Lionel Train Forum - Lionel Trains




Author Topic: My first post here and questions about Spur power cut off switches & grounding  (Read 1486 times)

Lenny646

  • New Member
  • *
  • Posts: 2
  • Location: Northeast
    • View Profile

  • Total Badges: 3
    Badges: (View All)
    Topic Starter Level 1 First Post
Hello,
I have been into Lionel Trains my whole life and my first set (which I still have) was bought by my Dad the week I was born - 65 years ago! My layouts have grown over the years and I now have a dedicated room for my trains and layout which is now fairly large. It has 5 separate track loops and I am now in the process of wiring it up. I actually built this layout 22 years ago but got sidetracked and never wired it up or completed it. For 22 years they basically sat idle! Well, I'm back into it now - bigger than ever!

About 1/3 of my collection is post war, a bunch is from the 70's & 80's and I have bought a lot of Command Control Locos from the late 90's and early 2000's. I am now intergrading in TMCC equipment (the original version)  and it's been somewhat confusing for someone who has up until now only operated conventional Lionel's. Since it's been a while I'm a bit rusty and will definitely have many questions for those here who can hopefully offer up advise and direction so thank you in advance!

My first & second question's are .......

On one of my conventional track loops I have 4 spurs with 4 switches. I'd like to isolate the spurs so I am able to park loco's on them without lights and smoke going. I know I can use toggle switches to cut off the middle + rail, but am I correct in not bothering to also cut the ground rails? I can not think of any reason to, but don't want to do it incorrectly. So if I only use a SPST switch am I good to go?

I am also using 5 separate transformers. Am I correct in assuming I should ground them all to one another via a common ground block?

Again, thanks in advance.

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter


TrainLarry

  • Moderator
  • *****
  • Posts: 491
    • View Profile
  • Scale(s) Modeled: 0 scale

  • Total Badges: 19
    Badges: (View All)
    Seventh year Anniversary Sixth year Anniversary Fifth year Anniversary
Welcome to the forum!

You are correct, in that you can use a switch to cut power only to the center rail. You do not need to isolate the outside rails. A SPST switch will do the job.

Yes you can tie all the transformer grounds together.


Larry

Lenny646

  • New Member
  • *
  • Posts: 2
  • Location: Northeast
    • View Profile

  • Total Badges: 3
    Badges: (View All)
    Topic Starter Level 1 First Post
Thanks Larry! Just wanted to make sure.

 

Related Topics

  Subject / Started by Replies Last post
2 Replies
1154 Views
Last post January 22, 2018, 08:33:35 pm
by inoutupdownbackforth
12 Replies
4086 Views
Last post February 21, 2019, 05:03:26 am
by TrainLarry

Member Photos

Recent Threads

Re: E unit for Lionel 1668 by kars2026at10
April 16, 2024, 06:26:52 pm

TROUBLE SHOOTING A LIONEL RW TRANSFORMER by kars2026at10
April 15, 2024, 11:26:45 pm

E unit for Lionel 1668 by Stras90
April 12, 2024, 04:31:50 pm

Lionel 0288 Coaling Station by Tom
March 15, 2024, 10:10:23 pm

Estate Sale, Huge Collection, Original Boxes by x78163
March 14, 2024, 04:15:45 pm

Menu


Donate to LTF Here

Lionel Trains

Lionel Train Forum - Model Train Forum

©2012-2023  LionelTrainForum.com