This weekend I “re - mastered" the basic elements of wiring for two train operation using block control DC wiring. It took me 3 hours with some nice soft jazz playing and lots of paper to get it down right. Discussion of wiring is understandably not a major topic here. I agree that it is very hard to discuss this as it is a graphics intensive subject. Indeed, more graphics intensive than track planning or scenery. If you mis – draw a track plan or scenery it is visually evident. Mis – draw an electronics diagram and you are lucky if you find it before it is too late. Still, “hard” never stopped me before. Questions: 1) is there any one else that is interested in trying to discuss this subject? 2) Are there any inexpensive programs out there with a relatively low learning curve and price that export to a graphics file. 3) What areas are people interested in? 4) What are your favorite resourses on DC block control wiring? My Background: My father was a EE, (Electronics Engineer) who showed me how to wire my first layout 30 years ago. In my teens I could do the wiring in my head and sketch it with my eyes closed. Over the past 30 years I forgot how to do it. As the scion of a man who worked for Lockheed, NASA, Brown and Root, Analog Devices, and EDN, (in that order), I refused to ask for help.
Steve: I do make hand drawings but had not considered using a graphics program. I do have shorts and problems on the layout. My best tool is an ammeter. From a drawing, I try to know what should be electrically connected. I predict what the ammeter should read, then attach it to see if that is correct. Eventually, I can solve the problem, but there is nothing like practice to make it better. Common ground took a while for me to overcome, though. I couldn't figure why all those wires were connected since I had not connected them at the railhead!! The Belmont Shore Club had a wiring diagram and narrative for each section of the layout. That was a loose leaf note book about 150 pages thick. Eventually, it was all documented, but then we began rewiring to make it all standard. It is a process that will take years to do, but the corporate knowledge is there if something coes wrong.
Posted in a thread on the N Scale forum in the context of reparing a loco, This just what I needed. Geeky, I owe ya. Here I am sweating wondering, um, now, I just ordered 40 switches for my block control and I have know idea how to soder. Thanks again.
