Hi, Mark!
That's what you have to do to make a level railroad crossing work with a Mobile Station.

Should work. The other way around (catenary analogue, track digital) this was discussed in several threads already.

See here:
https://www.marklin-user...-on-the-same-layout.aspx

Mark - very interesting. Let me ask, is the real goal to be able to run both analog and digital at the same time (with whatever limitations and technicalities that brings), or to just be able to operate one or the other on the same layout (such as a way to switch the whole layout between digital an analog operation)?

Also, I am sure you are aware....but it is possible to run delta and most digital locomotives in analog mode without any additional action. This is what I do. I will note that depending on the motor type in the digital model (as others here have often pointed out), the running characteristics aren't very good. And of course running digital locos on analog prevents you from being able to control lights, functions, sounds, etc. You would also have to treat them like analog locos in operation, have track sections in blocks if you wanted to park locos on the layout, use signals, etc. A little bit of a pain for wiring, I have about 15 different sections of track that can be powered on/off at a push of a button, but that's 15 AC wires (using a common ground), and 15 buttons...

-Brandon

I'm starting planning a new layout and I cannot make up my mind whether I would have it all digital or some of it analogue.

I may go down an avenue similar to what Ian describes, making parts of the layout electrically insulated from each other and then run one part fully digital and possibly one part either digital or analogue controlled by a switch. The disadvantage of course being that I have to make sure I have parked all analogue locomotives on tracks that I can switch off, before flipping the switch to digital operation. Another disadvantage could be the more complex wiring. The advantage being that I can enjoy my analog locomotives even before converting them and yes that is my plan. (For that reason the ESU magnet for converting the 3015 Croc is highly anticipated).

I started a long time ago buying all new locomotives as digital and I had at one point in time an idea that on a future layout I would build the stations, lines, freight yards etc using digital, but keep analogue at the engine depot. But then there were a few locomotives that I wanted that came only as Delta, where you have to change the DIP-switches if you want to run them on a digital layout or the other way around. So, so much for that idea. Today I plan on having the depot as digital.

To summarize, even though a common ground between an analogue and a digital should work OK, provided that there is no phase difference between the power supplies feeding the different parts, I would rather play it safe and make them totally insulated from each other. The risk of having stray currents isn't a real one for H0 scale, as it is for 1:1 operations, but to play it safe, I would avoid common ground.

Hi Brandon,

Yes, in my ideal world, I would like to run both digital and analog at the same time on one track, separated catenary feed or centre rail feed.

As for isolated track, I am planning a slew of buttons too...
Buttons, clearly marked with a layout map.
I am used to people pushing my buttons anyway
Digital or analog, we can slue things around with our slew of buttons.

- Mark

Even this being the case, it's pretty easy to fix, you just need a couple of minutes, some wire and a bulb or lamp.

Mark: Some very excellent ideas here Brandon. Some of which I was toying with and now you have clarified for me Brandon. Thanks again buddy. I have to post photos of the layout I am working on now.

Brandon: That way you could run a digital E-loc and analog steam/diesel, and then switch and run an analog e-loc and digital steam/diesel? To expand on this idea, what if you also had your track sections (for simplicities sake lets say two loops) isolated, and you could independently switch each loop between analog and digital? ...

Mark: This first layout is two loops with a loop back and a yard. Later plan for a tight helix into a mountian. I am under orders from my four little commandant-ettes to build a mountain with a coal mine in it, because my oldest read a book about a girl whose father worked in a coal mine. Plus I am fascinated with all things coal because my own father used to by coal from USS Steel in Pittsburg for Ontario Hydro in Canada. (another story) I am trying to set things up so they can help with the scenery. But I digress... that is another thread in which I will post photos. Lets stick to dual systems here. I was planning to have only one loop and with catenary, but might have to do two, but certainly not the yard on this one. The hand-thrown switches are nearest to the edge. There are some electric switches in the proposed tunnels and the yard. I don't want to have hand-thrown under catenary or tight places that little hands cannot get at. (accessible from the side, or from underneath in a portal).

Brandon: This would give a lot of flexibility (especially adding catenary to the mix) to run different types of loco on different sections of the layout at the same time, analog on one loop, digital on catenary, digital on another loop, etc etc. The wiring my be complex, but if the layout has manual turnouts I am guessing it will omit automated signals as well. If this is the case, after careful design it may not be too bad. Most of the wiring on my semi-spagetti mess (called layout) is turnouts (3 wires per turnout).

Mark: I love this idea and I think it works wonderfully with the way I was going. As for "phase" I read the Eckert Engingeering essay on working it out, and its simple. I noticed the sparking on a lok when switching loops and stopped right away until I found out how to get the phasing right. Now I just have the plugs marked to know when to plug in trafos.

Brandon: The biggest concern I would have about running analog and digital on the same track at the same time is collisions. If the digi loc is set to a certain speed and chugging along, and the analog loc itself doing the same thing, you have to be quick and very focused to remember where to cut the power to prevent it (say at your MS2 or at your transformer). Maybe a power kill switch is in order ;)

Mark: Kill power switch is now on the menu. With multiple girls at operation, even smart ones, crashes need be anticipated.

Brandon: If you have lighting, running it on analog power may be easier, and it can share the same common ground. I also know of a few people here who have suggested running lighting on it's on transformer so you can adjust the brightness to make things look a bit better and save the life of your bulbs. I was planning to do this and use one of my now free blue transformers (6627).

Mark: Lights transformers also on the menu. I want to show a thread with photos of trafos discussing a list of the different kinds. Even got a Life-like trafo in the mix of a bunch of staff and pleasantly surprised to see it has AC for accessories. Tried it and works wonderfully.

More later. I am pretty excited about multiple options, especially suggestion to switch over analog and digital from top to bottom. The trick is to make it fool-proof so as not to cross wires. I amazed to see how much the girls enjoy working with the wires and get the idea of electrical circuits.

Next stop: Photo posting!

Mark