Isolating track

[Lairdy]

Hello again,

If I isolate a section of track which only fits the engine on it can the coaches that are still on the live track affect anything?

Cheers

Dave

[Rog RJ]

Probably not.

You have given very little information about how your railway is powered, signalled and operated etc and whether the coaches have lighting, plastic or metal wheels etc.

[ColinB]

No they can't, unless it is something like a Brighton Belle where all the carriages are connected to the loco to run the lights. Well at least on the ones I have. Be careful though with the tenders, most modern locos pick up power both in the loco and tender, so your isolating section needs to be long enough to accommodate both loco and tender.

[Lairdy]

Thanks ColinB.

Question answered

[Tony57]

Hi

Are you DC or DCC

If DC the answer is yes. You can put in an isolating track and fit an uncoupling ramp say in a terminus station you can isolate the loco in the station and run a second loco up to the rear end of the coaches connect up and pull away from the isolated loco.

Looking at your drawing the old Triang Hornby R400 signal set did what you desire, today you would need to put in IRJ on both tracks at one end of the Isolated section with a isolating track with a on off switch at the other end so the section of track is switch to live or dead.

[Lairdy]

Hi

Are you DC or DCC

If DC the answer is yes. You can put in an isolating track and fit an uncoupling ramp say in a terminus station you can isolate the loco in the station and run a second loco up to the rear end of the coaches connect up and pull away from the isolated loco.

Looking at your drawing the old Triang Hornby R400 signal set did what you desire, today you would need to put in IRJ on both tracks at one end of the Isolated section with a isolating track with a on off switch at the other end so the section of track is switch to live or dead.

 

 

[Lairdy]

Thanks Tony.

Its a dc setup so happy days.

[Topcat2018]

@ColinB

Could I just add a comment that it's not just modern locos that may have a connection to the tender. If it's an older tender British-made tender-drive loco it will have one power connection to the motor in the tender from the left-hand loco wheels via the drawbar and the other power connection via the right-had tender wheels.

If it's a Chinese-made tender-drive loco with those horrible, flimsy contacts on top of the drawbar, there will be two connections to the motor in the tender via the drawbar, and also a connection to the motor from the right-hand tender wheels via some springy contacts, which I have always considered superfluous (belt-and-braces?).