This is DCC?  Do you cut the

This is DCC?  Do you cut the power to tracks due to sound units?

N scale is shown to good effect in this video.

I do

love passenger trains.  The main reason I've gone back to building an N scale layout is to have those longer passenger trains.  The HO layout can be much smaller and just there to do switching.  Thanks for sharing the video.

DCC Power Cut offs

Jim,

Thank you for your comments. Yes it is DCC.  I have about 41 power cut off switches in use throughout the layout (26 in staging & 15 on the main level). It was done so that the installed decoders, both sound and non-sound, were not running/idling on sidings/tracks that were not in use.  If I remember correctly, I had read an article by Tony Koester a few years ago where he used power cut off switches and discussed why he had used them.

John 

Passenger Trains

Dave,

The focus of my layout is passenger trains and primarily those of the Santa Fe Railroad.  I have been going through each of the passenger trains that I have planned to run on the layout for a couple of reasons, first, to identify those passenger cars (from the various N-Scale manufacturers) that either will or will not run together satisfactorily and repair those that do not. Second, for me to practice and learn the art of passenger car and mail/express car switching. I have also been able to identify which engines (mainly the Con-Cor 4-6-4s) do not have the ability to pull a 12 car passenger consist up either of my two helixes.

John 

Fun to Watch

John, You have done another neat video that is great fun to watch.  You mentioned a 4-6-4 in a comment. Any plan to run a steam passenger consist like maybe a local?

Passenger Trains

Hi Steve,

Thank you for your comments.

I have several N-Scale Con-Cor 4-6-4s (with Kato motors) that have been upgraded with DCC decoders.  They run very well and can handle long passenger trains (12 cars) on the main level and down to staging. However, they have a problem on both helixes when trying to pull the same 12 cars up from staging. They can, however, pull a shorter passenger train (5-6 cars) or special up the helixes.

I do have other steam engines that handle local freight/mixed trains such as 2-8-0, 2-8-2, 2-8-4. Also, the BLI 4-8-2s & Kato FEF 4-8-4s handle the helixes very well.

Both of the helixes were designed as ovals with less than a 2% grade plus an 18 inch long straight section on both sides of each level.

John

 I have about 41 power cut

I have read others suggest power cut-offs for the same purpose.  I have an 11 track staging yard on the layout I am building and have wired each track to be isolated so I can cut them off from the main bus as well.  What did you use for your cut-off switches.  I still need to buy them for my layout.

Your n scale run really gives the impression of the passenger train going places!

Santa Fe F7 ABBA

Hi John,

This is a winner for me! I absolutely love this train. Especially the F7 ABBA combination looks fantastic.

Maybe some day I will be able to buy one in HO for my AnneliesVille RR and make this dream come true!

Your layout comes to life running trains and I also see progress on the landscaping. I love the rolling hills with the tracks sweeping trough the valley and into the tunnel. Nicely done and I look forward to see how you finish these scenes.

Thanks for sharing this fine video and the power cut off on staging and sidings is indeed 'the' option I need to integrate on my layout.

Keep safe & enjoy the Railroading,

Filip

DCC Power Cut offs

Hi Jim,

Thank you for your comments & question.  I used SPDT switches to control the power to the tracks. The switches that I had were left over from a previous layout so they were really cheap. I got them from an electronics place in the Chicago area (no longer in business).   I also added an LED to the circuit so I would know whether the power was on or not.  

As I recall, Tony Koester, in the Model Railroader article, used a rocker type switch that had a light in it so you could use either kind of switch.

Your yard is nice and big.  I did the same thing as you did by adding in a re-railer on each staging track. 

John

The Engines

Hi Filip,

Thank you very much for your comments.  As you already know, my layout runs primarily passenger trains and I have been using them to train myself on how to do the switching at my Union Station. Most of my trains are led by multiple engine sets since it takes a lot of pulling power to get long passenger and freight trains up the 15 inch high helixes from staging to the main level of the layout. 

My daughter-in-law, who painted the backdrop a year or so ago is now 100% involved in an internet business (unrelated to model railroads) so she has not had the time to do more of the backdrop so I will have to try some of it myself or talk my wife into it.   

There is an N-Scale modeler in the Netherlands that models the Santa Fe Railroad plus a couple of other transition era American railroads.  As I recall, his YouTube channel was "steampower4ever" or something like that.

John

DCC Power Cut offs

Hi Jim,

Thank you for your comments & question.  I used SPDT switches to control the power to the tracks. The switches that I had were left over from a previous layout so they were really cheap. I got them from an electronics place in the Chicago area (no longer in business).   I also added an LED to the circuit so I would know whether the power was on or not.  

As I recall, Tony Koester, in the Model Railroader article, used a rocker type switch that had a light in it so you could use either kind of switch.

Your yard is nice and big.  I did the same thing as you did by adding in a re-railer on each staging track. 

John