DC Blocks Question

DC Blocks Question

Is the 10 blocks enough?
What's the best way?



Thanks,
Loco1999

 

Loco,

Overall, it looks good. some suggestions:

From my experience, you could eliminate block 6, splitting 4 and 5 between the turnouts. Ditto on 3, although you might want the splie near one turnout or another. You could keep it if planning real complicated ops though.....

With power routing turnouts, like Peco electrofrogs (with no insulators beyond the frogs - okay on stub tracks only) 9 and 10 could be eliminated, or combined with a gap ahead of their connecting turnout.

 

Thanks for the advise.

Is this better?



Thanks,
Loco1999

EDIT:
Ii need block 5 for swapping inner and outer trains.

Ex:
park on 2 run 4,5,1
park on 4 run 2,5,3

 

Your ideas - like blocking every yard track - do yield flexibility in ops, and certainly more blocks will give unlimited control. If you don't mind wiring them, or the cost of extra toggles, then go for it!

Most of us mind both of those a bit, and many tend to simplify, at the expense of future operations. Keep track of what blocks you actually use often, and its possible you will make some compromises for simplicity in your next - and better - layout!

 

Loco1999:

That layout would be a good introduction to DCC. Those blocks would make it easy for you to do signaling and block occupancy detection in DCC.

You wouldn't have to make any changes in your wiring to convert that layout to DCC.

You don't need block #3 & #5.

Do the wiring for the remaining blocks. It would enhance operations with the eight blocks.

 

Thanks for the input.

I could limit the yard blocks.

I don't get why I don't need
#3 and #5, new or old pic,
and why?

With DC, 1 common rail and 1 broken into blocks.
Would this really work if ever changed to DCC?

Confused...

Thanks,
Loco1999

 

Loco1999:

Block # 3 in the old photo, and Block # 5 in the new photo's.

DCC would work if you used two common rails. Plastic railjoiners will be used on both rails at both ends of the block and wired accordingly.

You drop feeders from the rails in each block. You wire the DPDT switch from the feeders for each block for DC.

For DCC, you just remove the DPDT switches as they are not necessary.

 

Thanks for the info,

If DCC ever insulate both rails.
Do the bus lines, feeder wires.

I am sorry, I still don't get it.

Second photo,
blocks 1-5 have a simple A/B toggle.

How do you swap inner and outer trains
with DC using A/B cab control.

Examples
park on 2(A) run 4,5,1(B)
park on 4(A) run 2,5,3(B)

Thanks,
Loco1999

 

Loco1999:

I see your point. You must have block # 5 in DC.

It wouldn't be necessary with DCC.