Simple Wiring Question (Sorry!)

[Pete 75C]

Just about to embark on a new project and to be honest, the electrics are my weak point - I get far greater pleasure from scenics etc and am a complete Luddite regarding wiring.

I've attached a diagram below. The essence of the plan is a high level station to low level storage "end to end".

I've also included a double track oval simply to allow the indulgence of having a couple of trains running unattended whilst operating the station - storage section. Only around 4ft of the oval is visible in a cutting between overbridges.

Circuits A and B each have their own controller, as does C. I don't envisage trains travelling between the station and storage using the oval - they will bypass it.

The junction is there mainly as eye candy (urban layout).

I know I need to use insulated joiners as marked in red seperating the up and down ovals, but I'm getting confused as to where else I need to place them. Although the junction won't often be used, of course that's a waste and I'd like to wire the track feeds so that it can be used if required (for example, a train heading down from the station could make one or more circuits before entering the storage sidings).

If someone could take the time to download the image and mark the other insulated joiners in red, that would get rid of my headache quicker than Panadol.

Apologies for such a basic question but any help would be much appreciated - obviously I need to get this right  before embarking on anything else.

Pete.

 

[AMJ]

I'd put a break on the track parallel to the one you have already got the red insulation on.  ie B ® to C (l)

ANother break on the track B (l) to C ®

 

(l) left

® right

 

This assumes you control each A, B & C with individual controllers and need to ensure the receiving one is turned on (right way) etc when sending train from one section to other.

[Ray H]

Have you shown all the pointwork on the A & B circuits?

 

Assuming a British prototype based layout I presume trains run anticlockwise on the A circuit and clockwise on the B circuit. Is this correct? If so, how does a train joint the A circuit?

[Kenton]

The rules are very simple and if you stick with them you cannot go wrong.

You may end up with more droppers than you would need with the simplistic Peco way - but every wire is a potential backup.

The added advantage of doing it fully is that not only does it work in DC but it also works for DCC.

If only folk followed the rules there would never be another "how do I wire my layout question"

Rule 1: insulated joiners on EVERY frog rail No exception, includes frogs in slips and in 3-way or any type of point combination.

Rule 2: power every frog from the tie bar switch a simple c/o

Rule 3: add a dropper to the appropriate power bus for every rail that doesn't have power (that will be every rail beyond a frog.

In DC you may wish to add (section) switches to park a loco.

So as far as I am concerned there are a lot of missing dots.

[Pete 75C]

AMJ and Dutch_Master - many thanks... I was hoping it was as simple as keeping the "circuits" apart using the insulated joiners, a from b, b from c etc. Thank you.

Ray H - I had considered a facing crossover to allow looping of both circuits from either direction but I really just want an up and a down line visible between overbridges on the oval. Unprototypical, maybe, or I could imagine a section of bi-directional double track ie: the southern section of the Brighton line. The up and down ovals will pretty much run independently and the junction is virtually cosmetic.

Kenton - I do appreciate your reply but you've kind of lost me a little with "frogs", "droppers", "power buses" and "section switches". I'm not daft and would resent any such implication, but I just don't "get" wiring!

I can use an airbrush, scratchbuild a church and weather a loco but I really just need to keep the electrics simple to the point of "extremely bloody basic" for the sake of my sanity.

I also reckon without the "how do I wire my layout" questions, the forum would be an elitist club populated entirely by experts and rivet counters. No offence to either, because those without the knowledge NEED the help of those that have it. Surely that's what RMWeb's all about.

Not hugely proud of it, but I always have been and always will be firmly within the "wiring numpty" camp.

I guess the sad truth is that once the track is down, wired, ballasted and weathered, if I'm short of a few "dots", I'll have to live with that!

Thanks again to all. Pete.

[Donw]

Kenton's advice is a council of perfection but in fact is quite easy becasue every turnout is wired the same. It also makes it simpler to change from DC to DCC (or the reverse) or alter the number of cabs or their sections. However it is more work up front.

One thing you don't say what track you are using I assume it is Peco insulated frogs. If the track has electrofrogs (or is handbuilt) it would be necessary to use extra insulators.

Don

[Pete 75C]

Apologies, yes - they are Insulfrog as I have quite a number left over.

[Kenton]

Kenton, in principle you're right, but as the OP stated, there's hardly any mixing of traffic as it's mostly cosmetic. So on any occasional traffic, if a problem arises, it'll be dealt with there and then. It's about weighing up the effort to the result and your method is more effort then the OP might consider justified for the limited use he'll make of it.

I'll admit to the overkill approach to everything electrical. I do appreciate that many folk wish to keep wiring really simple - the trouble is, so often this results in a question just like this. Or pleading ignorance/innocence in wiring a layout. It really is no/should not be difficult though. Just follow those rules and it will work and appear so easy - the trouble with short cuts is that they work today for a particular solution then you have to come back later to ask for another bite at the apple.

Apologies, yes - they are Insulfrog as I have quite a number left over

Such a small bit of information but changes everything. I'm afraid I do have the habit of assuming electrofrog pointwork on every layout.