How To Plan Blocks & Signals | Building A Model Railway

[@mauricethethespian8744]

Hi Tony. After a 40 year hiatus, I’m getting back into a childhood interest and toward DCC. Owing a business and waiting to make the final ‘forever’ home move before the work commenced. The learning curve has been a huge frustration as well as learning the differences of gauge (now living in Canada) from OO to HO. Want to avoid the N. American themed layouts and keep to the UK format. I have to say your close and practical tutelage, Chadwick Model Railway and Galgorm Hall has been absolutely cherished and makes me look forward to this new project. Thank you mate and please don’t stop what you’re doing 👏👏👏👍👍👍

[@andyg1645]

Great video and very useful especially for those of us with very limited knowledge of railway signaling. There is a fantastic amount of equipment on the market for controlling model railways but, all too often those selling it or posting online “how to” tutorials assume that everyone is a dyed in the wool train spotter or that they have a degree in electronics. Keeping it simple by assuming that the viewer/ customer has limited or no knowledge of the product will benefit everyone and the hobby in general.

[@TonyDocksStation]

Hi Andy, really nice comment, thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed the video, and very glad it helped you out!

[@RoamingAdhocrat]

Worth getting SimSig and playing around with it to get an intuitive sense of how British railway signalling works - the core game and a large number of routes are free. For more, the RSSB publish a catalogue of extremely detailed guidance notes, such as "Signalling and Operational Telecommunications Design: Technical Guidance". Towards the end there's some worked examples showing the track circuits and signalling and interlocking for a complex junction, first with a lever frame (controlling 3-aspect colour lights, right) and then with electronic/software logic and control.

[@TonyDocksStation]

Very useful information, thanks! I’ll be sure to check it out!

[@ThokozaniMahlangu-xg8ur]

Hello there, great explanation of how railway signals work, however, may I ask how long exactly is a block is supposed to be in the model world?

[@Scott-y6w]

Tony Hi: I am new to this channel and think it is very helpful. I need some helpful advice please re the block system. I have almost completed my track and will install the block system. I understand each block has a min of three contacts(sections) being start, travel and slow to stop at the signal.....so that is easy to follow re plastic rail joiners and wiring. However I really need some helpful advice on the multitude of points, cross overs and double slips coming out of the station? I am not able to understand where the plastic rail joiners go......Do I isolate each point and crossover and double slip? I can send a picture of the track. Any help would be great. Many thanks Scott

[@medwaypeninsulaMR]

I agree with Andy's comment below I was deciding if to go with signals and that has helped to explain blocks which now does seem logical. Cheers Kev

[@TonyDocksStation]

Thanks! I’m really glad it managed to help!

[@montparkmodelrailway300]

That was an interesting explanation of signal blocks for train operation, and the additional planning required for DCC train detection sections. I found that designing a track layout was one step, but then contemplating how the trains would operate on the layout was another, which leads into the signal blocks for train operation, as the real one do, and how that translates into ones own layout. Your overview for planning the DCC train detection might be seen as an advanced use of DCC, but well worth while contemplating and allowing for at the track laying phase. Really helpful, thanks.

[@TonyDocksStation]

Thanks for your great comment! I really appreciate it! I’m glad it helped!

[@Modelrailwaysforfun]

Hi Tony excellent video and followed everything you explained. Just one point that is unclear to me, being new to block detection, when you have 3 sections in one block do you join the three dropper wires together and then further join them to the single wire which leads back to a port on the detection unit.

[@rpisharodi]

Hi Tony, great video and really well explained. It would be great if you could also explain how it translates into the software side of things. I am planning on using a Digikeijs block detection / feedback module system. Do you mean that each section (as shown in your example) would use up a port in the DR4088LN or DR5088RC module? If so, how would I go about telling the software (JMRI or iTrain) to combine the three sections into a block?

[@MrArtrock]

Great video thanks, as I,m totally new to DCC and am watching a lot of videos trying to understand what kind of layout + wiring I must do in my case, I wonder about those optical detectors so many speak of but not you, does the software in for example a Roco Z21 not recognise at all where the train is unless you cut the track like in 3 places in 1 block or does it know that anyway + the question about otical detectros helping the software to determine this?

[@stmichaelshill7421]

Hi mate! Really interesting and well through out video! I'm still deciding what to do about signals so that's been really useful in getting my brain thinking about these things!

[@TonyDocksStation]

Thank you mate! Yeah it’s a good topic to have in the back of your mind, and start planning in the background! Glad it helped!

[@GGS1956]

When you cut the track for sections within a block how do you determine which rail to cut, why one side instead of the other

[@TonyDocksStation]

You can choose either, but it must be the same across your whole layout.

[@kitchenhamfarm]

Hi tony going to watch your vids very closely , you are doing and using the same equipment as me blocks and signals ,digikiejs dr5000 and train controller ,plus ill be using ddc concepts ADS8SX point controller , i do have a question if you are going to use 4 aspect signals will train controller workout the previous 3 signal aspects ie yellow, double yellow, green regards tony

[@TonyDocksStation]

I’ve dabbled in train controller, but mainly used iTrain so far. I can’t answer your question for certain as I haven’t used train controller that much, but I would imagine so. I can’t see why it wouldn’t.

[@Oorail]

Good video. One suggestion, instead of figuring out the blocks first, using the track plan, figure out where the signals need to go (roughly) based on the track plan, then identifying the blocks is pretty easy and you can adjust signal location / point placement based on desired train length. As you mentioned, you typically will leave an empty block between trains, so train length can be less of an issue. Depending on your track plan, you can use feathers or shunt signals to allow movements at points etc.

[@TonyDocksStation]

Thank you, glad you liked it! And some good suggestions from you too, thanks!

[@warnz9701]

I thought as a "rule of thumb" that you should not have a block that is shorter than your longest train so you don't have the rear of a train "overhanging" in the previous block.

[@TonyDocksStation]

Not necessarily true. All my coaches and wagons will be converted to allow them to be detected. Therefore if they’re still in the block behind, they will be detectable.

[@warnz9701]

@@TonyDocksStation OK, I knew there was a reason lol

[@strobelightaudio]

that's what I'm looking for; detectors used IR vs magnetic vs NFID vs others