Thanks for the insight, I appreciate it!
One other question for you:
I've been assuming that the two signals that the command base sends out--into the outer rails of the track and into the house ground wiring--are the same in amplitude but opposite in voltage at any instant in time. Perhaps that assumption is incorrect. If it is correct, then I'm confused about something:
The alternating voltage being applied to the outer rails should make it behave like an antenna too. The rails should be radiating out electromagnetic waves just like the ground wiring in the house is doing. And, that signal that the rails are broadcasting should be picked up by the antenna on the locomotive just like the electromagnetic signal broadcast by the ground wiring in the house. But, since the two signals are equal in magnitude but opposite in voltage at any given time, shouldn't they cancel out each-other's induced voltage in the antenna on the locomotive? But, in actual practice, this appears to not be the case. Why is that?
I have a guess at a resolution to my question: The rails are indeed broadcasting their own signal that is opposite to the signal from the ground wiring, and both signals are indeed picked up by the antenna on the locomotive. But, because the locomotive is also able to directly detect the voltage coming through the outer rails and wheels, it is able to take account of the effect of the signal from the rails, and deduce what the signal from the house ground wiring should be. But I'm not super sold on this guess.
I'd welcome your clarification!
