@RWL posted:..Each side of the ZW will feed one of the two loops:
Each loop is approx 40 feet long.
Each loop is divided into 3 approx equal length blocks.
Each loop will have Hot and Ground Terminal strips with:
4 sections: 1-In / 3 Out
Each "Hot Side" will be separately switched (On-Off).
All 3 blocks would be running at the same time, except during switching exercises.
,when a train might be parked on the far side of the loop.The Z-1000 will feed the sidings, which total about 80ft of track:
Divided up into 8 separately fed blocks.
Hot and Ground Terminal strips with:
9 sections: 1-In / 8-Out
Each "Hot Side" separately switched (On-Off).
Only 2, or maybe 3 of these would ever be live at the same time.So do you think there is trouble here
I don't know if I'd use the term 'trouble" but there is what might be an unexpected behavior when using the DCSRC in this way.
You may have noticed if you power up your DCSRC with a PS2/3 engine on the track, the engine turns on silently in the Shutdown condition. You then press StartUp on the remote and the sounds start, lights come on, and you can then send the engine on its way. When a DCSRC first turns on, it sends a so-called watchdog signal telling any DCS engines to turn on in the Shutdown condition. It only sends this brief watchdog "bark" once when first turning on in active or passive mode. OK, hold that thought.
Consider your 8-out yard with 8 output sections individually controlled by an on-off switch. Most, if not all, 8 sections will be turned OFF when you power up your layout. The DCSRC will turn on, send out its watchdog bark once which no engine can hear. Then you flip on the one or more switches to power up one or more sidings. Power is applied to the engine(s) on the newly powered sections but there is no accompanying watchdog bark signal! The engine(s) think they are in a conventional mode environment and start-up with lights, sounds and possible immediate violent motion if they were locked in Fwd or Rev given 18V AC on the track. Yikes!
This is a well-known behavior for which there are many OGR threads. Some guys find this to be a SWWC (So What, Who Cares) and yawn. Others are more, say, agitated and prefer a method where a DCS engine on an unpowered siding turns on silently in the Shutdown condition when the siding is turned on. If this makes any sense whatsoever and you feel any anxiety or agitation, then we can explore it further.
