Switch question

[xbbox]

I have a bachmann ez track setup and the switches that they make are garbage. I just purchased a couple of atlas manual switches and I'm trying to figure out how to hook them up to where I can put two trains on the same track, have one on the side in the switching area, run the other one on the track, and not have the one in the staging area try to move? Everytime I get power to both of them. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[steamhead]

You have to isolate one rail of the siding so power doesn't go directly to it through the turnout. Then you feed that rail through an ON/OFF switch and you're all set to go...!!

Good luck!!!

 

[xbbox]

aaaaaaa, k. lol

 

[60103]

I think there are currently 3 ways that switches are wired (that is, as they come)
Atlas Snap-switches have all the rails powered all the time. Both tracks coming off the one end are always on. Sounds like this is what you have. To kill a track, you need a plastic rail joiners (or two) and an on-off switch.
Then there are the traditional all-rail switches (called electrofrog by Peco; the Dechert system after the fellow who developed it around WW2). One of the branches is live; the other has both rails at the same potential because they're shorted by the points. This can be used to store locos on a siding, but you have to put a plastic rail joiner in on the main track if it gets power from beyond the frog. Will also require extra wiring in most cases.
The other is the insulfrog. The point rails continue through the frog but don't touch. The one branch is powered but the other has one dead rail. This can also be used to store locos. You can usually get away without plastic rail joiners on this type of switch.
I think the EZtrack switches may be the third type. Atlas makes both the snap-switches and another type but I'm not sure.