Dividing dcc layout into sections / power districts.

[AndrueC]

1 hour ago, WIMorrison said:

You always have to isolate the frog.

Ah, yes I misunderstood. So you power the motor from the acc bus but route the track power from the outer rails via the SPDT back to the frog. I think if I was doing that I'd wire it as bus -> motor -> track by inserting two wires into the motor terminals (I use bootlace connectors so that's easy) but it's as broad as it is long.

 

I originally wanted to do that because it feels cleaner (track bus is for trains, acc bus is for 'other things that don't move', lol. But DCCC say that the current draw from an idle motor is so small as to make the extra wiring not worth the bother. I will be using that switch for signalling. Currently trying to decide if I want to attempt to make my own adaptor circuits for DCCC ground signals or pay what appears to be an extortionate amount for their own adapter.

Edited March 8, 2022 by AndrueC

[Phil Bullock]

1 hour ago, AndrueC said:

Well it is an option, it just means a few more wires and you very probably need(*) to modify the turnout to isolate the frog from the switch blades. Instead of powering the frog from the motor's frog output you use the 'spare' SPDT switch. Each side of the acc bus goes to an SPDT input and the output goes to the frog.

 

(*)If you don't do that your acc bus will be almost permanently connected to your track bus which is probably not going to be a good idea.

Will try them as intended and report back…

[WIMorrison]

Quote

I think if I was doing that I'd wire it as bus -> motor -> track by inserting two wires into the motor terminals (use bootlace connectors so that's easy) but it's as broad as it is long.

 

What you suggest will not work as you are connecting the track and accessory busses together.

 

The motor is powered by the accessory bus, the SPDT switch is fed from the track (or track bus) and the frog is powered from the common switch output.

[AndrueC]

15 minutes ago, Phil Bullock said:

Will try them as intended and report back…

You can ignore that post, as I'd got confused. @WIMorrison reminded me all of the turnout is still powered from the track bus it's just that the motor itself is powered from the acc bus.

 

So acc bus goes to 1&2. Track bus goes to 4&5 and frog is powered from 6. The intended frog output (3) becomes spare unless you work out how to use it to switch an accessory.

[AndrueC]

26 minutes ago, WIMorrison said:

 

What you suggest will not work as you are connecting the track and accessory busses together.

 

The motor is powered by the accessory bus, the SPDT switch is fed from the track (or track bus) and the frog is powered from the common switch output.

Am I? Acc bus to 1&2, Track bus to 4&5 and on to the turnout outer rails, frog from 6. Ah, but I think it's my careless terminology. Sorry, what I meant was:

 

bus -> spdt -> track

 

rather than what I think you have which is:

 

bus->track->spdt.

 

My method means you only need to solder one dropper onto each outer rail because you can split the feeds at the spdt so I think that's why I'd have preferred it.

Edited March 8, 2022 by AndrueC