Using a Switch To Turn Model Railroad Track Sections On/Off

[@stevechilders2425]

Excellent job in explaining the wiring for track isolation switches. Been wiring these for 40+ years and you explain it very well.

[@JoeyBPhotography]

Thanks, glad to know I explained it well! I'm just trying to help other wiring noobs like myself lol

[@johnmagro5984]

Maybe you can do the video again and explain all the parts you show. Good job

[@stevechilders2425]

@@johnmagro5984 great minds think alike John. The Retirement Railroad turns 3 years old in June and I am currently videoing what you describe and the developed ent of each of the scenes.

[@johnmagro5984]

@Steve Childers thanks for the info. Please let me know when the video will be on. Thanks again Steve

[@georgiasunbelt]

That was the most straightforward explanation I’ve ever seen….great Joey….THANKS…now I don’t have to search to do this

[@scotabot7826]

Great job Sir. This will help many people that are not familiar with this kind of stuff. Thanks for posting!!

[@SchuylkillRiverValley]

Well-explained Joey! Should be clear to anyone.

[@JoeyBPhotography]

Thanks, that's what I'm hoping!

[@gstephengoss1]

Thank explained perfectly.

[@wimbletrain]

Hi, very good explanation and demo, learning the basics is essential so videos like this are very handy. John

[@JoeyBPhotography]

Thanks! We all have to start somewhere!

[@TheyCallHimDietSeth]

Enjoyable tutorial with some excellent information for the layman! I've used similar switches in the past for turning off sections of yard track... back in the ol' DC days! Mine was never wired up as nicely as what you've shown, though. Thanks for the information!

[@jobrater8727]

Excellent! I had the same problem as you did, trying to find this simple example, explained in plain language.

[@Crookedriverandeasternrr]

Very nice and simple explanation. I have many yard tracks that I’d like to do this to.

[@jonrussell5788]

Thank you so much for this video! Exactly what I was looking for - have a roundhouse turntable w/ spur tracks I want to store engines on - but with the ability to turn that spur track on/off - your video helped me figure it out - b/c I was dumb enough to use both wires - one to each terminal of my toggle switch - not just one wire. Derp! FWIW, I used the feed from my bus line to the ON terminal and feeder line from spur track to the OFF terminal. Perfection Thanks again for a clear, concise video super useful for a newbie like me

[@JoeyBPhotography]

So glad you found it useful! Thanks for stopping by!

[@daylightdave9405]

You know what works really good is to use the Atlas controllers as so many people have those laying around, and yes just sever one wire... I use them in my yards where I park and can cut off the power to the engines or use power routing switches, even better... no extra wiring... Take care... Daylight Dave... DD 😜

[@JoeyBPhotography]

Good idea using what's available!

[@johnnyg7347]

Yes great explanation. You can do the same using a double throw switch. Using one wire in... Splitting off to two separate tracks. With the double throw switch.. The center is off an if you select upwards that will close that circuit for one track just like in your video. The same is true if you select down then youll close the circuit for the other selected track 👍

[@jaybird111207]

Great explanation!! I needed to refresh my memory so I could isolate my NCE throttle from the layout as my main throttle is an ESU and I wanted to have both connected so I could swap now and then. Thanks for sharing. -Jason

[@davestrains6816]

Great explanation and very informative. Thanks for sharing. Dave

[@just4funTrains]

Great video, simple and easy. I'm in the process to re wire a big layout and my idea is to have 3 block, every block will have a switch like this. Thanks

[@jeffhamm3037]

Thank you for the layman's explanation! It was very helpful. Did the switch come with the screws? Can you provide the switch manufacturer's name? I would like to avoid having to solder the small connections on the switch.

[@jonrussell5788]

Yes on screws. I got Gardner Bender med duty toggles at Menards for $4 each - same as whats shown in video Just be aware the throat part which sticks thru the wood is only 1/2” deep - so if your wood is thicker, youll need one w a longer throat or put them all thru thinner wood you then attach to frame

[@Beyond_Slots]

Great Video Subbed For The Simpleness Of Explaining.

[@JoeyBPhotography]

Thanks! I try to make it simple mostly so I can understand it better!

[@cbirailroad]

Just found your channel and saw this video. Immediately subscribed as you explain things even I can understand. My layout is Kato n scale, and I have incorporated 3-4 passing sidings off the mainline. Correct me if I am wrong, but to isolate these sidings I can install insulated joiners on the rails to/from the siding, power each with a feeder to the bus, and splice a SPST switch on one side of the feeder. Is it that simple? Thanks. Ron

[@cbirailroad]

Then again I just realized that my Kato #6 turnouts are power routing so not necessary if I do not use insulated joiners and do not run a track feeder to the siding. Still a good idea though.

[@JoeyBPhotography]

Thanks! Yup, pretty much that simple if you want to splice a switch in. You can also use a double pole switch if you want to cut power completely off from what I understand. Either way, thanks for stopping by!

[@NissyJ-SAL]

this was extremely helpful!

[@derekalexander4030]

Thank you for explaining using the switch but can’t a loco be programmed to be quiet when the power is turned on or do all locos fire up automatically when given power?

[@JoeyBPhotography]

Sound-wise not all start playing sounds, but to my understanding they're still drawing current, so if you have a lot of locos running you could experience poor performance if your system isn't boosted properly. I'm by no means an expert, but that's my current understanding

[@ronheiser3248]

A safer way to accomplish this is with a double pole single throw switch (DPST). This will allow opening of both sides of the power circuit. This is safer because it removes what is called "potential" in the electrical/electronics field and ensures that the locos on that track can not, until the switch is closed, receive any power.

[@JoeyBPhotography]

@@ronheiser3248 thanks for the tip!

[@JoeG-firehousewhiskey]

Great video very helpful thank you

[@ericb.davenport9762]

This is an excellent presentation. I am trying to do this myself, but it is very confusing to me. I ordered an Atlas Connector (205). I’m assuming that I can disconnect the side rail by: 1. attaching a piece of regular track to the switch. 2. Inserting two plastic insulation plugs into the rails. Inserting the Atlas Terminal Joiners to the other end of the track. 3. Attach the other end of the terminal joiners to the Atlas Controller. 4. And then attach the Controller to the train transformer. I hope that wasn’t too confusing. My Atlas components haven’t arrived yet. I still try to figure out this all out. Thank you so much. Eric

[@JoeyBPhotography]

I haven't used any Atlas switch products, but it sounds like that would work based on your description. The basic idea is that you're simply disallowing the current to complete the "loop", and it looks like the 205 is for just that.

[@gwsjr1]

if you're running multiple cabs on multiple blocks you'll need Atlas selectors to go with your Atlas controllers. The Controller will distribute the cab power to the selectors and the selectors will distribute the power to the blocks of track on your layout.

[@gwsjr1]

Simple explanation. Which wire did attach the switch to, the hot or neutral?

[@JoeyBPhotography]

I honestly don't recall, I did this a while ago

[@RailClipper]

Thankyou for this!

[@johnmagro5984]

Loved the video. But you didn't explain the other part s you had. I saw a transformer and a plug-in in front. Also what do you do if you have more than one siding to do?

[@JoeyBPhotography]

The other parts were my NCE DCC system, just substitute those with whatever system you're using. If you have more than one track to do, just use one switch per track using the same methodology. Or you could do multiple tracks per switch, whatever works for your situation, the key is to simply cut the power to the track the same way as in the video.

[@johnmagro5984]

@Late Night Model Railroad thanks

[@johnmagro5984]

I use digitrax

[@brucesoding9627]

Thanks, great help but what gauge wire are you using?

[@JoeyBPhotography]

For this demo I believe it was 16, but I can't recall exactly

[@Rayinn-lw3ej]

for relatively short runs (less than 10 feet) you can use 18 gage wire for HO and N. This would work for a 4 ft x 8 ft layout as well. Mu current layout is 5 ft x 12 ft 8 inches and 18 gauge has been adequate for my DC locomotives. O and S may require 14 or 16 gauge wire depending on how many you are trying to run/isolate at once. I generally used 14 gauge speaker wire (2 wires together in one wire also known as zip cord or lamp cord) for my S scale layouts. If you are working with a larger layout and several locos using DCC the rules change, although isolated tracks can still use the smaller wire, for instance the short tracks around a turntable. Larger DCC layouts tend to use 14 gauge wire and sometimes 12 gauge depending on how many locomotives they expect to run at a time (doubleheading/Multiple engine sets or simply how many trains can I run at once!).

[@GreatBowlsAfire]

Excellent 👍❤

[@ryans413]

Here’s how I did block sections on my DC layout. I used plastic rail jointers on the track so power would not flow through my block sections. Then I wired to one side and the other side of the track. If no one knows this one rail is positive the other is negative until you flick directions then it’s opposite so you have to wire both sides connect it too a switch. Now with the switch one power will flow with your cab controls once the trains in the block flick the switch and the train won’t move anymore. This is how I did it only requires a little soldering not too difficult. If you go DCC this is much more simple you don’t need to wire anything but it could still be useful to not have your locomotive run constantly just sitting there

[@jeffbutler4067]

Little please --running a train into a station want to turn power-- one wire from 12 volt controller to switch terminal ,the other switch terminal hook it to the track after the plastic joiners, where does the seconded wire from the track go? I can bring it back to the controller but only makes train go one one direction

[@charlierumsfeld6626]

I am doing the same thing. Same brand switches.

[@ronaldbrooks5982]

You can use an Atlas selector, or a Atlas connector.

[@jamesjunod4933]

Thanks

[@Paul--88]

Walthers has made these for years in one form or another. Yours is probably cheaper in price. I have some that are over twenty years old.