You guys have been a great help and I know I'll be coming back to this discussion to remember what you said.
I do have a crossing gate, a gateman, the banjo a news stand and even a watch tower. All run fine even if I can't remember each time I hook one up!
The one thing I do/did different is == in the photos, the "ground" is on a clip outside the insulated rail......I have mine hooked up to the non-insulated rail oposite the newly made insulated rail. Seems like it's doing the same thing. So, on mine- I have a wire on each inside/outside rail of the isolated track. 
