[out2passya]

HI all,
Speaking out loud and getting to grips with SSD.
Im assuming that there is no difference between one track or the other as far as signal is concerned its really only split into two because of power distribution?.
You could race on only one track? You could for example come out of a 2 lane curve entering into a straight which splits into 4 then into 8 lanes then back to 4 then to two and normality again.

ie there is no track 1 or two in digital.. its just 1 track with ie the same signal but transposed onto multiple power tracks.

Ok next step if the above is true is this.
you could join two race circuits (lets say fred has a bunch of track he races on at home on a table top) and (bill has a similar setup) both have at one end just before and after the curve lets say, a splitter(like a pit lane) whos changeover is hard wired to a switch. In Fred mode these change overs are set to run on fred track only. But when fred n bill get together they connect their splitters(ie both race circuits are now together) YEs I understand one PB must be off. Flick the switch and now rather than taking the curve one continues onto other circuit.

Not that I want to do this Im just learning to think digital

and trying to get it clear.

wish i had a kit in front of me to play with, I wouldnt have to think so much.

 

[MrFlippant]

Part 1 is true. For digital, it's all the same lane.
Part 2, the second PB must not only be off, but out of the layout, or at least electrically disconnected from the layout. An off PB can receive back power from the other one and be destroyed.

 

[out2passya]

ahh yes off course completly removed or isolated.. this could maybe be achieved by putting it in a two lane pit section or just simply switches.

so this pic looks ok...again missing a few ingredients for simplification.
https://flic.kr/p/cEovBL

 

[MrFlippant]

Switches is the only way to do it other than taking the extra PB out of the layout. The switches would need to go between the base and the rails, which means the base track itself would need to be taken apart, wires to the rails cut and lengthened, and switches installed in those wires.

Although it might be faster to do this, it wouldn't be especially practical. Each individual AND the combined layout, would both be boring compared to the layout they could build if they just laid out their pieces on the floor and made something that can only be made when they combine their pieces. There is a digital club that meets at local halls and combines their track to make epic huge layouts (sorry, the name is escaping me at the moment.

)

 

[out2passya]

yeah the layout was just simplified for explanations sake.

I figured If I thought this stuff out now when we do go to plonking it down on boards it would be worth adding the outs n ins for future expansion

especially if I start routing wood but thats a ways down the track.

thanks

 

[MrFlippant]

If getting two tracks together on a regular basis is a possibility, then it sure sounds like an interesting project.

I look forward to seeing what you guys come up with.

 

[out2passya]

cheers greg for your input.
Ill certainly let you/here know what we get up to.
At the moment I can forseee maybe 3 setups that maybe joinable. Wheather we deem its a worthwhile, as you mentioned, is something we will have to decide.