This is the track plan I followed. It is on the Noch website. How to wire the signals and isolation track is my biggest roadblock. I'm not even sure there are enough signals and circuit tracks to control two trains on the inner loop. I believe the two circuit tracks shown on the inner loop control the 8992 crossing gate. I also have a copy of the track plan in English which I got from a Marklin dealer, Z Scale Hobo. I haven't put down roadbed or ballast so I can still make changes. If I get any info on wiring I'll pass it along. Guide to Z Scale has a lot of the basics.

Thanks for the link which I need to examine more closely. It should be helpful in setting up the wiring for the crossing gate. There is also info on how to wire centenary which I intend to add to the Cortina outer loop.
In the track plan above there are two 8939 signals, two 8588 isolation tracks, two 8954 single-sided isolating rail joiners and two 89845 universal relays which I believe are there for three train operation, two on the inner loop. The crossing gate would use the third 8945 universal relay and the only two circuit tracks 8529 and 8589 on the plan. Understanding the functions and wiring of the 8945 universal relays and specifically how they control the 8939 signals for stopping and starting of the trains is next.

The original is 39" x 27"

I wish I could work in Z scale, but at 86, it is a bit too small for me.

MBFOS I need some help...I only have one transformer so didn't use the isolators at the turn outs, thinking I need to supply electricity for all the track with one feeder track.

I bought two isolation tracks and installed one (with no wires hooked up), and was surprised that my loco went around perfectly even over the isolation track. I'd thought with the track cut that the loco would not run on either the left side or the right side of that track section... Can you explain how those are to work?

and my bridge over the two side by side tracks (where they would have a bumper...what do you call that section in railroad terms?) seems to start right over the north most track of the two, where as photos of this layout seems to have it start about 55mm north of that....I tried a bunch of different small sections of track (the 25 mm and the 55mm) and can't seem to get it to layout properly.

take a look at my photo....I'll try to take a better perfectly vertical photo in a bit.

noch_cortina_need_help.png (2,367kb) downloaded 165 time(s).

AHHHHH...thanks for the explanation...was scratching my head..... does the cut rail have to be on the same side? I would think not.


I guess through the use of a circuit track you would energize a section of track that was isolated with 2 isolation tracks, then another circuit track to de-energize that isolated section (to stop the train).

Sorry, a newbie here, so just looking at the Cortina layout with marklin tracks isn't enough for me to understand.

Working on a similar (smaller) project, I decided to keep the outer loop separate from inner to optimally match train behavior. I removed switches (reused as staging line for outer loop). Outer loop works for passenger car trains, but inner not so much (tight curves). You can still use one transformer with two separate power tracks, but two controls is better (off brand DC double controllers are plenty). Adding working catenary with power needs a second transformer. While more realistic, I find overhead wiring too delicate at Z scale.

I can't open the Spanish Mini-Club link. I'm a novice trying to figure out how to wire my Marklin tracks to the nock cortina layout.

Thank you so much!!!