I'm brand new here and very excited about the exchange of ideas that takes place here.

I have a large collection of older equipment and now i'm building a rather large layout and going digital. On my layout I would like to use my old analog signals. Is there a way to use them so the trains come to a slow stop and not an abrupt stop when power is shut off?

Hi Rockingtrain,

Welcome to the forum.

hi Rockingtrain,

I guess it mainly depends on how you intend to run your layout. Going digital can mean anything from just running your trains manually thru a digital controller, with or without digital switching thru decoders for your turnouts up to complete computer control of your layout.

For use with computer controlled automated routes* you normally use S88 feedbacks in combination with digital switching of the signals, which means that you or rather your computer program set the signals, run the trains and by using the information of the S88 feedbacks your trains slow down when passing a warning signal and smoothly come to a halt at the stop signal. In this case everything is controlled by the computer without the need for any stopping or braking sections or power cuts to rail sections.

The other way is to use the "analog" way of controlling traffic, just as you are used to doing now. By adding these braking sections which will work in both a digital and analog environment, nothing much changes to the way you run your layout except that your trains should run smoother. You can do that with a MS1 or if you also want digital control of turnouts, a MS2.

*That can be done by using a PC hooked up to an interface or digital controller with interface or by the sophisticated command stations like CS2 and others. As for the signal hardware itself, you can use any old, ancient or new signal of any manufacturer you want.

yes, you can use analog signals with digital control.

I like to treat signals as cosmetic - by that I mean the lights can be controlled as desired, but they do not influence the actual running of the trains.

If you want trains to sop in font of a red signal, it is no different to stopping the train at any other point on the layout. Using a computer to control the layout means that you can set the signals and then whoever or whatver is controlling the trains can stop the train at the right place.

Brake sections are an analog control mechanism. You don't need them if you are using a computer.

The actual physical control of the signals (using a digital system) is achieved by a K84 (or equivalent) module. 4 2-aspect signals can be driven by one K84 module.

You can also control your signals manually completely independently of the digital system, but of course the computer would be unaware of what the signal status is.

Hi, Mark!
I'm afraid there is no simple way.
Digital braking modules use diodes - the decoder still gets the full power, but rectified, notices the different current and slows down with the braking delay set in the decoder. Lights and sounds will remain on as there is enough power for them.

A slow digital train will not slow down with resistors as long as there is enough power to keep the pace. Fast trains will slow down when they do not get enough power. So I'm afraid your resistors will not always have the desired effect when used in digital operations (some locos will slow down, others may not).
And I presume the last section before the signal will have no power at all, so lights and sounds will be off.