With help from this group, I was able to resolve issue 2) above but am still left with frequent derails at dcc turnouts.  Anyone had this problem or know of solutions.

I might assume that this is like anything else,  you get what you pay for.  I bought cheap cars and maybe it is the cheap trucks that are causing the derails as it is uncommon from the locos to derail.  derails are 99% of the time caused with the cars. 

Thanks.

Ok, now I'm really getting it.  For some reason i was thinking a bus was like a terminal where you feed main power in with a bunch feeders coming off of it.

In essence, you've got heavy guage wire parralleling the track from underneath with lower guage feeders coming off of it soldered directly to the track. 

Wouldn't it be easier to just solder jumpers from each section of track from the top of the layout?  the rail line itself would be heavier guage than any bus wire, right?  how about soldering the metal rail joiners?

Thought I had the idea pretty much understood until steamgene's comments.  sorry gene.

Anyway, Hunt, your last comment seems the easiest and cleanest for my 'on-carpet-for-now' layout.  As the ez command has short protection, from rerailer to rerailer, couldn't I just plug them in mementarily one way to see if it shorts? 

The layout consists of an inner oval 6' x 3.5' that switches to an outer oval that is 8.5' x 4.5'.  The outer oval has an inner passing lane that goes the width of the oval and an outer passing lane that goes the length of the oval; this lane actually starts from the width turning outside then curving parrell to the outside oval to then run the length of the outside oval.  Finally, from the outside passing lane, I made a line that is length-long to just hold cars. 

Question, my last entry from last nite above describes what I understood from the previous comments and it appears that my understanding is correct.  That being the case, I still don't understand how to have a centralized bus with feeders that are only 6 inches in length.  It seems to me that the bus would probably be on onside or the other of the track (underneath) and that feeders closest to the track would be shorter than feeders feeding the opposite side of the track.  with a 6X10 layout, that could equal feeders of a length of 3 X 5 if the bus was directly in the center of the layout.  Unless the bus is as long and in the same shape of the layout?  Thanks.

Thanks.

Ok, I do have spots on the track that slow down...so let's see if I understand.

The ez command has a female jack type plug that says it goes to the track.  The harness that goes to the track has a male jack plug on one side and a flat connector that plugs to the track rerailer on the other side.  I should cut off the flat connector and plug those 2 wires to the bus.  from the bus, i then run pairs of wires to different parts of the track.  I already have a few rerailres that have the flat connector sockets.  I could just use them to plug to the track at the different locations throught the layout. 

I assume that I will have to pay special attention to polarity from the bus to the different track plugs.

Does this sound right?  Thanks.

I purchased one of the dcc sets with the easy commander.  it only has a 2 wire plug that goes from it to the track...so I am a liitle confused.  Please consider my responses below:

Quote from: pdlethbridge on February 08, 2009, 01:50:55 AM
The bus wires are the main feeder wires for the whole layout.
Where do the wires come from that feed the bus?

It goes from end to end...
which end to which end?

and your power, dcc system is wired to it. 
Does the mean that the 2 wires that come from my commander that normally go to the track plug into the bus?

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
/               /                   /                    /                 /                 /                /                    /              /
BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB
This shows only one rail of a 2 rail system, both rails get wired to both bus wires. 
What is 'both wires?'

thanks for your response...just trying to learn.

I'm getting it slowly.  Big in little out.  Where does the 'in' come from?  I assume the out goes to the track.  where does the easy command fit into the picture. do I need more than a bus, appropriate guage wiring, and the easy command?  if it is one bus with many feeders, how do i get 6 inch feeders to reach different parts of the track from one main bus?  I did some quick searches on the net and saw something about a booster.  What have i gotten myself into...

Though I speak English and Spanish, the language of bus is foreign to me.  Any chance you've got an address or link to the interpretation?

Thanks for the help.

OK, I unplugged power pack from the wall, removed the dc athearn from the track, plugged back in and ran just the 2 dcc locos.  I had no issues with dead dcc turn outs until a derail.  it was quite nice to have full control over all of the dcc turn outs.  thanks. 

Am I to understand from this that a derail can cause a quick short that affects the dcc turnouts?  If that is the case, then I'll just reboot the track after each derail.  That's not such a big deal.  The big deal is so many derails at those dcc turnouts.

Am I also to understand that dc loco affects the dcc turnouts?  If so, that is a bummer.  I'll have to get a decoder and one of those buddy commanders so I can have two controllers.  I was using the dc with a separate dc controller I got from one of the 2 train set purchases I have made since december.

How about those frequent dcc turnout derails?  Any input?

after I posted the thread on dcc turnout problems, i went on to read other threads and have a question.  After the intial train set purchase, I have added quite a bit of track and turn outs.  It is a dcc set up.  Is it necessary to have more than one connection point to the track?  If so, how is this accomplished via the easy command?

I'm running a spectrum 8-40cw dcc, a dcc from the original bachmann train set, and an athearn dcc ready running dc.  There are times when all three are running simultaneously and others when only one or two are running.  I try to keep the dc running most of the time but not always.  all three locos remain on the track at all times.

There is no specific dcc turnout that stops working; it's random.

New to this.  Bought my son a set for christmas and daddy has gone crazy wild with adding track, turnouts, locos, and cars. 

I have purchased 7 bachman dcc turnouts and several manual turnouts.  I have 2 problems with the dcc turnouts:

1) frequent derails at the turnouts.  It almost seems that there is not enough torque to hold the switched track in place and wheels slip between the intended direction (turn) and the straight side.  it is usually the car behind the loco that derails when approaching towards they 'y' to turn out.  It can happen at any speed.

2) frequent dead switches.  Things will be working fine, then randomly, a dcc turnout will stop reponding to the easy commander.  a quick fix is to push the stop button to let power go off for a second or two.  almost like rebooting the track.  once done, they all work again to then to stop working again.

Both issues are annoying.  Please help!