such brands. And it appears that they have plastic wheels, so would they act as an insulator and avoid the short circuit problem?
Mark
Citation Latitude Captain
--and--
Lt Colonel, USAF (Retired)
Citation Latitude Captain
--and--
Lt Colonel, USAF (Retired)