I assume these questions are still directed for Stan to answer. However your third question is pretty simple to answer. Especially in that you wish to have sidings that will be turned off when not in use. So you could have a dedicated siding that is used to add engines with. I would recommend plugging a remote directly into the TIU controlling that siding. You would power down any other tracks connected to that specific TIU and only have the "programming" track on.
By plugging the remote directly into it, the remote and that TIU will only talk to each other. The radios are disconnected.
All of this is in Barry's book I believe.
