Tomix turnouts and Digitrax DS 64

[Ochanomizu]

Ochanomizu, ...  this doesn't provide for accurate stopping when running a shinkansen, or other train with a dummy cab and a motor unit in the middle of the train. Have you had a problem with this? Did you add another short stopping section in the middle of the platform? Or do you use a different type of sensor? Any advise? 

 

Hello,

 

An EMU will usually have the power car in the middle.  To automate stopping you must have decoders in the END cars.  These will control the directional lighting.  So an EMU needs 3 decoders to work properly, one for the motor and two for the lighting in the end cars.  I program all three to the same address.  This works fine for controlling the stopping accurately.

[Oz_Paul]

My experience has been that power couplers with all wheel pick up should help detection especially if there is lighting in the end cars. Have not reached the stage of installing decoders in the end cars.

Edited February 14, 2017 by Oz_Paul

[Oz_Paul]

As stated earlier in this thread I have used Tomix turnouts (power routing) on my DCC layout including 2 double cross-overs. With the conversion to DCC and also with block detection I don't believe the power-routing capabilities of the turnout are needed any more.

 

Over time locos sometimes tend to stall at the turnouts as the electrical contacts within the power-routing circuitry accumulate dust etc. This stalling tends to take place in the short section in the turnout isolated by plastic isolators. These turnouts have plastic insulfrogs so I don't think there will be a short when the loco moves over a frog once the plastic isolators have been removed..

 

Is there any issue with removing the plastic isolators that are part of the turn-outs? i.e. it becomes no longer power-routing.