Configuring Model Train/Railway Wiring

Collectors of model trains and railroads know that wiring and electrical setups is one of the most exciting and the most satisfying part of customizing collections of model trains. All trains ought to stop at each station and need to decelerate on every tight corner to prevent derailing. In every station, there is a certain amount of time where trains can simulate the loading and unloading of passengers or cargo. In order to achieve an automatic function when operating model trains and railways, you need to do add some accessories and change wiring.

To have an automated run on your analog railway you have to know where to segregate certain parts of the track and to configure the circuit board wiring that will control the speed and pace of the train when it passes a certain portion of the track. A necessary accessory to be able to tell the circuit board when the train is coming is called a photo sensor.

For a train to slow down, you’ll need a circuit board type AS-1. A wire from the board connects to the isolated rail and another wire should be linked to the powered rail on the same isolated track. A locomotive with a flywheel works great with this feature because it can slow down the train and start it up again. The train will regain its maximum speed once it is out of the non-isolated track.

To slow down, delay, stop and start the train a position sensor is required together with a DT-4, TD-1 and AS-1 circuit boards. Connect the DT-4 and TD-1 boards with a single wire. Then connect a wire coming from the DT-4 to the isolated track and connect a separate wire from the TD-1 on a rail from the same isolated track. A third line should link up TD-1 to AS-1 and a wire from the AS-1 should connect to the non-isolated track.

The train will begin to slow down as it gets to the isolated track and will stop as it reaches the station where the photo sensor is placed. If you have set the time period on the circuit board on how long the train would stop at a station, it will re-activate which will move the train at a start pace. As soon as it leaves the isolated track, it will go much faster.

To reverse model trains, you will be needing an AR-1 circuit board. Two separate cables from the AR-1 should connect to both rails on the track and another pair of wires connects to the photo sensor.

If you find the idea of connecting wires tedious, going digital would be the answer by getting a Digital Command Control. DCC will let you command the train’s speed and path without doing any technical alterations.