I have finally got WindigiPet Demand Contacts working on the layout. Boy! Is that a tale and a half!!!!

The problem now is that we have too many locos and we now need to introduce a Booster.. Here is the tricky part...

Because we use M-track (that Francisco and I know as the best track!), I have used Viessmann 5233s to solve some detection problems caused by an unforunate lack of contact tracks for the 5200 series tracks.. Unlike the normal contact track, these tracks sense current draw from locos, lighted cars and other things with a third rail.. They also provide power to that segment of the track - one of the reasons why I have never really had to worry about the distance between powerfeeds.. These Viessman units connect to the s88 bus on the IB in series with normal s88s and they are feed by track power. (See http://www.viessmann-modell.de/anleitung/5233.pdf)

It looks like the IB always provides the feed to s88s, so in a normal layout I guess that you would have the bulk of the locos and longest track connected to the booster.

Can I have the 5233 connected to the s88 bus set and feed some of the units from the booster's supply? I plan to rewire the second batch of 5233s so that they dectect only in the booster's operating area/tracks.

Any thoughts?

Thanks Fredrik. So I guess the next question is:

I will ensure that all of the 5233 detectors/contacts are in the same circuit of boosted track, but do I need to do the same for the s88 detectors/contact?

That is, imagine that there are 64 contacts on the track and 32 contacts, (along with the connected non-contact track), were in a circuit powered by the IB and the remainder powered by the Booster. Does this mean that I need 1 s88 and 2 5233s assigned to each set of 32 contacts OR can some of the ports from the s88 also be used to detect in the boosted area? My concern here is parking locos across two contact tracks where the first is an s88 connected to the IB and the second is fed from a 5233 connteced to the booster.. (The third rail of the first contact is connected to the booster)..

Thanks McLae and Fredrik...

I will commence a rewire of the layout in preparation for boosting... Making real sure that the browns are joined..

Thanks again guys - I feel more confident of the job...