Hi Guys

I have my thick head on today and I hope you can advise me.

If digital locos are left on the track, the power still goes to the decoder but the loco does not move, therefore do I need to install sections of isolated track on the sidings for them, if so how do you wire it? Or because the layout is only powered during the time I am running my locos I don't need to worry?

I sure the long term digital users will be able to help me, I didn't worry when I used N gauge just throw the point switch, but because all the Marklin c track is live should I play safe!

Regards
Harry

On my previous layout, I had some sidings where it was possible to switch power on/off with a decoder. Never used them. The only real reason IMHO could be trains with car lights, but it will be nicer to install a decoder in the car itself. For the new layout, I plan only one track where it will be possible to switch power on/off: The track for manual (man-hand) configurarion of trains, and the purpose is to avoid short-circuits.

correct there is no need to isolate tracks for digital use.

The only thing you would accomplish by shutting off power to a segment of track with a parked loco is saving a small amount of power and then having to re-enable that segment before you can drive that loco, which may incur overhead in booting the decoder on the loco itself. I really don't see the point; when one is done with using the layout, you power down the whole layout, right?

The question has a bit of the feel of "how can I power down the bulbs behind the satnav button on my dashboard because I hardly use the satnav". Seems like adding additional complexity for no significant gain.

Depends on whether you have old incandescent type bulbs or modern LEDs. With the old bulbs I agree you would use up precious digital power, but with the LEDs it most likely wouldn't be worth the effort.

For older bulbs yes, but for LEDs, they are generally rated for tens of thousands of hours so you would have to leave them on 24x7 for several years straight to burn them out. Your MS/CS would surely die well before your LED bulbs

I have several isolated sections on my layout. The two main lines are isolated, as is the "branch line". Each siding is also isolated. Each track through the station is also isolated. It is not very difficult to do, though takes some time. I use the Marklin manual on / off switches

If there is a short, derailment, I can cut power to that section, and the other trains can still run while I fix the problem. One of my locomotives will "ghost run" when parked. This prevents that. I can switch the power off to the entire layout, and leave inly the programming track live. I like using my "staging " track without power when putting cars or locomotives on the track. My clumsiness in doing so can cause shorts on a live track.

some of my older tin plate cars have the old lighting kits. I notice the power they take if parked. Being able to turn off that siding helps.

I'm actually one of those who would prefer to have lights off but only for the realism factor when cars are parked in a siding (or shadow station). I was looking into the what others have done a few months ago and read that (at least at this point in time) the CS has an issue with re-detecting locos parked on these tracks when power is restored. Apparently the loco has to go through the registration process again. Just something to consider when deciding how to approach this decision.

Also, just for anyone who is using this thread to make a decision, the 10,000 hour example is low. LEDs are generally rated between 20,000-100,000 hours, which at the bottom end (20k hours) equates to leaving your layout on for 24x7 for well over two years straight. In more realistic terms, you could run your layout (with the lower end LEDs) for 3 hours a day every single day for 18 years straight and could then expect the LED to run at 50% initial brightness.

The factors I considered were:
-How important the realism factor is to me
-Cost of hardware to control power
The power consumption and longevity of LEDs wasn't a concern.

In the end, the decision is yours. Just wanted to share the info I found while trying to make the decision for myself.



Hi Dreadnought, can you share your experience when re-enabling power to your isolated sidings? Do you experience re-registration delays and what device are you using to control your layout?

Interesting, thanks. I wonder if the issue may have been resolved in a CS update? I'm trying to find the threads where this was discussed but the search feature is behaving strangely currently (where it will not allow scrolling through the results pages)

You mentioned you're using manual Marklin switches. I wonder if this makes a difference vs using k84/m84 decoders to control power to these track sections. I'll try to dig up the older threads and share for those interested.

One option to powering down lights on cars parked on sidings, assuming your power is not fed from a locomotive decoder output using the loco power pickup....

A single DCC decoder for the car that supplies the power to the lighting via its pickup - $15 (the Digitrax TL1 1 Function Decoder for example) - small, cheap, granted a bit more than the wires and switches you would employ, but its not that much more for what your doing. Then you can turn the lights off and on as needed and the only consumption is from the decoder (just like the parked locomotive), so what, around a few mA?

I would think that, if you have a power pickup in one of the cars, that powers your lights, instead have that pickup power a simple DCC decoder such as ( http://www.digitrax.com/...s/function-decoders/tl1/ ) which is cheap, and the function output of such a decoder (with a possible additional transistor or relay) can then turn power off/on to the lighting in the train.

Then when you park the cars, have the PC software or your controll station turn off the lights (the way you would turn off the lights on a loco as well).
Installing a decoder in the power-pickup car, just like one would do to digitalize an analog locomotive, but here there's no motor output and only really need one function.

Or would that not work?