Hi Chad and welcome!
You need to feed the blocks with a separate power pack/transformer. Keep this simple for now.You have two loops,one is powered with a pp/transfo,the other is isolated from the second loop,that is handled with the 2nd pp/tranfo.That is the control the loco and the track they are on.

Dr D

Thanks DR. D! I have insulating rail joiners and with that I can isolate the two loops, right? But one question I have is how do I use the insulating rail joiners? I saw a video and they put the little plastic joiner on the positive side of the track only. I used to think that you put them on both sides of the track until I saw that video. I don't know if I mentioned it but I do have a second transformer so I feel like I'm really close to being able to accomplish this. And yes keeping it simple sounds great to me. I don't want to fry anything tho.
Another thing if you don't mind helping me out here. When you say two loops and that they are isolated from each other, Can a train travel from one loop into the other and still run? Like what I'm saying is once they are isolated, does that mean trains can never leave their loops? I'm sorry for sounding like such a noob. I just want to make sure I know what to expect.

Hello Chad,

A little over 2 years ago I was in the same position as you. I had just got into Z with a small layout based on the standard Marklin starter and extension sets. I could run a single loco and then I set up the catenary so I could run two locos independently on the same track. But it just wasn't doing it for me. I bought extra controllers and set up separate mainlines isolated from each other. I also used the 8945 Universal relay to automatically control a blocked track section. All of these were valuable in learning how to set up and operate a train set. As Gary indicated the Marklin book 0296 is very useful. Even older than it is a Marklin track planning book 0290 which has an English translation which has a little more detail than 0296. But I still wasn't happy. To keep the trains running I was forever cleaning the track and they always ran too fast. Everything was running in analogue mode.

Then I discovered digital. I have not looked back. I use a Trix mobile station to control up to 10 trains at a time. I have had up to 6 on the same track section at once. They can operate at incredibly slow speeds or as fast as you like. And I find I don't have to clean the track as frequently. I only raise the digital option so that before you head down an investment in analogue controllers you give some thought to a digital option. If you look on youtube you can find heaps of examples of digital z gauge trains. I'd be happy to give you more details about how I made the transition from analogue to digital if you're interested.

Cheers,

Wal

Thanks Wal, I appreciate your comments. I think digital is in the not-so-distant future, but as for now I don't want to spend the money. I hear it is very expensive and although I do plan on making the jump to digital eventually, I think for now I will stick to analog. I will look up those parts you mentioned. I only want to run two trains at a time. Maybe be able to park a few and kill that block so I can run others, that kind of thing. If you don't mind answering one question for me ( I never got it answered, lol): When using those plastic insulated rail-joiners, do I put them on both sides of the track or just the positive? I use marklin z-scale track that was bought about 10 years ago.

I second Wal's advice, being a "belts and braces" man myself. And keeping the plastic links makes the isolators easier to work with.

Do you know how to work with the isolating tracks, so that you can "park" your trains?

Hey guys thanks for all the advice and help. I just got home from work and tried to run a second transformer to a bit of isolated track. And it works so that is a small breakthrough for me.

Yes I think I will order that switch box. At first I thought I was already using that 8588 track ( feeder track ) , but at closer glance saw that gap. So that makes sense that it is used to break the connection. This will be perfect for parking locos in the yard. Thanks for the tips!