Anyone use a layout, "kill" switch?

There are three shut-down systems. 

(1.) All track power runs through (2) TPC's, Track Power Controllers, silver boxes pictured.  The halt button, on the Cab-1 remote, cuts power to the TPC's.   The emergency shut-down is in your hand.

(2.) All electric for the layout is via one receptacle near the power control center, left bottom of first picture.   The receptacle is switched by the door to the main room of the layout.

(3.) There is also an E-stop button on the DCS remote.

I have 2 light switches setup as follows:

Light switch 1 powers the TIUs, Legacy base and provides power to light switch 2.

Light switch 2 won't power on unless switch 1 is one first.   Light switch 2 provides track power.

Turning off either switch will kill power.

This provides both an emergency off and also provides a safe power on.   I've had run-away engines occur if track power comes on before TIU/Legacy power.

I've wondered if this would work when using a Z-4000 for power.  Just take any metal object such as a key, coin or screwdriver and short out the track with it.   Should trigger the circuit breaker and if I'm right, your train won't take off again until it resets and the power is dropped back to zero then back up.  I don't yet own a Z but have it on my short list.  The bigger concern might be boards in modern locomotives.  Again my understanding is the Z-4000 has this protection already built in.

My power table was designed to be portable for a modular layout. Yes, I have a kill switch.

These are some early pics. I have a rocker switch that kills all layout track power and the halt button on the Cab-2 legacy remote.

The legacy base sits next to the ZW-C on top. The bottom has been changed since the photo. I eliminated the surge protector and went to two switches and two four outlet boxes. One for track and one for accessory power. A third brick was added and two SC-2.

My grandson likes to spark the trains, so I use the halt or rocker switch more than I want to use it.

PS- the euro strip was used so that I could install TVS and then connect to the track cable terminal block (not connected in photo)

I've got two kill switches...the switch on the power strip near the transformers and another underneath the table which came in handy the other day. I was tracing the source of a dead block of track when I came across a wire splice that looked perfect.  It wasn't. When I placed my fingers around the splice all of a sudden the dead block came alive along with the train that was on it! The kill switch under the table prevented a collision and a heart attack.

(3.) There is also an E-stop button on the DCS remote.

Can this be relied upon 100% of the time?  Has anyone ever had an issue when they pressed the E-Stop button and nothing happened?

What is the method of communication from the remote to the TIU/transformer?  RF? To the DCS engine and through the rails to the TIU/transformer?

Ron

A more direct method is to remove power to the TIU itself by use of a relay and an E-Stop button or remove power to the TIU using a remote wireless power disconnect.  See examples.

The first photo shows the power circuit that feeds 2 channels of the TIU.  The power circuit also has a circuit breaker for each channel. Any one of 4 E-Stop buttons mounted around the layout can be used to disconnect track power. The E-Stop on the DCS handheld is not needed. This same circuit is used with a wireless remote button that also interrupts TIU power to the track. 

I use the Westek Home Depot kill switch shown above. It's wonderful. Most people use them to turn their outside Xmas lights on and off, but model trains are a perfect application. I put the controller on a lanyard and wear it around my neck when I'll be walking around the layout (especially with inexperienced friends and relatives working the DCS remote).  For 15 bucks, it's a great deal

-Roger