Thanks Guys
Yes Gus the yard is wired with a tech11 2800 dual cad using atlas controllers. The walk around has its own power source. I was thinking that once the train leaves the yard and the front wheels are on the main line just over the plastic joiners then I will turn the power off on the yard tech11 and turn on the power for the walk around that would work would it not. Thanks again.
Brian
Brian
What you are proposing will
not work.
Insulating both rails in one place does you no good. As soon as the first locomotive wheels span the insulated gap, you have 2 throttles controlling one train. The situation continues until all the locomotive wheels are across the insulated rail joiners. While the locomotive is spanning the insulated joiners, a "fault" current that is proportional to the voltage and polarity difference (if any) between the 2 power packs is flowing through your locomotive wheels and frame. The current will be high, basically limited only by the capacity of your power packs. Your power pack circuit breakers may or
may not trip, depending on how they are wired and which leg of the circuit the power pack bridging is occurring in. If the power packs put out enough current, you can ruin your locomotive and/or the power packs.
This is the reason for the rule that a train is never in 2 electrical sections of track fed by different power packs at the same time.
This is also why, that if you want to transfer control of the train from the yard throttle to the walk-around, you need to set up an electrical block, insulated in at least one rail at
both ends of the block. This block must be able to be selected between the 2 throttles - just like your yard blocks. I do recommend - but it is not required - stopping the train in the block while you shift controllers. If you don't stop the train, there will be a jerk while power is shut off momentarily, and then comes back on at a slightly different voltage on the other throttle.
Ideally, you will block out your main line with the Atlas Selectors, just like you did with your yard. One of the yard throttles and the walk-around can be selected to control a train anywhere on the main.
hope this makes sense