I just bought a Marklin oval track and I wanted to have two trains on the track. I purchased 8568 and 8569 curve turnouts having an inner and outer curve on one side of my oval. Issue I’m running into is when I have my turnouts switched to run the inner track I find the outside track is still live. Is there a way to use the 8568 and 8569 turnouts so when the inner track is switched the outer track doesn’t run the train on it?

Hi,

These points are "live" in both directions regardless of the direction the blades are switched to. So if you have a crossover to the inner circuit, you have to have electrical isolation on the crossover (either an air gap or isolating fishplates). The inner circuit will then require a separate power feed. If you are using analogue controllers and want to run two trains independently on each circuit at the same time, you will need two controllers. Alternatively, with one controller, you could set up a form of "cab control" that allows you to select which circuit is being controlled - but you won't be able to operate two trains, independently at the same time.

This web site explains all this better than I have: https://www.brian-lamber...k/Electrical_Page_1.html

I have not used the 72740 box, but the description seems to indicate that it just functions like a series of on/off switches.

Carim

Air gaps are literally a gap between two rails (so electricity cannot flow between the rails) - so you just don't join two pieces of track together. Sometimes this leads to alignment problems so you can use insulating rail joiners; Märklin sell them in pack 8954, but I prefer the Peco product SL-311.

Carim

IF talking analog, Märklin semaphore or light signal in fact ARE relays to power / power off something, usually a piece of track, a block, a siding or what have you. You'll need two of them to alternatively run and stop either of the tracks.