You guys are all awesome.  So jbrock,,,i guessing I can change out the couplers my self?  Probable pretty straight forward.  The better quality track speaks for itself.  Thanks again.  Oh, and keep em coming,,,I don't mind.  Oh and...kidding!   

Got it.  Thanks buddy.

Cool.  Thanks.  That picture is also on the back of the 205 connector package.  It takes me a while to digest the schematic drawings as I am not too accustomed to reading schematics which are detailed. 

Thanks for the link AGSB.  i appreciate it and I won't give up.  Not in my nature. 

And thanks for the interest jbrock27.  I'm listening!  The sets I have are both Bachmann.  The first is "The Red Rock Express" with a 36" round track and a F9 deisel.  The next is called, "Rail Chief" with a larger oval track and a GP40 Engine.  Lots of cool extras.  Small people to paint, telephone poles, a tressel, road and rail signs.  Stuff like that.

I am humbled by all you who have invested your time and energy in helping me figure out my train parking problem.  I have already learned a lot just from these exchanges.  Doneldon, you are right in that I need to determine my approach to this fun exciting and rewarding hobby.  I will be digesting everyone's ideas, which all have merit.  I need to get past the novelty and figure out what I'm going to do. 

Thank you all for your interest and willingness to help.  I'll keep checking in with this site as the topics are very interesting, but I got enough to keep me busy for a while.  If I can get it together and I have success, I will let you know on this blog.  Thanks again to you all.  And have a great and successful new year.   

Thanks Jward.  You are right in your assessment of my skill level in this arena. This christmas I pulled out my old lionel train which I hadn't had out in over 30 years.  What cracks me up is it still worked.  So I cleaned up the old train and cars dating from the 1960's and something sparked inside.  So now I've been having fun with the O guage and picked up a couple of the Bachmann train sets with EZtrack on sale.  I'm learning the different levels of quality by the different makers and different approaches in technology, as well as the cost differences.  I'm not sure how much money I want to invest just yet, but just setting up and running the trains and hearing the Kliketty clack of the tracks does my heart good.  So here i am talking on a blog site with people i know have years of experience and have invested I'm guessing a sizable amount of money into their chosen hobby.  Awesome!

So the Atlas switch unit, (not track switch) is labeled as an Atlas #205 Connector.  It is a bank of three, yellow colored plastic slide switches that has two wire connectors next to each slid switch.  Then there are two screw connectors on each side of the unit.  I as I am fiddling trying to make it work right, I wonder if I am running into some of the issues inherent in a lower end train set. While I think what I want to do is simple, it just might be better for me to keep it simpler still and watch it go round and round.

As I continue to tinker, it becomes obvious I will have to make some decisions as to how far I will want to go down this road.  For now though, it is fun in a childish sort of way.

Thank you for your interest in helping me.

 

First, allow me to apologize for the double posting.  It won't happen again.
Second, I do appreciate the referral to the nmra site.  That looks very promising.  The reiteration of the DCC idea caused me to look more in depth and found there are more affordable DCC systems than the several hundred dollar versions.  So that actually may work for me also.  So I do appreciate the added
info., and sorry about my lack of posting protocol. 

With that, have a great New Year. 

Ok.  So I'm still trying to configure a couple of branch or spur lines to park an engine with 5 cars while I run the second engine and five cars.  The pattern is a standard oval big enough to have a spur line on the inside of the oval for each train.  I got the insulating plastic couplers and a metal couplers with a length of wire soldered to it and wired in an Atlas SP ST switch. I did the dead stop thing. I worked all the hook up possibilities and wrote down the instructions the guy from our local Hobby Town gave me and I still cant seem to cut the power to a spur while running the other train on the track.  The idea would be to power up the spur when I want to park the train running on the track, and run the train parked on the spur. I'm combining two Bachmann train sets to make this work and the pattern is like a pattern on the back of the box. Mr. Bach Man, any ideas?  Anyone?  Please?  This all Bachmann stuff.  Which is fine by me.  Smiley  If it cant be done, then that's fine.  i'm just trying to find my way.  I'm sure its something I'm doing, or not doing.  But not sure what.  Thank you in advance for your ideas.
   

Thank you to everyone who responded.  All the advise is well received and appreciated.  I have several directions in which to go and I will probably end up going in all of them eventually. 
Thanks to all!

Help! Trying to run two different engines on a simple oval.  While one train is running, I want to park the other train on a dead end branch line.  When I throw the switch and park one train, then switch back and try to run the other engine on the oval, power still runs to the  branch line causing the parked engine to want to run. How do I kill the power on the branch lines while the oval remains hot?  But, I need power to the branch lines when I want to park one engine. Thank you for any suggestions.